American Murder: Gabby Petito Recap for Burn After Reading

The third and final installment of American Murder: Gabby Petito is titled Burn After Reading. At this point, her boyfriend Brian Laundrie is also missing and his parents refuse to cooperate.

We see video footage of both cases, with Gabby’s mom Nichole talking about finding her daughter.

Many tips are brought in from people all around the country, including one girl named Miranda, who claims to have picked up Brian while he was hitchhiking. Norma Jean, who also picked up Brian, thinks it is the same guy and calls the police with her story.

Another van life couple talk about their own adventure and how they got word of Gabby’s disappearance. They realize they might have helpful footage and see they have a picture of the van Gabby and Brian used. They post it and it takes the case in a whole new direction.

The search continues and on September 19th, Gabby’s body was found on her side, wrapped in a sweater. Her shoes were next to her body and a place where a fire had been set, but there were no fire materials near her. She had been killed by blunt force trauma and manual strangulation. Authorities were shocked and upset and immediately went to tell her family that her body had been found.

Nichole and Jim recall getting the news and how they had to identify the body. Gabby’s dad Joe and stepmom Tara also recall getting the news and how scared she must have been at the time.

More footage of Gabby is shown as Rose talks about Gabby’s death. We also see the news footage of her body being found. A mutual friend of the couple remembers finding out about the news on TV and wishing it weren’t real.

Authorities went to the restaurant where Gabby and Brian were last seen. A witness recalls seeing them argue and storm out.

Jackson, Gabby’s ex-boyfriend wishes he took her call that day. However, he had been at work and couldn’t talk, which is why he didn’t.

A timeline is established as her computer and phone activity are tracked. Once they no longer could find anything, they try to put together when she was killed and her body was moved.

Brian’s pictures from August 28th were analyzed, as is his phone. He had called his mom and talked to her for almost an hour and then the attorney was called. During this time, he had sent texts to her phone….and then a little while later sent texts from her phone to his, trying to establish an alibi.

It is also inferred that Brian had texted Nichole pretending to be Gabby and used her card to buy gas, all making it seem like she was alive and set up his alibi.

A warrant is now out for Brian’s attest. There are many sightings of Brian, with Dog the Bounty Hunter even joining the search party.

During this time. an abandoned car was found. Once it was reported, it belonged to the Laundries, who went to pick it up. The area where is was found was one of Brian’s favorite hiking trails. Authorities begin to look for him in this area, as do his parents.

The Laundries found Brian’s bag and before long, Brian’s remains and other belongings were found, also by his parents. He had died by suicide via gunshot wound. Pictures of him and Gabby were found in the bag, along with a notebook filled with suicide notes, as well as a confession to what happened to Gabby. He claimed she gotten hurt and ended her life in a merciful way and afterward, couldn’t life without her. However, this did not line up with her autopsy.

Gabby’s family and friends were disgusted by this and the letter Brian’s mom wrote, saying she will help him bury a body. They are also floored by how the Laundries reacted to everything and protected Brian.

The mutual friend cannot believe how things turned out.

A year after Gabby’s death, her family, along with Jackson and Rose went to visit the place where Gabby was found to honor her memory. They spread her ashes there and brought photos for a memorial.

A foundation in Gabby’s name was started in her memory. They also work to help bring missing people home and help bring families closure, as well as passing a domestic violence bill in Utah.

Rose talks about her past abusive relationship and how Gabby helped her get out, while her loved ones share some favorite memories.

Gabby’s only video has 7 million views since her murder.

No criminal charges have been filed against the Laundries, but the Petitos filed a wrongful death suit against them in 2022, settling in 2024.

The Laundries refused to comment on the case.