Gabby’s Voice Foundation helps to break the silence on domestic violence

By Britany Adorno-Alicea

Photo courtesy of Gabby Petito Foundation

Gabby’s mother and stepmother began the foundation to shed light on domestic violence after Gabby was killed by her boyfriend.

On March 2, the mother and stepmother of Gabrielle Venora Petito came to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to discuss what the warning signs are of domestic violence. The two were going on a tour visiting several schools in Alaska to share Gabby’s story and raise domestic violence awareness.

In August 2021, a 22-year-old travel vlogger from New York, Gabrielle Venora Petito, was killed by her fiancé while the couple journeyed across the United States, vlogging their van life experience. This case was widely discussed at the time due to its heavy amount of documentation, from recordings of their travels on social media, police camera footage, eyewitness accounts, and more.

Gabby’s mother and stepmother, Nichole Schmidt and Tara Petito, saw the damage that was done to women and young girls everywhere because of the silence and stigma that surrounds domestic violence and began the Gabby’s Voice Foundation as a result.

Schmidt and Petito began by recounting the story of how Gabby was lost, which has been made into a documentary, “American Murder: Gabby Petito,” that accurately recounts her story. “We wish more than anything that we would have Gabby with us and sharing her story,” Petito said.

Domestic violence and the manipulation that comes with it can happen to anyone, said Petito, and she posed the question, how do you help if you do not know those warning signs and red flags? Many believe that abuse is only physical and often neglect to notice when other forms of abuse are present, just as Petito and Schmidt had originally thought.

According to an FBI report shown in Petito and Schmidt’s presentation, recorded information from 2020 to 2024 revealed that one in six women a day are being murdered by partners or ex partners, and one in seven men. “I always think to myself, where is the outrage?” said Petito. 

“The question that needs to stop being asked is, ‘why didn’t they just leave?’” said Schmidt. An overall statistic showed that over 75% of victims are killed in attempts to leave their relationships. “Society tends to victim-blame, but what we need to do is put the blame on the abusers not the victims,” said Schmidt.

Victims need safety plans that are executed in a proper way to ensure that they are able to leave safely, said Schmidt. Many victims are not often able to leave for various reasons, such as financial dependance, fear of escalation, isolation from loved ones, threats and manipulation, and love and trauma bonding. It takes an average of seven attempts for victims to leave for good.

Prior to the release of American Murder: Gabby Petito, there had been a previous documentary made about Gabby’s story that presented a false narrative that the police had done a better job of aiding in the case than they truly did, said Petito. For this reason, they felt it was better to release their own documentary that properly showed the events that occurred.

Petito and Schmidt shared a little bit of why they started the Gabby Petito Foundation, stating that Gabby’s story and name were being weaponized by men against their partners and used to continue to threaten, control, and take the lives of innocent women. 

“This is why we need to keep fighting and working together to stop this from happening,” said Schmidt. There have been many survivors who create Gabby Petito’s story as being the push they needed to leave and seek help, and these are the people that Schmidt and Petito say is why they are here and started their foundation in her name.

Many organizations are in collaboration with the Gabby Petito Foundation in aiding spread awareness and prevention of domestic violence and some spoke at the meeting.

Program Director Taylor Morgan spoke on behalf of the Fairbanks Native Association, including inpatient and outpatient services and domestic violence support through community services programs.

Executive Director Erin Marotti from the Interior Alaska Center for Nonviolent Living spoke on what the organization is and what they stand for. She said the vision of the IAC is to prevent and intervene in domestic violence, sexual assault, and other violent crimes that negatively impact our community.

“Our vision is not a theoretical saying, it's our daily work,” said Marotti. The IAC is the only emergency domestic violence shelter in the interior of Alaska that provides the support needed by those impacted by domestic violence and other violent crimes. “It is not just about the outcome; it is about a community change. And it is not easy work.”

Student CARE and Conduct Coordinator Elissa Koyuk with UAF’s Office of Rights, Compliance, and Accountability came to speak on the resources that are available to students and faculty here on campus. “So, we want to make sure that we’re providing as much support as we can,” Koyuk said.

The Gabby Petito Foundation will be returning to Alaska in December this year and plans to continue to spread awareness alongside other organizations to help prevent domestic violence.

If you or someone you know is in a violent relationship, you can email info@gabbypetitofoundation.org or go to https://gabbypetitofoundation.org/domestic-violence-resources for more resources.