American Murder: Gabby Petito explores late 22-year-old travel vlogger Gabby Petito‘s life and the road trip she took with fiancé Brian Laundrie that ended in her death. The three-part Netflix docuseries premiered in February 2025 and featured Petito’s former boyfriend, Jackson, whom she dated before she met Laundrie. In a chilling admission, Jackson claimed that Petito had called him during her final days and allegedly said she wanted to leave Laundrie.
Petito and Laundrie had embarked on a cross-country road trip over the summer of 2021 in a white van that she had purchased. That August, Petito was reported missing by her family, who hadn’t heard from her or Laundrie in days. In September, Laundrie returned home to his parents’ house in Florida without Petito. After officials conducted a search in the Wyoming, Petito’s remains were found.
Below, learn about Jackson and what he revealed about his last alleged conversation with Petito in the Netflix docuseries.
How Did Brian Laundrie Die?
Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His skeletal remains were found by authorities in Florida’s Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park along with a hand-written note, which detailed his last moments.
Who Killed Gabby Petito?
Laundrie admitted to killing Petito in his letter that was discovered near his remains in Florida. Laundrie wrote that he “ended [Gabby’s] life” because she was allegedly freezing.
“I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made,” his letter read. “I panicked, I was in shock. But from the moment I decided, took away her pain, I knew I couldn’t go on without her [sic].”
Laundrie described Gabby as the “love of [his] life” and apologized to her family, writing, “I’m so very sorry to her family because I love them. “I’d [consider] her younger siblings my best of friends… I am sorry to my family, this [is] a shock to them as well a terrible grief.”
“I’ve lost our whole future together, every moment we could have [shared],” the letter continued. “I’m sorry for everyone’s loss. Please do not make life harder for my family, they lost a son and a daughter. The most wonderful girl in the world. Gabby I’m sorry. … I have killed myself by this creek in the hopes that animals may tear me apart. That it may make some of her family happy.”
An autopsy report confirmed that Petito died from “blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation.”
Who Is Gabby Petito’s Ex-Boyfriend?
In Netflix’s American Murder doc, Petito’s ex-boyfriend’s name was only introduced as Jackson. The two dated for about one year before she met Laundrie.
In the docuseries, Jackson claimed that Petito reached out to him in August 2021 — just days before she was murdered. This was also shortly after Petito and Laundrie had been stopped by police over a dispute, and cops separated them for one evening by getting Laundrie a motel room and leaving Petito to stay in her van.
“Hey, I’m sure I’m the last person on the planet you want to hear from,” Petito texted Jackson, according to the Netflix doc. “I would really love to talk to you. I’m only alone until tomorrow.”
Jackson informed the docuseries producers that he and Petito talked for awhile on the phone. According to him, she allegedly admitted a “plan” to leave Laundrie during their road trip.
“She was like, ‘I have a plan. I think I want to leave him. I’m gonna do it. I have to figure out when to do it,’” Jackson claimed. “And that’s when I was kind of like, ‘What are you talking about? What do you mean you have a plan?’ … From the sound of her voice and the way she was saying it, I think that she, like, wasn’t sure what he would do or what he could do. I think she was wanting to get away, but just didn’t know how to do it.”
Jackson also revealed in the doc that Petito had called him shortly before she was murdered. However, Jackson was unable to answer the phone because he was at work that day.
What Happened to Brian Laundrie’s Parents?
Laundrie’s parents, Christopher and Roberta, have kept a low profile since their son’s death in 2021. They were last known to be living in Florida. The couple reached a settlement with the Petito family in February 2024 over a lawsuit they filed against the Laundries for emotional distress.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
