August 27, 2026 marks five years since Gabby Petito disappeared during a cross-country van trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. While the criminal investigation closed long ago, her family’s legal battle continues. Their wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab Police Department was dismissed in 2024 due to police immunity protections, but the appeal is now before the Utah Supreme Court. The central question: whether those immunity laws violate Utah’s Constitution, which explicitly protects the right to pursue wrongful death claims.
But the more compelling story isn’t just about what happens in court. The Petito family has shifted their focus toward legislative reform and national awareness about domestic violence. They were instrumental in pushing through Utah’s SB 117 in 2023, a law requiring police officers to conduct lethality assessments during domestic violence calls. Officers now ask ten specific questions designed to identify danger signs. If red flags appear, trained third parties step in to help victims understand their situation and options. According to the family’s attorney, police departments across Utah are using these assessments more frequently than before.
What makes this advocacy work so important is what it’s teaching people about dangerous relationships. Most folks think domestic violence means bruises or broken bones. But the Petito family has spent five years educating the country that danger comes in other forms too: financial coercion, sexual coercion, strangulation threats, death threats, and patterns of controlling behavior that escalate over time. Recognizing these warning signs early could be lifesaving. Do you know what to look for if someone you care about is in a relationship like that?
