When red flags go unseen: the silent cries for help in ‘American Murder: Gabby Petito’

OH, THE irony. The happiest people on social media often have the darkest secrets, and the American Murder: Gabby Petito story is a brutal reminder of this fact.

- BERNELEE VOLLMER

If you've heard the name Gabby Petito before, it’s likely because of the tragic, gut-wrenching story that’s still a topic of discussion across social media.

Netflix’s docuseries shows that behind every picture-perfect post, there’s often more than meets the eye. It digs deep into the couple’s seemingly happy journey across the United States, with Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie posting their “van life” adventures online.

What they didn’t show their followers, however, were the cracks in their relationship. Right from the start, the series pulls you into a real-life horror story, beginning with the bodycam footage of a police stop in Utah.

In the footage, an emergency call has prompted officers to pull over the couple’ van after a domestic incident.