Gabby Petito’s Family Marks Fourth “Angelversary” with Emotional Tribute

New York, Aug. 27, 2025 - Today marks the fourth anniversary of the tragic death of travel blogger Gabby Petito, and her family commemorated the occasion with a heartfelt Instagram tribute from her mother, Nicole Schmidt.

In a video montage shared Wednesday, Schmidt honored her daughter’s life and legacy, overlaying photos of Petito with angel wings and the text “Gabby’s Angelversary Four Years.” The montage concluded with the message, “Always our angel,” and the caption: “Missing you for 4 years now. Time doesn’t heal, but we hold onto the memories. You visit us in dreams, send signs daily, and the work you’re doing from the other side is bigger than you ever could have imagined here. Until we’re together again 🤍✨”

Petito, a 22-year-old YouTube vlogger from Long Island, New York, vanished on Aug. 27, 2021, during a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Her body was found three weeks later in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest, and her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation. Laundrie died by suicide in a Florida nature reserve weeks after returning home alone in the couple’s van.

Since Petito’s passing, her family has launched the Gabby Petito Foundation, dedicated to raising awareness of domestic violence and providing resources to victims. They have also advocated for improved protocols in missing-person investigations, drawing on their experience to push for policy changes at the state and federal levels.

The annual “angelversary” tribute underscores the enduring impact of Petito’s story and her family’s commitment to transforming grief into advocacy.