The family of Gabby Petito, who was murdered by her fiancé Brian Laundrie, decided to scatter her ashes in the place she lost her life – and it’s left many viewers divided
Netflix fans have been left seriously spooked after hearing about the decision made by Gabby Petito’s family to scatter her ashes at the grisly scene where she was savagely killed by her partner. The documentary, American Murder: Gabby Petito, triggered talk among viewers who labelled the choice to make Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming her final resting place “very creepy” with sentiments that now the victim “will forever be stuck there.”
At just 22 years of age, Gabby, along with her fiancé Brian Laundrie, 23, set off on a nomadic adventure living in a van and sharing their escapades online – until she vanished on September 11 2021. Shortly after her disappearance, Brian also became a ghost, turning up dead in a Florida reserve, but not before confessing to the murder in a notebook found near his remains on October 20, reports the Mirror US.
Following the release of the documentary, a TikTok by user Samantha, which has racked up over 37,000 views, posed the question: “Does anybody find it odd that Gabby Petito’s family spread her ashes over the exact location of where she was murdered? ”
The family scattered the ashes where they found their daughter’s body (
Image:
Netflix)
Viewers piled into the comments agreeing it was strange, with one declaring the choice simply “blew [their] mind.”
The new series, which documents the distressing search and tragic events that took place in late summer 2021, features Gabby’s parents, stepparents, siblings and a few friends journeying to the national park’s rolling hills. Gabby’s mum, Nichole Schmidt, revealed: “We decided as a family that we all wanted to go visit the spot where Gabby was found.
“Once we got to where Gabby was, you could feel her presence and her spirit there,” her mum continued.
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“It was just such a beautiful moment … It was just really healing to be with everybody, and we truly felt close to Gabby that day.”
The TikTok’s caption invited viewers to share their thoughts, asking: “No hate, but, what’s y’all’s opinion on this? If something so tragic were to happen to me, I wouldn’t want what is left of me to be put back at such a traumatising location.”
Many agreed, labelling the decision “odd” and “weird.”
Gabby and Brian were road tripping around America before Brain strangled Gabby to death (
Image:
Netflix)
One commenter, Moe, described the choice as “very creepy”, adding: “It’s like now she will forever be stuck there.”
Another echoed these sentiments, saying: “As if she would want to be left in that horrific place in the darkness and all those horrible memories, blew my mind.”
Rara admitted: “I was pretty shocked at this as well.”
While some were puzzled by the family’s actions, Stephanie Cardenas understood their motives, saying: “They probably did that to release her spirit since she was tragically murdered there they probably think her soul would be trapped and now they’ve set her free.”
Britti Lynn believed it was about reclaiming control: “I think part of it was taking back power from Brian and what he did there instead making it a place where they could leave her with love and peace.”
Em highlighted the need for respect in grief: “They’re not made up characters for you to disrespect by commenting on the ways they grieve/what they should’ve done differently.”
Another person echoed this sentiment, stating: “Everyone grieves differently…what’s wrong with that.”
