American Murder: Gabby Petito
NZ release: 17 February 2025
Domestic violence, offensive language, suicide themes Rated on: 17 February 2025
What’s it about?
In the three-part docuseries American Murder: Gabby Petito, family members and friends of Gabby Petito unveil new details about what happened behind-the-scenes when the 22-year-old's dream van-life trip with fiancé Brian Laundrie resulted in her murder.
The facts
- Directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro (Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal)
- English language
- Runtime: 3 episodes, each around 40 minutes long
- Netflix original docuseries
Why did it get this rating?
This series was self-rated by Netflix. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.
Domestic violence
The series explores the physical, verbal, and emotional abuse by Brian towards Gabby – showing its escalation in their relationship through witness accounts, police footage, and final sightings – which may be distressing for some viewers.
We see detailed police footage of a previous domestic assault report including a distressed Gabby, and Brian calling her "crazy". A photo from Gabby’s phone shows her bruised and red-faced with tears in her eyes but it is unclear whether it relates to this incident.
Gabby’s death was ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma and strangulation - there are no images of her body, but you see aerial drone shots of the location she was found. The documentary examines the staged crime scene, and Brian’s actions following her death including fleeing, taking photographs of animal bones, and sending texts from Gabby’s phone to fabricate an alibi.
Brian’s family refused to cooperate throughout the investigation. A note to Brian from his mother says she would “show up with a shovel and garbage bags” if he needed to dispose of a body. The series also explores public reactions and discussions on enabling abusive behaviour.
Suicide themes
Brian’s remains are discovered, his body was found with a gunshot wound to the head – this is talked about rather than shown. Nearby belongings included photos of him and Gabby, as well as goodbye messages to his parents. These scenes may be upsetting for viewers affected by suicide.
Offensive language
This series contains occasional offensive language including “f**k”, “sh*t”, and “bullsh*t,” mostly said by interviewees or seen in text messages.
Helplines:
The domestic violence and suicide themes could be upsetting for some viewers, especially for those who have gone through similar experiences. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen or real-world harm please reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs to talk:
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