“People would meet her and just fall in love with her,” says Schmidt in the clip, as she flips through old photographs of her daughter — many, from childhood. “She just had this presence. I don’t know what it was. It was just magical.”
In the documentary, which begins streaming tomorrow, Petito’s parents and stepparents reflect on the brief time they had with her, while sharing their fondest memories.
In atrailer for the film, released Monday, Petito’s stepfather, Jim Schmidt, called her disappearance “every parent’s nightmare.”
Petito’s father, Joseph Petito, and her stepmother, Tara Petito, also appear in the clip, which is shown below.
On Sept. 11, the Long Island, N.Y., woman’s family filed a missing persons report.
Ten days earlier, Laundrie, 23, quietly returned home — alone — from the couple’s trip. He had driven back to his parents' North Port, Florida, home in Petito’s van.
Shortly before Petito’s remains were found, the Laundrie family attorney, Steve Bertolino, said that hehad also gone missing.
Laundrie’s partial remainswere recovered in late October,near his last known location: Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida.
Bertolino subsequently confirmed Laundrie had died from a gunshot wound to the head.His deathhas been ruled a suicide.
While identified as a person of interestin Petito’s killing, Laundrie was never formally charged with her murder. Even now, investigators have not said whether they believe Laundrie strangled Petito.
Richard Stafford, the attorney for the Petitos,said in a recent statementthat federal authorities as well as prosecutors in Wyoming have asked that he and Petito’s parents and stepparents withhold comment on the case.
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While Petito was still considered missing, Laundrie’s parents, Christopher and Roberta, refused to cooperate with police.
source: people.com
