Key Takeaways:

• Gabby Petito’s family is deeply affected by the tragic loss of their daughter.
• They have filed a lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department for failing to protect her.
• Gabby’s parents have started a foundation in her memory to help others and advocate for change in handling domestic violence cases.

A video depicting Gabby Petito in agony during a police traffic check stunned the world.

Watching that clip was devastating for her family. They wanted to soothe their 22-year-old daughter through TV.

In an exclusive email to PEOPLE, Gabby’s parents—Joseph, Tara, Nichole, and Jim—described their grief.

“Our hearts shattered seeing Gabby in such distress,” they wrote. “All we wanted was to reach through the screen to help her, to hold and hug her.”

They initiated a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department. The lawsuit claims that a better response to the traffic stop might have prevented Gabby’s death.

On August 12, 2021, police pulled over Gabby and her 23-year-old boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, while they were on a nationwide trip. According to the lawsuit, the officers missed signs of domestic abuse, which left Gabby unprotected.

“The officers seemed to intentionally disregard the evidence, stopping them from safeguarding Gabby from a threatening individual,” her parents stated.

In the video, Gabby is seen crying, while Laundrie seems indifferent. The parents argue that the police ignored important details. A 911 call reported that Laundrie had hit Gabby outside a store, yet the officers deemed it a “mental health crisis.”

A few weeks later, Laundrie ended Gabby’s life. Her parents are now advocating for reform.

“That’s why we’re so determined to push for changes,” they mentioned in the email. “We truly believe that if the police had done their job properly, protected Gabby, and provided her with the necessary domestic violence support, she would still be with us today.”

They are convinced that proper police action and access to domestic violence resources could have saved her.

Alongside the lawsuit, Gabby’s parents established the Gabby Petito Foundation. The foundation aims to help find missing people and support victims of domestic violence. By sharing Gabby’s story, they hope to save lives and address the widespread issue of domestic violence.