STOW, Mass. — Four years after the disappearance and murder of travel blogger Gabby Petito captured national interest, her mother and stepfather made their first stop in New England on Thursday, raising awareness of domestic violence.
Invited by Stow police, Nichole and Jim Schmidt spoke about their daughter, the impact of domestic violence on families and how police respond to such calls.
“You see it on TV. You’re like, ‘Wow, these things don’t really happen in real life. It doesn’t happen to families like us,’” Jim Schmidt said. “But it did. And that just shows you that it can happen to anybody.”
Petito was on a cross-country trip with her fiance Brian Laundrie in the summer of 2021 when she was strangled and her body left in Wyoming.
Laundrie returned to his parents’ home in Florida before vanishing. Officials say he died by suicide, leaving behind notes claiming responsibility for Petito’s death.
Petito’s parents feel they were robbed of justice through the courts.
“But we feel like we get our justice by preventing it in other communities and helping save lives,” Schmidt said. “We are here now with a purpose, and Gabby did not die in vain.”
Stow Police Chief Michael Sallese said his department is determined to tackle domestic violence and improve officer training.
“That’s one of our bigger calls,” Sallese said of the prevlance of domestic violence. “Because it’s a quiet community and everything is kept indoors, we don’t see the violence until it’s too late, until it becomes a very volatile situation… So, we want to bring awareness to people… If you see something going on, definitely give us a call, because the earlier that we can intervene, the better it is.”
Before her death, body-camera video from Moab, Utah, police shows officers responding to a domestic incident between Petito and Laundrie. The response followed a 911 call from a witness reporting Laundrie had slapped Petito.
Petito’s parents sued Moab police, claiming officers failed to protect their daughter, but that lawsuit was dismissed.
Police in Stow, however, believe that body-camera video, highlighted in a recent Netflix documentary, shows police have a lot to learn.
“We watched the Netflix original series,” said Lt. Kellie Barhight, “and it was concerning on the training those officers had and how they could have and should have stopped that incident.”
Domestic violence advocate Jacquelin Apsler shared information on how victims and those close to them can spot red flags.
Typically, domestic violence does not begin with physical abuse, she said, but rather a criticism, controlling behavior, and condescending language.
“As the criticism increases, as the abusive partner starts trying to exert more control and to abuse in ways that are very subtle and coercive, it’s not an automatic violent or physical fate,” Apsler said. “It’s going to start with denigration, with name-calling, with insults, with criticism, where you never really make the right decision, you’re never doing the right thing.”
For more information and resources, visit: Gabby Petito Alliance and Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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