
With Brian Laundrie’s posthumous confession, the murder case of Gabby Petito is technically closed. Still, that hasn’t stopped Nicole Schmidt from revisiting her daughter’s relationship, especially concerning what she might not have seen before.
Just weeks before Petito went missing, the couple was questioned by Utah police when a witness saw Laundrie “slapping” Petitio during a fight, per NBC News. A police bodycam recorded both Laundrie and Petito’s questioning, and the footage was released to the public. When asked if Schmidt believed the incident in Utah was the first instance of domestic violence in Petitio and Laundrie’s relationship, she said, “In hindsight, looking at that? No.”
Now, one year after her daughter’s death, Schmidt is working with a domestic violence charity to support and raise money for victims. Petito’s mom is one of the board members of The Gabby Petito Foundation — established in October 2021 — and donated $100,000 to the National Domestic Violence Hotline in honor of her late daughter and other victims.