Gabby Petito’s grieving father shared a heart-wrenching message Tuesday to commemorate the third anniversary of her murder.
“3 years ago this evening you were taken from us. We can’t stop crying when we think of you. There is no waking up from this nightmare,” Joseph Petito wrote on Instagram
“We push forward for you and all those you have inspired and nothing can make us stop. I ask anyone who reads this, please share a #missingperson flyer today.”
The disconsolate message was posted alongside a picture of the father-daughter duo sharing a hearty bout of laughter.
Sitting side-by-side, both Gabby and Joseph submerged their toes in a fish bath, allowing the tiny creatures to nibble away at their dead skin, tickling the pair in the process.
The photographed moment of the happy memory is a familiar one — Joseph Petitio shared it just five months earlier to celebrate what would have been Gabby’s 25th birthday.
“We love and miss you,” he wrote at the time.
Hundreds of consoling comments poured in under the dad’s social media post. Many of the commenters credited Gabby Pepito’s story for pushing them to leave their own toxic relationships.
“Gabby saved my life 3 yrs ago. I didn’t even know her and wish she was still on this earth to thank her in person … I left my abusive ex of 6yrs once I followed this case and heard how she was taken away. I’ll forever be thankful to her. I always think of her. I love you Gabby!” one woman wrote.
“Your daughter’s story is what woke me up to my toxic reality. She gave me the courage to fight for myself and for my son. We are coming up on year three of leaving home and starting completely over. It’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but we are still here to live another day and we are safe thanks to Gabby,” wrote another.
The anniversary comes as Gabby Petito’s family continues to fight for her legacy. Last month Joseph Petito slammed the Utah police department who tried to toss out his $50 million lawsuit against them for their alleged failure to save his daughter.
The Moab Police Department — who let Gabby Petito drive away with her future killer Brian Laundrie after intervening in a domestic dispute — described the suit as “a substitute for a GoFundMe campaign.”
Laundrie would strangle Gabby Petito to death just days later and dump her body in a remote Wyoming camping area.
The couple had been touring the US in an RV, a journey she documented on social media.
Laundrie reported her missing on the trip, and suddenly returned to his parents in Florida without Petito near the end of August 2021, sparking a nationwide search that gripped the country’s attention.
Laundrie later committed suicide in a nearby national park and penned a handwritten note admitting to the murder.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
