Gabby Petito's Family Had Van From Cross-Country Trip Crushed

Gabby Petito’s father, Joe Petito, revealed in an interview that the family chose to have the Ford Transit Connect van - which Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie drove on their cross-country road trip in 2021 - destroyed. “We didn’t want the van to be out there and someone owning the van and then saying, ‘Here’s the van that Gabby was …’ So, we had it crushed,” he told NewsNation. Petito, 22, vanished during the trip and was later found strangled in Wyoming. Laundrie, the sole suspect, died by suicide in Florida and left behind a notebook admitting responsibility.

What the Family Kept

Although the van is gone, Gabby’s stepmother, Tara Petito, shared that the family held onto the gas cap and a sticker from the Great Smoky Mountains - two small mementos from the trip. These items are now kept in a curio case at home.

The Foundation

Since Petito’s murder, her parents have channeled their grief into advocacy. They founded the Gabby Petito Foundation, which works with organizations including the Black and Missing Foundation and the National Domestic Violence Hotline to support missing persons cases and domestic violence victims. Gabby’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, told NewsNation she has forgiven Laundrie for what he did. “I have forgiven Brian, and I know that’s what Gabby would have wanted, and I’m moving forward so that I can help people.”

References: Gabby Petito’s Parents Reveal What They Did with the Van She and Brian Laundrie Drove Across the Country | Gabby Petito’s parents destroyed her van: ‘We had it crushed’ | Gabby Petito Foundation