Brian Laundrie was initially wanted as a person of interest in the notorious murder of Gabby Petito, after they went on a trip across the United States together. However, he came back home alone, refusing to talk to anyone about her. 

Petito’s body was found in late September. Although people were hoping to get Brian alive so that he could face the consequences of his actions, his remains were found in Florida on October 20th.

While the country has been watching this investigation unfold, many social issues have been brought to people’s attention, such as violence against women and domestic violence in general.

The issue of domestic violence has quickly become prominent in the public eye. The police officers who spoke to the couple prior to Petito’s death were heavily criticized for doing nothing to help her, even after seeing clear signs of abuse. Petitio’s parents started a foundation with a goal of supporting organizations that provide help for domestic violence victims.

Petito’s case has also brought attention to so many other unsolved cases that have not received as much attention. For example, many people are angry about the case of Lilia Barajas, a Glendale High School student, who in 1994 attended the Homecoming Dance, but was tragically killed by a hit-and-run driver after leaving the dance. The driver of the car was never found.

Petito’s case has also helped many people leave abusive relationships. Joseph Petito, Gabby’s father, tweeted: “She is already saving lives. So many stories being sent to us about relationships being left with proper planning for safety, and people are being found due to her influence. We have much more work to do, but it’s a start.”

It’s true that people are being found, both figuratively and literally. During the search for Brian Laundrie, 9 other bodies have also been finally located. 

All of these issues are finally being discussed, yet once again, little is being done to actually address them. It is extremely important that people learn how to spot the signs of abuse, especially people like police officers or teachers, whose jobs involve seeing lots of people. If we properly address these issues, there is hope that we might prevent tragedies like this from happening again.