A Father’s Fight Against "Missing White Woman Syndrome"
Joe Petito felt a deep frustration when he first came across the term "Missing White Woman Syndrome." This phrase is often used to highlight how media and public attention tends to focus more on missing white women compared to women of other races. His 22-year-old daughter, Gabby, made headlines globally when she went missing during a road trip in the summer of 2021, only to be tragically found murdered at the hands of her fiancé, Brian Laundrie.
The intense media coverage surrounding Gabby’s case raised questions about why some missing persons gain more visibility than others. Joe initially reacted strongly to the term but soon recognized it as a genuine issue. “When I started seeing this pattern in the news, I realized it was important,” Joe shared. He believes that every missing person’s story deserves equal attention and support.
In response to this, Joe is now working on a new television series titled Faces of the Missing. This project aims to bring attention to cases often overlooked by the public and media. He hopes that by sharing these stories, more people will be aware of the many individuals still unaccounted for.
Gabby, who was known for her YouTube channel, vanished while traveling with Laundrie. After her death, Laundrie took his own life and left behind a note suggestively admitting his role in the crime. Following this tragic event, Joe and his family have turned their grief into action. Together with Gabby’s mother and their spouses, they founded the Gabby Petito Foundation, which focuses on raising awareness about domestic violence and advocating for improved responses from law enforcement regarding such cases.
Recently, this group has extended its mission to highlight the stories of missing persons and unsolved cases involving people of color and Indigenous communities, whose stories frequently do not receive the same attention as others. Joe emphasized that those missing people’s stories also need amplification as they often remain unheard.
Understanding the deep pain and uncertainty families face when a loved one goes missing, Joe is determined to use social media and community outreach to help in these cases. He recalls how social media played a crucial role in getting Gabby’s story to a wider audience, dramatically influencing the national media to cover it.
With a new dedication to helping others, Joe is hopeful that his efforts will lead to finding missing persons and providing closure to families devastated by loss. "I hope Gabby is proud of what we are doing," he said. "We’re just trying to keep her memory alive through our actions."
Joe encourages anyone experiencing domestic violence to reach out to available resources for help.
