“Sickening” Moab Police review-bombed after Netflix’s American Murder: Gabby Petito
NetflixThe Moab Police Department is facing backlash once more after the release of American Murder: Gabby Petito, so much so that Google has suspended reviews and comments on its listing.
On August 12, 2021, just a couple of weeks before Brian Laundrie murdered his fiancée during their cross-country trip, police stopped the couple in Moab, Utah, following a 911 call reporting a domestic dispute.
After interrogating them separately, the responding officers determined Gabby as the primary aggressor, despite both having injuries. They provided Brian with a motel room intended for survivors of domestic violence, while Gabby was left to spend the night in the van.
The police body cam footage of the incident went viral after Gabby’s disappearance, and it’s once again under the spotlight after Netflix released the latest chapter of its true crime documentary series, American Murder.
Moab Police face backlash again after American Murder
The Moab Police Department’s social media has been inundated with angry messages since the release of the docu-series, with viewers accusing the responders of mishandling the case.
A similar situation unfolded with Vallejo PD after American Nightmare, only in this instance, Google has actually suspended all feedback. If you click on the force’s Google reviews section, a message reads, “Posting is currently turned off.
“Some types of places are more likely to receive posts, like reviews, that violate Google’s policies. To prevent this, Google has turned off posting.”
On the Moab City Police Department’s Facebook page, the latest post has received just one comment, which reads, “Just saw the Gabby Petito documentary, hope you idiots feel good about that move.”
A separate post about a man who is suspected to have stolen a rifle received the following: “Maybe she is just an abused woman? Best find her boyfriend and put him up in a hotel.”
A third added, “Cool, but do y’all victim blame and take the side of the person who was clearly the abuser still or nah?”
In response to a holiday post, one said, “If Eric Pratt was a capable cop Gabby would still be here for the holidays.”
The chat is much the same on social media, with one writing on X/Twitter, “Wow. Watching the footage of the @moabpolice and how they accuse Gabby of being the abuser is sickening. The police NEVER seem to do their damn jobs right.”
Gabby Petito’s family sued Moab PD
NetflixGabby’s parents, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City PD in November 2022, seeking $50 million in damages. However, the case was later dismissed.
The lawsuit alleged that if the responding officers had followed a Utah law on domestic violence, Gabby would still be alive today.
As per ABC, Nichole said during a press conference at the time, “We feel the need to bring justice because she could have been protected that day.
“There are laws put in place to protect victims, and those laws were not followed. And we don’t want this to happen to anybody else.”
The Petito family filed an amended wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City PD in March 2023, and a second amended complaint in February 2024.
At the time of the second amended complaint, Nichole said on behalf of the family, “We will never stop seeking justice for Gabby and working for the protection of other victims of domestic violence.”
However, the case was dismissed in November 2024, with the judge ruling that the Government Immunity Act of Utah protected the police officers from liability.
Gabby’s parents did, however, successfully sue Brian’s parents, Roberta and Christopher Laundrie.
The first lawsuit, filed in March 2022, accused them of intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging they knew Gabby was dead when they shared messages of hopes she’d be found.
The second was a wrongful death lawsuit filed in May 2022, which targeted the Laundrie estate for damages. This was settled first in November that year, when a Florida judge awarded Gabby’s family $3 million.
The emotional distress lawsuit was settled in February 2024, although the details and conditions remain confidential.
Moab office Eric Pratt expressed regrets
NetflixAn internal investigation into the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie stop saw Moab police officer Eric Pratt express his regrets over how he handled the situation.
As quoted in the 100-page report, Pratt said, “We’re all doing this with the fact in our mind that we know what happened later.
“So, it’s really convoluted and hard to tell you like anything other than what I thought at the time, which was if I missed a big red flag that he was a murderer, then yes I missed it…
“If I would have known he was going to murder her, I would have taken vacation to follow them, because I care about people, to the point where he was going to murder her… and I would have intervened and citizens arrested him in Wyoming!
“I would have taken my own time; I would have missed my family to go do that. I’m desperately f**ked over that she got killed. I really am. I would have done anything to stop it if I would have known that was coming.”
American Murder: Gabby Petito is streaming on Netflix now. Read about why the doc is facing backlash for using AI, the Gabby Petito doc to watch next, what Brian wrote in his notebook, and new documentaries heading to streaming this month.
