Chilling moment Gabby Petito had a run-in with police just weeks before brutal murder

Gabby Petito's fate almost took a different turn when a witness reported a domestic dispute to the police just weeks before her tragic murder.

Gabby, aged 22, and her fiance Brian Laundrie, aged 23, were traversing the US and sharing their journey on social media when she was reported missing on September 11, 2021.

Brian vanished soon after, and an arrest warrant was issued on September 23, shortly after Gabby's body was discovered strangled. His remains were later found in a Florida nature reserve in October, along with a notebook confessing to Gabby's murder.

The harrowing truth behind the couple's seemingly perfect Instagram life is set to be revealed in the upcoming Netflix documentary American Murder: Gabby Petito, released on Monday, February 17.

On August 12, 2021, an officer from Moab City Police Department pulled over the couple's white camper van following a report from a witness who observed a fight between them. The witness claimed to have seen Brian strike Gabby and try to grab her phone to drive off, leaving her behind at a Moab co-op.

Subsequent police audio footage disclosed that Brian indeed hit his fiancee during the confrontation in Utah; however, the responding officials did not take effective action, reports the Mirror.

Details of the incident were spelled out in the audio attained by Fox13, where the dispatcher stated: "RP (Recording party) states seeing a male hit a female, domestic. He got into a white Ford Transit van, has a black ladder on the back, Florida plate."

As further details emerged, officers were informed that Gabby had allegedly been struck. The dispatcher relayed: "Phone number is [redacted], name's [redacted].

"I'm not sure, but the female who got hit, they both, the male and the female both got into the van and headed north."

This new information sparked a wave of criticism aimed at the handling of the situation by the responding officers. According to state law, police must make an arrest or issue a citation when it's suspected that a domestic violence incident has occurred.

In another encounter in August 2021 between the young couple outside a grocery store, police bodycam footage revealed a distressed Gabby admitting to hitting Brian, as she explained through tears: "We've just been fighting this morning. Some personal issues."

Gabby was clearly agitated as she recounted their events to the officer, while Brian was seen on camera chuckling and chatting with the police.

Elaborating on the strife, Gabby said, "We have been fighting all morning and he wouldn't let me in the car before."

Expressing her distress to the police, Gabby stated that Brian "really stresses her out" and detailed their "rough morning". She also confessed that she had struck Brian during their dispute.

Meanwhile, Brian, flashing a disarming smile, conceded to the officers that he had pushed Gabby several times simply to keep her away.

In addition, evidence of the discord was visible; Brian bore scratch marks on his hands, arm, and body.

When questioned by police on her actions during the altercation, the vlogger explained: "I was trying to get him to stop telling me to calm down."

Police reports depict Brian as the perceived victim and Gabby as the assailant. No arrests were made following the incident; instead, officers recommended that the couple separate temporarily.

The incident was officially recorded as a "mental/emotional health break" rather than an instance of domestic assault.

Criminal defence lawyer Phillip Holloway shared his insights with Fox News, suggesting that a different approach by the officers might have changed the outcome for Gabby.

He asserted: "An eyewitness saw Brian using physical violence against Gabby and other information suggested that she was also involved in some type of mutual combat [with Brian]. At a bare minimum, the investigation on the side of the road developed, I believe, probable cause that would have been sufficient to charge one or both of them with some type of domestic violence."

Holloway argues that this could have potentially "changed the trajectory" of events, which may have saved Gabby's life.

American Murder: Gabby Petito is streaming on Netflix.