The FBI has released a heartbreaking letter written by Gabby Petito to her then-boyfriend Brian Laundrie before her killing.
Gabby, 22, was reported missing in August 2021 after she and Brian had embarked on what was planned to be a four-month road trip around the US in their van.
However, just weeks into their journey, Gabby's parents raised the alarm on September 11 after failing to hear from her since late August, with Brian being named a person of interest in her disappearance just days later, after it emerged he'd visited his family home without her.
Tragically, Gabby was found dead on September 19, and a manhunt was launched for Brian, who took his own life after going on the run, having confessed to the killing in a diary that was found alongside his body.
Now, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has released more than 350 new documents relating to the case, including a heartbreaking letter Gabby had sent Brian before her death.
In the undated handwritten letter, which was seen by E! News, Gabby apologized for getting "upset over a dumb piece of paper" and pleaded with Brian.
She wrote: "Just please stop crying and stop calling me names because we're a team and I'm here with you.
"Yes, I can be a child sometimes I know, but it's ‘cause you give me this energy and I just love you too much. Like so much it hurts."
According to the outlet, Gabby added in the page-long letter: "So you in pain is killing me. I'm not trying to be negative, but I'm frustrated there's not more I can do."
Other documents released include further journal entries as well as evidence including photos of Brian and Gabby's possessions, as well as other federal documents related to the case.
The case dominated headlines in 2021 after the aspiring lifestyle vlogger disappeared while documenting the couple's van journey on YouTube and Instagram.
A massive search was launched to try and locate her after it was discovered that Brian had returned to his parents' Florida home in early September without Gabby, before heading back out on the road.
Gabby's remains were found in a remote area in a Wyoming national park after 18 days, with an autopsy ruling her death as homicide by strangulation.
Brian was named a person of interest in the case, leading to an extensive man hunt, before the 23-year-old's body was found weeks later in a Florida park alongside a notebook in which he confessed to the murder.
Gabby's mother, Nichole Schmidt, recently spoke out about her journey with grief and how she has found the strength within herself to forgive her daughter's killer.
Speaking at CrimeCon 2024 on May 31, she explained: "I speak for myself here when I say Brian, I forgive you.
"I needed to release myself from the chains of anger and bitterness, and I refuse to let your despicable act define the rest of my life."
Her speech was less forgiving of Brian's mother, Roberta Laundrie, who the Petito family had accused of trying to cover up the murder in a since-settled civil lawsuit - something Roberta and her husband Christopher Laundrie had denied.
She said on stage: "As for you, Roberta, and I call you out individually because you are evidently the mastermind that shattered your family and mine with your evil ways, I see no empathy in your eyes."
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