American Murder: Gabby Petito - All you need to know about Gabby Petito’s ‘4 parents’

Netflix’s American Murder: Gabby Petito chronicles the horrific incident of Gabby Petito’s death at the hands of her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. The case shook the world in 2021, when the 22-year-old woman went on a trip across the US with the love of her life, but never returned home.

Brian murdered Gabby in August 2021 and later shot himself. Following the tragedy, Gabby’s parents have made several efforts to ensure others do not suffer the same fate as their daughter.

Interestingly, Gabby called four people her parents. Her biological parents are Nichole Schmidt and Joseph “Joe” Petito, who divorced when she was young. Nichole later married Jim Schmidt, while Joe tied the knot with Tara Petito.

As seen in American Murder: Gabby Petito, Gabby was close to both her stepmother and stepfather, and hence, her ‘four parents’ came together to fight for justice for their daughter.

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American Murder: Gabby Petito - Who are Gabby’s four parents?

Gabby was born in 1999 to New York-based Nichole Schmidt and Joe Petito. Her mother worked as a teaching assistant, while her father was a warehouse store chain manager. However, the two separated while Gabby was still a child.

Both went on to remarry in 2005, as Nichole found love with Jim Schmidt, who has a background in fire and rescue. Meanwhile, Joe got married to Tara Petito, who worked as a real estate agent.

Gabby was primarily raised by Nichole and Jim; however, she maintained a close relationship with Joe and Tara. When she went missing in 2021, the two couples joined forces to find their daughter.

They launched a national search effort; however, it ended with the heartbreaking discovery of her remains in Wyoming. Since then, they have dedicated themselves to advocating for victims of domestic violence.

In 2021, they established the Gabby Petito Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at raising awareness and pushing for policy changes regarding domestic abuse and missing persons cases. Nichole now serves as the foundation’s president, while Joe focuses on the legislative aspects of the campaign.

At the same time, Tara handles administrative duties for the organization, and Jim provides domestic violence awareness training. Apart from their advocacy work, the four parents have also leaned on each other for support.

Though they live in separate homes in Florida, they maintain daily communication and often share signs they believe Gabby sends them, like butterflies and rainbows. The four have bonded over their grief and their friendship has only strengthened their campaign against domestic violence.

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Gabby’s parents share their thoughts on American Murder: Gabby Petito

During the release of American Murder: Gabby Petito, the victims’ parents and stepparents released their official statements to Netflix about what they felt about the documentary. Jim said he wants people to be inspired by Gabby’s life so that they learn to enjoy every moment. Meanwhile, Joe added:

“I’d like to see countries around the world use her story as a learning tool to get better resources and information out to everyone who needs help. There are so many — 10 million people in the US are affected by domestic violence every year.”

Tara highlighted American Murder: Gabby Petito would help bring awareness among other victims, while Nichole urged audiences not to watch the documentary just for entertainment. She said:

“When you’re watching a documentary like this, remember that it’s not just a story. It’s not just entertainment for you; it’s not just 'true crime.' Remember that there are always real lives involved and that these things can happen to anyone. So choose empathy and kindness every day, because everybody’s going through something. That’s how Gabby lived her life.”

American Murder: Gabby Petito is now available to stream on Netflix.