Joe Petito, Gabby Petito's Father, Opens Domestic Shelter in Florida to Honor Her Memory

Five months after the death of Gabby Petito, her father, Joe Petito, visited Florida to open a domestic violence shelter in honor of her memory.

The SafeSpace, located in Vero Beach, opened its doors on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022, and received the $15,000 donation that kickstarted its operation from Joe through the Gabby Petito Foundation.

The father said that women and children need domestic violence shelters given the rising statics of the victims. He told WCBV 5 that domestic violence affects "1 in 3 women, 1 in 5 men, 10 to 20 million kids a year" in America and that's roughly a third of the country.

Since his daughter's death due to domestic violence, Joe has been actively speaking and raising awareness about this societal problem. He said that supporting causes like SafeSpace will allow Gabby to "live on through" the many victims who will be saved.

SafeSpace will not only be a shelter providing bedspace for the victims seeking refuge. This facility will also help with therapy, financial advice, food, clothing and job placements. Joe has been using the money donated to his family in the weeks following Gabby's disappearance and death.

Gabby Petito's Death Gripped the Headlines

In September 2021, the reported disappearance of Gabby, 22, following her cross-country trip with fiancé Brian Laundrie, 23, gripped the headlines. Days after investigators found her body, Laundrie became a person of interest amid reports that the couple had violent fights and disagreements.

Laundrie, however, also disappeared after telling his parents, Chris and Robert Laundrie, that he was going camping at Florida's Carlton Reserve. After weeks of search, the FBI said they discovered Laundrie's body at the reserve. He died by suicide. The FBI also revealed that Laundrie wrote his admission of killing Gabby in the notebook found stashed among his possessions.

In an interview with "60 Minutes," Joe admitted that he and Gabby's mother, Nichole Schmidt, thought Laundrie would take care of their daughter. Joe described Laundrie as a quiet and polite person.

They also thought that Gabby was happy in her relationship with her fiancé. Looking back, however, the parents said they have misjudged Laundrie but nothing they do to examine the past will bring back their daughter. Instead, the parents have been focused on helping domestic violence victims and missing persons cases in the hopes of lowering the statistics.

"I Can't Hug You"

Last Christmas, Joe posted a tweet to say that it's their family's first Christmas without Gabby. He admitted that it was a hard day for him because he cannot hug his daughter anymore.

Meanwhile, the parents of Laundrie will not be charged for the death of Gabby despite speculations and criticisms that they remained silent throughout the investigation because they were protecting and hiding their son. However, the FBI said that Laundrie has been the "sole person" responsible for Gabby's death. The case was finally closed in January 2022.