All of us true crime fans knew it was coming: the painful tale of Gabby Petito’s final days and the gruesome discovery of who was behind her death. However, Netflix storytelling shines here, focusing much of the three-part series on who Gabby was in life, her families’ memories of her vivacious nature, and her willingness to dream even when others tried to dim her light.
Unfortunately, the end of this sad story lies within the sordid details of an abusive relationship and a young woman who couldn’t speak against it with her full voice. The series also focuses on some of the blunders of law enforcement, as well as some of the accomplishments. While there wasn’t much more for me to learn here in terms of the case itself, this series certainly let me get to know the woman behind the missing-person poster.
The series is also smart enough to acknowledge how the young white woman garnered so much attention, while the number of missing and murdered indigenous women are largely ignored by the public and law enforcement. The phone number for the domestic abuse hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE. (three approximately 40-minute episodes)
This article appears in Mar 6-16, 2025.