Gabby Petito’s parents spoke at the College of Eastern Idaho on Monday night, sharing their daughter’s story and urging the public to better recognize the warning signs of domestic abuse.
The presentation came to the college in light of the opening of its new police academy. The Petito family, along with Dylan Round’s family, participated in training local officers on domestic abuse prevention and missing persons response.
Petito was murdered by her fiancé while they were driving across the United States in September of 2021. Her body was found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Her fiancé later killed himself before Petito’s body was found.
Rounds was killed in 2022 and his killer pleaded guilty in 2024.
Since the murder of their daughter, Nichole and Jim Schmidt, who are Gabby’s mother and stepfather, have dedicated their lives to educating the public on domestic abuse through the Gabby Petito Foundation.
“Our goal is for no family to feel how our family has felt to this very day—time does not heal all wounds,” Jim Schmidt said.
The Schmidts say they missed many red flags in Brain Laundrie, Petito’s fiancé and killer. Before heading out on their social media-famous road trip, Petito and Laundrie lived in Florida together. A decision that her mother said isolated Gabby from her family and friends.
Laundrie also would “love-bomb” Petito, a form of manipulation in which abusers use excessive affection to gain control.
“She felt that she was the center of his world,” Nichole Schmidt said.
While in Florida, Laundrie gradually convinced Petito to work the same job as him, sell her car to “save money” and would limit her contact with others. The Schmidts said this escalating pattern of isolation and control ultimately led to Laundrie strangling Petito and leaving her in the forest.
Many people ask why victims don’t just leave, but the Schmidts emphasized that this question places blame on the wrong person.
“We need to put the blame on the abuser, not the victim,” Nichole Schmidt said.
The couple said their mission now is to help others recognize warning signs and intervene safely.
“This can happen to any family,” Nichole Schmidt said. “It happened to ours.”
They shared ways people can support loved ones who may be experiencing abuse, including listening without judgement, pointing out concerning behaviors, offering practical help, connecting them to resources and maintaining regular contact. Conversely, pressuring someone to leave before they are ready, confronting the abuser or sharing the victim’s story without permission can be harmful even when done with good intentions.
Domestic abuse often appears to be a private issue, the Schmidts said, but it affects entire communities.
“What happens when this private problem spills out into the community?” Jim Schmidt said.
They encouraged bystanders who witness an attack to calmly interrupt by asking unrelated questions to defuse the situation and to call 911 when necessary.
“I cannot thank the man who called 911 for Gabby enough,” Nichole Schmidt said.
In Idaho, one in four homicides are intimate partner homicides and 88% of the victims are women.
“We cannot wait for someone else to act,” Nichole Schmidt said. “We are the change.”
To learn more about Petito’s story and resources on domestic abuse visit the Gabby Petito Foundation’s website. For more information on public safety visit the Dylan Rounds Legacy website.