5 years after Gabby Petito's disappearance, her story continues to drive change

SALT LAKE CITY — Five years after the disappearance and death of Gabby Petito, her case continues to have an impact on domestic violence awareness and policy.

Petito was 22 when she disappeared in 2021 while traveling across the country with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Her body was found weeks later in Wyoming, and her death was ruled a homicide.

"I can't think of another family that's been more dedicated to policy change than the Petitos," said Steve Jensen, partner at Parker & McConkie and one of the attorneys representing the Petito family.

Jensen said the family has worked to turn the attention surrounding Gabby's case into lasting change.

"It's not like they carry this animosity toward anyone," Jensen said. "They just genuinely want to effect change."

In Utah, that work has included a 2023 law, known as SB117, requiring law enforcement officers responding to domestic violence calls to use a lethality assessment. The assessment is designed to help officers identify victims who may be at particularly high risk of serious harm or death.

Under Utah law, officers who identify a high-risk situation are required to connect the victim with a local emergency shelter hotline.

Similar lethality-assessment laws or programs have been adopted in states across the country, including Florida and New York.

The Petito family also created the Gabby Petito Foundation, which works to support victims of domestic violence and raise awareness about warning signs.

"Any time you have a policy change, it doesn't happen overnight," Jensen said.

Jensen said Gabby's story has helped more people recognize the warning signs of domestic violence.

"I think there are steps that have been taken that will, and have, helped domestic violence victims ... but there's obviously much more that can be done," he said. "Education is going to continue to be really important."

Meanwhile, the Petito family's wrongful-death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department is still moving through the courts.

The family sued the department, alleging officers failed to properly handle a domestic violence incident involving Gabby and Laundrie weeks before her death. The department has denied wrongdoing.

The Utah Supreme Court is considering the family's appeal, and attorneys expect the court to set a date for oral arguments in the coming weeks.

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