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Gabby Petito's Family Asks Fans To 'Light Up The Night' On One-Year Death Anniversary

Home / Stars / Gabby Petito's Family Asks Fans To 'Light Up The Night' On One-Year Death Anniversary

By MLC on August 22, 2022 at 7:00 PM PDT

Gabby Petito is sadly gone, but will never be forgotten.

Her family and friends and making sure her memory and legacy live on.

Last September, the 22-year-old was reported missing by her mother Nichole Schmidt. Gabby was on a cross-country National Parks road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie.

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Gabby Petito's Family Will Honor Her On 1-Year Anniversary

gabby petito
Gabby Petito / Instagram

Laundrie returned to North Port, FL. in Gabby’s white conversion van, but she was not with him.

Sadly, her remains were discovered in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest on September 19, and a few days later were identified as the remains of Gabby.

The coroner estimated she had been deceased for three weeks prior to her body retrieval.

Last week, Gabby’s father and step-mother shared a message about honoring their late daughter.

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Gabby's Parents Will Light Up The Night In Her Honor

Joseph and Tara Petito shared the following message: “In honor of #Gabbypetito and all the #domesticviolence victims around the world we are asking you to light up the night for those who can’t not be here. #togetherwecan end the cycle. #domesticviolenceawareness.”

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A TikTok video explaining “light up the night” accompanied their tweets.

“August 27th, Light Up The Night. Whether a candle, lantern or string lights in your backyard, light up the darkness for a few moments to honor those who lost their lives to domestic violence. There are some that bring a light so great to the world, that even after they have gone,” the message read.

They’re also asking anyone who lights up the night to take a photo or video post with the hashtag, #thelightremains.

This is a worldwide celebration.

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Gabby Petito outside in a tub
Gabby Petito / Instagram

One supporter replied, “I will have a bonfire for Gabby and all DV victims that night. Gabby touched the world, and she is still making a difference!

Another wrote, “I’m a DV survivor. It took me a long time to leave. I’m thankful I made it out alive. I think of Gabby & your family often. Will be praying and lightning a candle in her memory! Thank you for everything you guys are doing for DV victims. Gabby is with you & so proud!!!”

In the months following her death, her family created the Gabby Petito Foundation with the mission to “address the needs of organizations that support locating missing persons and to provide aid to organizations that assist victims of domestic violence situations, through education, awareness, and prevention strategies.”

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October marks the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Lifetime Network will premiere “The Gabby Petito Story.”

Movie Based On Gabby & Brian's Relationship Will Premiere In October

According to Fox News Digital, the film will premiere on October 1, to start DVAM.

“The Gabby Petito Story” will star Skylar Samuels as Gabby and Evan Hall as Brian.

Samuels is known for her roles in “Scream Queens,” “Nine Lives Of Chloe King” and “Switched Before Birth.”

Hall played a recurring character on Netflix’s “Orange Is The New Black” and a series regular on Nat Geo’s “Mars.”

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Brian Laundrie Gabby Petito 1
YouTube

In a statement shared to Fox News Digital, “The movie will bring to life Gabby and Brian’s doomed love story, including the warning signs that Gabby’s life was in danger, the ensuing search for her, the eventual discovery of her murder and, ultimately, Brian’s suicide."

The first trailer for the film dropped on Thursday, August 11, and it is chilling!

The movie will be directed by Emmy-Award winning actress Thora Birch, who is known for her roles in “The Walking Dead” and “American Beauty.” Birch will also star as Nichole Schmidt, Gabby’s mother, in the movie.

“The Gabby Petito” story is part of Lifetime’s public affairs initiative called “Stop Violence Against Women.”

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