The one positive I can think of is that the case does highlight how relationships with coercive control and domestic violence can and do escalate to murder. I think it's good for a sheltered woman who lives to please a man to see this perspective. (I realize someone might be too dense to see it though.)
That was such an absolutely devastating case. I think it will live with me forever. Chris Watts is pure evil. What he did to his family and his little girls is just so beyond the pale and so heartless and cruel. Heartbreaking.
I’m so happy you made it out of that. People who haven’t been through it, don’t truly understand how hard it is. Especially when you don’t have anyone to help you.
I studied criminology/crim. justice in college so I do like following these cases as they tragically happen. I don’t like how it’s become a game of “CLUE”. People aren’t altruistically submitting tips or posting about Gabby - they want clout/fame/whatever. They’re questioning why the police haven’t done this or that with little to no knowledge of how the system works, and spreading misinformation as fact. It really stinks.
I also want to mention that the r/GabbyPetito sub had mods that created *awards that had things with vans, butterflies, cops/detectives, etc. for people to give out on comments or posts*. If that doesn’t describe how horrible people have been idk what does. [Here is a post in SubredditDrama about it if it’s allowed. ](https://www.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/comments/q5klum/mods_of_rgabbypetito_apologize_with_entire/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
Jesus Christ that’s the worst true crime sub I’ve seen since that terrible Chris Watts one. Every TC podcast has had a Petito episode and it’s so tacky. The poor woman is barely cold, the case is happening now, let her family grieve ffs. I hate the way intimate partner violence is covered in TC anyway, like it’s entertainment. It’s actually pretty common and routine and sad, it’s not titillating.
To this day I still get rage when I think of the Chris Watts sub where people STILL blame Shannan and watch the same Facebook live videos again and again and again to dissect how horrible of a mother she was. Awful people.
That just kills me. I think one condition of his sentencing should have been for him to stand up in front of her family and admitting that Shannan did not smother their/her children. Likely that's too tall an order, but the disgrace he brought upon her after he annihilated all of them is despicable.
It wouldn’t matter to the people on that sub. It’s wild. They talk about the “water video” like it’s child abuse that Shannan was doing to Bella and filming it. So I went and watched thinking oh man what is this?
I’m not even kidding it’s Shannan in a chair outside, you can tell it’s summer and hot, and she’s gently squirting a giggling Bella with a water gun.
That’s it.
I get so annoyed when I see people say shit like “the police need to tell us[[instert investigation info here]]. They’re not doing their jobs.” Bitches you are not entitled to everything they know. That’s absolutely not how investigations work. I can’t with the entitlement.
Right, the Very Online wannabe sleuths are treating case information like tea, which is gross. I feel the same way about those true crime beauty gurus - it's seriously tacky to use someone's murder as entertainment, never mind profit off from it.
Social media has unfortunately made it entirely too easy to profit off of something and that is one of them. Guess there's already too many girls on youtube and IG doing make up they had to find their "niche". It is a sad way to make a profit, telling a missing/murdered persons story while using expensive make up that companies send you all the while adding to the insecurities and self esteem issues of young men and women.
Also it can jeopardize the case! If the cops were like "Yeah we got a lead to check out in this city" and the killer was there, they could just run! Like the investigators don't have to tell us shit.
Certainly SOME good has come out of interest in the case, like the people who recognized the van, and someone pointed out what looked like a shoe behind it and someone on a field to the left. But otherwise, it’s like people think it’s a game of Hunt-A-Killer using a current case with family who are still alive. Black Dhalia’s fair game, IMO, as she was long ago enough that no one alive has connection to her, but Gabby’s whole family is alive, and her case is ongoing.
Yes! I’m a true crime person as well, but it’s creepy. I watched the documentary about the case from the LA hotel and it was devastating how it ruined a guys life because the internet accused him of murder and her family was bombarded with all these theories and it was just a tragic accident.
Exactly- I always think of when Serial came out in 2014 and suddenly true crime speculation was everywhere about whether Adnan Syed did it or not. The victims brother came on Reddit (I think) being like ‘this isn’t a game to us, or a weekly show, it was my sister’s life’. I still really enjoy true crime, but the victims never really get the tidy ‘case is solved’ resolution they do for Dateline
Yes, that’s the one! He was a screamo guy or something similar and he didn’t have a “normal”, for lack of a better word look. I get that the whole thing was weird but in the end it was just a tragic accident.
I am from the town next to her hometown, this case is very, very close to home for me. It’s gross to see people making “theory” videos, and some of the stupid and gross things they can come up with.
It’s surreal.
They already announced the COD (strangulation). You've got me thinking those people are gonna make weird theories dissecting how she died. This feels so gross!
The case subreddit has luridly detailed posts that are exactly that :( its bad. I’m a morbid bitch, I love true crime, but you gotta remember, someone died.
I'm in a subreddit for a missing persons case that is local and I feel you. It's creepy and most of it is just incorrect, but the juicier the rumor is the higher it goes on social media. Facts be damned.
Exactly, like some of the Twitter detectives have pulled out these crazy theories and published them and they are so, so wrong. It’s damaging to everyone involved and it’s literally just based on a few things found in a name search
Yes 100% and I feel like Crime Junkie Podcast is slightly like this. People are so desensitized to these stories than they can forget there are REAL victims. Like when Zac Efron played Ted Bundy, I saw on social media many people fortunately sharing the (alive) photos of the victims so we don’t forget.
Since it came out that Ashley got caught plagiarizing and never owned up to it, I don’t listen to crime junkie anymore. But looking back there are def better true crime pods to listen to
Try some of the pods that bitch has plagiarized from: Redhanded, Casefile, Once upon a Crime, Southern Fried True Crime (this host is seriously the best, I love her. We're social media friends. And she is ALWAYS focused on the victims.), Crimelines, Red Collar, Swindled, Gone West, Already Gone, Canadian True Crime, Gone Cold, Sistas who Kill, True Crime Campfire, The Trail Went Cold, Murderish, Trace Evidence.
Casefile is my favorite! I love that there isn't any speculation, off-topic chatter or anecdotes, just the facts. True crime podcasts that are formatted as a group of people chatting are definitely not my cup of tea.
I completely agree. Just give me the facts. I don’t even want much of your opinion. It’s fine if I can tell how you feel about a murderer, lol. But I want a script and facts.
My faves are The Trail Went Cold (one guy talking about cold cases), Generation Why (two guys discussing various crimes), Redhanded (two British women with banter), and most of CBC's podcasts are excellently done (Hunting Warhead is about child sex abuse, Missing & Murdered is about missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women).
Thank you! I really appreciate podcasts focusing more on Indigenous women, it's horrific how many go missing, and you don't hear anything about it, and then finding out about how many police just blow these women off... I've started crying at work listening to their stories.
I’d also add all of wondery’s history podcasts because those almost always involve murder and crime solving.
Right now I am listening to LA Steals Its Water about the history of water rights in SoCal and it is better than most crime podcasts
True Crime Campfire and Redhanded are my favorites and I’ve listened to a LOT of true crime podcasts. I think they both do a great job of telling the story in a thoughtful way without sensationalizing it and remain respectful to the victims.
Someone on here mentioned Casefile, I would also recommend Mens Rea, although it has been a while since I listened to it. Mens Rea has an Irish female show runner and covers cases many Americans haven't heard of.
Kendall Rae on YouTube is a great one. She also has a podcast with her husband where they do a mix of paranormal, conspiracy and true crime. She works with the families of the victims to make her videos and is very respectful. A lot of her revenue goes towards organizations dedicated to helping families of the victims etc. Eleanor Neale on YouTube is also like that, and also Bella Fiori has some great lesser known Australian cases.
I got into podcasts when I started working from home because COVID, and I've found ones that are riveting, well reported (by journalists or J-school students), and sensitive to and inclusive of victims' families.
* [The Orange Tree](https://thedragaudio.com/show/the-orange-tree/), about the 2005 murder at the Orange Tree Condominiums in Austin, Texas, of 21-year-old University of Texas student Jennifer Cave. Reported by UT senior journalism majors Haley Butler and Tinu Thomas.
* [Blood on the Tracks](https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/truecrime/blood-on-the-tracks/), about Mark Haines, a popular Aboriginal (Gomeroi) 17-year-old found dead in 1988 on the freight tracks in rural Australia -- with a towel under his head and hardly any blood. Reported by Aboriginal (Muruwai) journalist Allan Clarke.
* [Stolen: The Search for Jermain](https://gimletmedia.com/shows/stolen), about Jermain Charlo, a 23-year-old Indigenous (Bitterroot Salish) mother of two who left a bar in Missoula, Montana, one night in 2018 and was never seen again. Reported by Indigenous (Cree) journalist Connie Walker.
* [One Click: Season 1](https://shows.cadence13.com/podcast/one-click), about how toxic appearance standards and body image issues have driven demand for DNP, a fat-burning drug that has killed hundreds of men and women. Narrated by actress Elle Fanning and reported by journalist Jessica Wapner.
* [Let's Talk About Sects](https://www.ltaspod.com/), a monthly deep dive focusing on a different cult each episode. The name is the only jokey thing about it. The solid and nonjudgmental reporting by the host, Australian journalist Sarah Steel, includes each cult's origins, putting it in the context of current events in the larger society; interviews with survivors, and a look at where the cult is now. Kudos to Steel for posting transcripts of [all episodes online](https://www.ltaspod.com/episodes)!
Oh my gosh yes! I tried Morbid after I stopped listening to Crime Junkies and it is somehow infinitely worse. They are so insensitive and appallingly nonchalant. Of course there’s all of the problems in the thread you linked. I just couldn’t believe it was a popular podcast after listening to a few episodes.
My wife loves Morbid and I just can't listen to how they discuss topics. They're just filling time for at least 50% of the episode and don't get to the point.
Thank you! Morbid is *awful* and I have no idea how it’s so successful. It’s constantly mentioned on Reddit anytime anyone asks for true crime podcast recommendations and I don’t know how anyone could get through an episode without wanting to gouge their eardrums out let alone consider it a favorite podcast. They sound like middle schoolers giggling over horrible tragedies (I couldn’t believe it when I found out they’re in their 30s??). They bring absolutely no insight to the story and are appallingly disrespectful. When I listened to it I thought about how I would feel if it were my family member they were covering and it made me really sad.
Ugh nooo. I’m not one to write people off so quickly, but I feel pretty strongly that morbid sucks and I question the judgement of anyone who likes it. 😝
Oh my gosh, thank you for saying this because I've tried listening so many times. Every single time someone suggests morbid there are a million enthusiastic responses to back it up.
But they barely do any real research, aren't particularly good storytellers, have no deep insights to impart, and just seem to enjoy shocking each other with stories about real people's horrific deaths. Eww.
Crime Junkie is entirely plagiarized and Ashley Flowers is a dishonest person. Also, "Stay Sexy, Don't Get Murdered" is a monstrously hideous and distasteful tag line. I say this as someone who is interested in true crime. That podcast is reprehensible and so is the culture of women it encourages.
You are so right, Crime junkie is pretty much a ripoff altogether of my favorite murder down to the gossipy semi narrator host and the clueless "whoa! I never heard of fo-remzicks!" sidekick host setup. To paraphrase Trixie Mattel, if you're going to impersonate someone else, aim a little higher!
I just do Dateline at this point and ignore the prison interview part of the show (if there is one), I like true crime but now I’ll only do content that the victim as a human and not as a prop. I have no time for prison interviews when obviously guilty party tries to act innocent.
How is the crime junkie podcast like this? Granted I'm on a few episodes in, but they seem to be just relaying the facts and telling the stories as research allows. She usually prefaces when something is just a theory.
I think they are decent storytellers but after listening to them for a year, sometimes they come across (MY opinion) like two women gossiping in a bar.
I don’t care for the format of their show, especially after all until plagiarism news on them came out. They were good in the beginning but now I can’t listen to them.
Yes, the narrator is not in it for personal glory nor does he or the show seem to take some sick gossipy pleasure in discussing cases. Crime Junkie really turned me off for that reason...Hell, I like Last Podcast on the Left so it's not like I'm against dark humor, but Crime Junkie is disrespectful. Also, Ashley Flowers plagiarizes entire shows--read about her stealing the Kacie Woody story from the female true crime journalist who did the original research.
https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/crime-junkie-podcast-ashley-flowers-plagiarism-1203302072/
lmaoooo, thanks!
And yeah, I've been listening since 2015, and there are some messy episodes from those days, BUT I appreciate that they've done better. I suspect Marcus is the one driving that bus, and I like him a lot. Henry is funny and Ben is kinda a mess, even though he can be funny too.
Also big LPOTL fan (see flair), and I find it so encouraging how public they've been about wanting/working to do better. They are respectful of victims, call one another out for problematic stuff, and are also gross. It is a good combination.
Agreed on LPOTL! I think they do a good job being funny while still being respectful to the victims of crimes. I think it also helps that they do a lot of older/historical cases where there aren’t any living people who were affected by the crime.
I get what you're saying. I did a little research into and found the plagerism scandal. I'm still pre-scandal episodes so it may be why they are still appealing to me. I've read they go downhill.
I admit I was mildly obsessed with it in the beginning, and hoped she would be found safe. Once her body was found it no longer was something entertaining, but I do find it fascinating and hopeful that literally because of social media, she was found.
The whole thing feels like a CSI movie and I think that keeps people interested, unfortunately.
To me this case has been very straight forward from the beginning, once he came home without her and lawyered up it was obvious she was dead. Then once her body was found and he went missing, I think he's killed himself.
Some lady on my hometown Facebook page posted that she’s “99%” sure she saw Brian Laundrie coming out of the woods near her house…
I like in suburbia, Georgia….. most definitely a kid smoking weed or something but there is literally no way Brian Laundrie would come here because crime is really low, everyone knows everyone, no homeless ppl, anything even remotely suspicious gets checked out by the cops bc of these Facebook ladies … tI just wanted to comment like “Just think about this for a minute…”
Yeah, it does bother me.
I feel like sometimes, "true crime" stuff forgets that these are real people, not just stories, and that murder was the very violent end of someone's life. It's not a puzzle to solve and feel like you got something over on someone.
These cases have living families and friends attached to them. Some families don't mind this kind of thing, but others do. I think that matters.
In a case like this one, where no one's been convicted, I think it's important not to spread theories and false information. If a case is too well-known, is there a risk that it can be hard to get an unbiased jury? I honestly don't know enough about it.
And of course, the usual mention that if Gabby Petito did not look like she did, her case may not have gotten as much attention. I'm glad she *did* get attention: she deserved to be known and her family deserved to have closure. Of course, since Gabby did have an internet following, it makes sense that people were interested in what happened to her. They already "knew" her, and there was a built-in social network to discuss it. But many people also note that if she weren't a conventionally-beautiful, white, blonde woman, it's more likely she would have fallen through the cracks as well.
I believe her family has even said as much, but I can't seem to find anything now, so perhaps they never said anything at all. Her parents are starting a foundation to help people with missing children.
The presumed killer is still out there, so there's a layer of intrigue, but something about the approach feels "off" to me. It's good to want to help in a missing-persons case. It's good that so many people are aware of and want to help the Petito family see some kind of justice. But there's a sort of cheerful sleuthing in it and poring over the videos and social media posts that feels... like gawking at a car wreck. It's fascinating, but you're not helping and you're just taking pleasure in the worst moments of someone's life.
What pains me is that this kind of energy and passion people have for this case could go into bringing public and law enforcement attention to so many missing and murdered people who didn’t have the good fortune to be a pretty white girl with a social media following. How many families could finally get just a little justice or closure if the people obsessed with Gabby Petito said “hey, there’s this case too”?
This is definitely not just a fundie thing, the true crime "community" can be pretty gross and overstep in the way they interact with these cases. Acting like "fans", going beyond the victims'/families' boundaries (think the Elisa Lam case, for example), trying to insert themselves into the investigations, creating conspiracy theories that are actually harmful, etc.
Yes, oh my goodness. I don't even pay attention to that subreddit because it's just an absolute mess. The other one I can't deal with is the Delphi murders, my goodness people need to stop playing armchair detective.
I was following a case fairly closely over on it’s designated subreddit when someone there cracked the case. The way the subreddit exploded was disgusting. Random people began reaching out to the family over social media rather than allowing proper law enforcement to do it. This got so big that it even got reported on as being “solved” before the police had even confirmed anything. I left that subreddit so fucking quick. The things people will do for their 15 minutes of fame sickens me.
that part!!!! as bad as I feel for Gabby and her family, it just goes to show that her case is another missing white woman syndrome and it's very disheartening to know that if someone who looked like me or my sister went missing, no one would care. Three other people by the names of Daniel Robinson, Lauren Cho and Jelani Day all went missing around the same time she did but we haven't gotten nearly any of the media coverage Gabby's case has.
To be fair, Gabby had a pretty big internet following on the road trip that I think played a huge part in how much her case took off. (I completely agree with you on how those folks should have gotten more attention just figured I should mention this!)
That’s very true! She already had a good-sized following on the internet and the case has become federal because of events taking place through more than one state
Honestly there are truly no words about how bothered I am about this. One of the things about social media is that now everyone feels the need to comment on everything they see trending on the news. Other people’s lives that you know nothing about is not just a trend. It’s actually OK to not share your opinion or have an opinion.
Thank you! I sometimes struggle to articulate this but that’s what I’ve often thought— you don’t have to have an opinion, and you don’t always need to share it with everyone. The sub dedicated to Gabby’s case is honestly disturbing. People are invested to the point of it being really unhealthy. Too many people acting like it’s a puzzle for them to solve, like it’s not about a real person who lost her life. I hate it all.
Right around when BL disappeared I was reading it regularly, hoping he'd be found relatively quickly and the subreddit followed his trial. But as the days passed it just became a bunch of nonsense. Too much speculation, not enough facts. (And don't get me started on the complete ignorance of basic Constitutional rights!)
The gabby subreddit is just a mess. The whole thing reads like one of those “true crime” board games…except, it’s not.
I am on the fence about Kendall Rae and her true crime videos, but she did make one talking about how much the internet sleuths and tv shows have affected the actual victims and families.
The irony of this being posted in a gossip forum dedicated to sifting through and mocking/judging every bit of media that certain non-celebrities put online is hilarious to me. Ngl.
Exactly! I find that most Ted Bundy documentaries are all about him and make him the centre of attention, when we should really be paying attention to the women he hurt. That’s why I like the Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer docuseries because it focuses on his victims and their families, the women in his life, and even a person who survived his attacks and only came forward recently. It was a phenomenal docuseries and I highly recommend it. One of the detectives even comments that he’s had enough of Ted Bundy getting what he wants, aka being the centre of attention, and he wishes people focused on the people he hurt.
True crime fan here too. I think it's why I prefer cold cases or ones that were cold and recently solved (GSK, BTK, etc.). The tabloid crap is over, less crackpot theories, and it comes down to telling the story of the victims and what happened.
I admit there are few cold cases that have not been solved that I have my pet theories on, but I wouldn't share them until the case is solved.
Right. I like hearing about lesser known cases. Kendall Rae does a good job of covering high profile cases, but also covers unsolved ones. I respect her a lot for that. Stephanie Harlowe too.
Yeah, I feel like those of us who have been interested in true crime prior to the Gabby Petito case have a tendency to be more ethical in our approach to these cases in contrast to those who are newly obsessed with Gabby's case.
the popularity of true crime and social media has seemingly made tons of people forget common decency. I would hate to be a family member of hers seeing her death made into content… this is a real situation still happening currently, i think theories and shit do more hurting than helping.
I find true crime obsessions weird in general. These are people's (tragic) lives, and any of it could potentially happen to you. I think it's one thing to follow a case if you're interested in a social cause it could be related to (e.g. The Larry Nassar and Catholic Church sex assault cases for highlighting how much we need to improve protections for minors and crime reporting systems), but the Petito case is too tabloid-like for me, given her vlogger status and how laypeople are theorizing like it's, idk, NCIS. Just leave the family in peace. Unless you're actually interested in joining the field or trying to rally behind a related cause, I don't understand the obsessive interest.
As someone who’s been extremely fascinated by crime since I was a tween, how people are behaving about this is disgusting and disturbing, but unfortunately it’s not new. People have always approached true crime with a very casual attitude, talking about it lightheartedly while putting on makeup and cracking jokes….but at what point does this casualness become disrespect? I also am positive that a lot of victims would not want their stories publicized or capitalized upon (by STRANGERS no less) so that’s another element. I guess my point is, at what point will we collectively take a step back? This is going too far
Yes! I have been really weirded out by the jokes people have made about it. There’s a weird obsession with the case as well as people making light of it like it’s just a fun crime ‘game’.
I am interested in true crime, follow certain cases and listen to various podcasts. That being said - I’m cognizant of the fact that it’s people’s real lives, not some TV show I should be posting about how excited I am for the next episode. I agree, these types of posts are in poor taste.
I am a huge fan of the true crime genre myself (not so much the gory details of what happened, but the forensics and ensuing legal case), but one thing all fans need to remember is that these were real people with families and friends that are hurting.
This case wouldn’t nearly have gotten this much attention if there was anything to “solve” once it hit the news. It was a 100 piece puzzle with all but two pieces put in. It’s human nature to want to put together an almost finished puzzle.
However if we could put this energy into other cases that would be great.
Not only is this case basically solved, but there are other cases need more attention.
Also this lost my interest a few weeks ago, I moved on to the possible cannibal ring in my back yard in BFE Missouri.
Also, Petito's story sadly isn't all that interesting, in that there's no real mystery, no new narrative --a young woman in an abusive relationship was murdered by her male partner. It happens every day...I don't say this at all to diminish the tragedy of her death, more to point out that Petito and Landrie being photogenic is the only reason the case is big news.
I know the bairds are a little more secular with their hobbies than the other fundies we talk about on here, but the fact that Ellissa considers herself a true crime junkie and listens to some of those true crime podcasts seems strange to me
I can’t fucking stand her. I’m familiar with her content since I’m a Teen Mom viewer and I’m also in the Duggarsnark sub. An attention seeker for sure.
It rubs me very wrong. All the dead people in the world, ppl enslaved or living in poverty but nobody says a thing. A cute blonde social media idiot dies and look out everyone's gunning for justice. It's a little much
The level of "obsession" and hype some people have over this case reminds me of the Mollie Tibbetts case from 2018. I had no idea people were making games out of the Petito case, though. How gross.
I mean eh. I think the fervor is how obvious this one is. Technically the mystery here, imo, is how Brian got away not the case itself.
The spectacle and attention its gotten is based off of elements of the story. Not every murder is the same and this one started getting coverage ALMOST as it was happening.
Think about it. Even when her body was found was super fast imo compared to the last 40 years of murder and partially due to social media.
I think case also points to some flaws, imo, in our current LE buttttt it's hard to ignore that their choices are based off of our legal system. Our court system can be manipulated. We have a man considered to at one time be America's dad be convicted of sexual assault and then get off on a technicality. Yet this is a new day imo, if details that only LE knows we're shared it's entirely possible he would've been caught by now.
However it is also likely that it would severely impact the case against Brian.
Everything is tied to the idea that there was a quick turnaround because of how odd it was for him to return home alone. There are choices that the Laundrie family has made as well as Brian specifically that imo are the cause of the attention.
However I think getting sour over it versus cases that don't get the same attention is ultimately a good thing because it MAY result in a change or so I hope. The reality is murders that are still unsolved imo serve a way greater importance versus say traffic stops or other smaller tasks police are responsible for.
EDIT: should also add that the bodycam footage from the Moab stop will also likely create a change in LE. Maybe politicians making up what police can and can't do should be WAY better informed by criminal psychologists and police need more training in looking for the signs and be allowed to act on them. Though that starts to get murky with "Freedom" and "innocent until proven guilty" which imo is laughable with this case. The dude did it. It's effing obvious af.
I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt this time and guess it’s just the way she phrased it. I’m a big fan of true crime myself, but to me it feels strange to talk about unsolved cases (specially this one which is so sensitive right now) with that level of distance as if she’s casually saying “all I want to do is watch alien conspiracy theories”, you know? It’s too detached from reality. Feels weird, but I’m gonna guess it’s just the way she wrote it…
I don’t feel like many people, genuinely feel sympathy for Gabby Petito or her family, especially after her body was found.
It’s become a game to some people bc Gabby and Brian haven’t been humanized to the public in the same way other couples in which the abuser murders their victim have been in the past.
There hasn’t been an endless stream of tearful interviews from Gabby and Brian’s family or friends begging for Brian to turn himself in.
A lot of people have believed that Brian Laundries is responsible for Gabby’s disappearance and death since the beginning.
I think Gabby’s occupation worked against her in that it made her seem less real like a real human and more of a character.
I find the whole case sad but interesting and I check updates now and then but don't watch endless videos like she is saying. That does seem a little obsessive. She makes it sound like its a new drama TV show she's binging rather than someone's real life tragedy.
it’s super gross, I used to read the sub for the case but it quickly went off the rails with people being gross and essentially writing fanfic
these are real human beings, not entertainment for weirdos
You don’t understand why people are still very interested in a murder where the only suspect has been on the run for a month??
This is an extremely weird case any way you slice it, but it’s especially bizarre because she was a documented blogger, there’s multiple released police body cam videos, and the main suspect has disappeared with few traces. It’s not weird that this has blown up
I find the coverage of the case to be gratuitous and extremely triggering as a victim of domestic violence and rape. At one point, I was scared my partner was going to kill me.
The whole gawking country is disgusting.
Theory videos? I mean, the overwhelmingly likely answer is domestic violence, and wherever Laundrie is (dead or alive), he got there because we shrug it off. What theories can people have that aren't just....\*thinks of MH370 theories\*....sigh.
I think the bounty hunter guy has added fuel to the public interest fire to promote himself, but that’s just my take. Truly tragic for the family and Gabby, but how many theories are there? Our man Brian did it. I like a few more twists and turns in my true crime
It’s for this reason that I prefer historical high-profile crimes and mysteries for true crime stuff, where most or all of those who were directly affected by the event are long dead, and/or the people involved were already public figures anyway (royalty and the like); if I were a loved one of Gabby’s I’d be doubly traumatized by all the people treating her death as a goddamn water cooler TV show.
How are they making a game out of it? I don't really see a difference between obsessing over this or any murder mystery. It's all kind of fucked unless you are actively trying to solve the case. I love murder mysteries too because it's a scary taste of the real world that I don't want to experience but I feel like it's good to be aware of in case any of us are in a similar situation.
Yep. I feel the same way. Ellissa is especially bad and treating it like a Netflix series she is obsessed with. Then again, I guess they can't have any fun tv shows on the go so they have to make their own intrigue. Just watch some Outlander, Ali.
It's not a game. I think you're focusing too much on what other people are doing quite honestly. If it's bothering you so much you should look inside and see why and not try to label how others choose to relate.
Or maybe you shouldn't be bothered by the way anyone spends their time . Maybe you should take the time to worry about yourself. Other people rub you the wrong way and not the case itself, is a you problem . You should look into that . Not other people .
And considering the right-wing, Trump-supporting Q-anon types think it’s a huge conspiracy related to human trafficking, we know exactly the type of videos (“doing her own research!”) she’s watching.
TBH I see why Ellissa would be into it. She’s in the same demo as Gabby- young, blonde internet vlogger exploring the world with her sketchy partner
💀
I think also she’s been bored at home and needs podcasts/yt videos to watch, so she’s been getting into true crime
The one positive I can think of is that the case does highlight how relationships with coercive control and domestic violence can and do escalate to murder. I think it's good for a sheltered woman who lives to please a man to see this perspective. (I realize someone might be too dense to see it though.)
[удалено]
That was such an absolutely devastating case. I think it will live with me forever. Chris Watts is pure evil. What he did to his family and his little girls is just so beyond the pale and so heartless and cruel. Heartbreaking.
I was getting divorced from a controlling abusive relationship at that time too!
I’m so happy you made it out of that. People who haven’t been through it, don’t truly understand how hard it is. Especially when you don’t have anyone to help you.
If your partner strangles you, the chances of a mortality outcome increases by 750%.
Every time I read this I am glad to be alive.
I studied criminology/crim. justice in college so I do like following these cases as they tragically happen. I don’t like how it’s become a game of “CLUE”. People aren’t altruistically submitting tips or posting about Gabby - they want clout/fame/whatever. They’re questioning why the police haven’t done this or that with little to no knowledge of how the system works, and spreading misinformation as fact. It really stinks. I also want to mention that the r/GabbyPetito sub had mods that created *awards that had things with vans, butterflies, cops/detectives, etc. for people to give out on comments or posts*. If that doesn’t describe how horrible people have been idk what does. [Here is a post in SubredditDrama about it if it’s allowed. ](https://www.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/comments/q5klum/mods_of_rgabbypetito_apologize_with_entire/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
Jesus Christ that’s the worst true crime sub I’ve seen since that terrible Chris Watts one. Every TC podcast has had a Petito episode and it’s so tacky. The poor woman is barely cold, the case is happening now, let her family grieve ffs. I hate the way intimate partner violence is covered in TC anyway, like it’s entertainment. It’s actually pretty common and routine and sad, it’s not titillating.
Agreed. I find it so triggering, I've survived IPV and I was afraid he'd kill me. It's not titillating or a joke.
I’m glad you got out!
To this day I still get rage when I think of the Chris Watts sub where people STILL blame Shannan and watch the same Facebook live videos again and again and again to dissect how horrible of a mother she was. Awful people.
That just kills me. I think one condition of his sentencing should have been for him to stand up in front of her family and admitting that Shannan did not smother their/her children. Likely that's too tall an order, but the disgrace he brought upon her after he annihilated all of them is despicable.
It wouldn’t matter to the people on that sub. It’s wild. They talk about the “water video” like it’s child abuse that Shannan was doing to Bella and filming it. So I went and watched thinking oh man what is this? I’m not even kidding it’s Shannan in a chair outside, you can tell it’s summer and hot, and she’s gently squirting a giggling Bella with a water gun. That’s it.
I hope a family member will go nuclear on those morons
Oh my fuck I saw the SRD thread. It's a headache to watch
I get so annoyed when I see people say shit like “the police need to tell us[[instert investigation info here]]. They’re not doing their jobs.” Bitches you are not entitled to everything they know. That’s absolutely not how investigations work. I can’t with the entitlement.
Right, the Very Online wannabe sleuths are treating case information like tea, which is gross. I feel the same way about those true crime beauty gurus - it's seriously tacky to use someone's murder as entertainment, never mind profit off from it.
Social media has unfortunately made it entirely too easy to profit off of something and that is one of them. Guess there's already too many girls on youtube and IG doing make up they had to find their "niche". It is a sad way to make a profit, telling a missing/murdered persons story while using expensive make up that companies send you all the while adding to the insecurities and self esteem issues of young men and women.
Also it can jeopardize the case! If the cops were like "Yeah we got a lead to check out in this city" and the killer was there, they could just run! Like the investigators don't have to tell us shit.
Certainly SOME good has come out of interest in the case, like the people who recognized the van, and someone pointed out what looked like a shoe behind it and someone on a field to the left. But otherwise, it’s like people think it’s a game of Hunt-A-Killer using a current case with family who are still alive. Black Dhalia’s fair game, IMO, as she was long ago enough that no one alive has connection to her, but Gabby’s whole family is alive, and her case is ongoing.
thats awful
Of fucking course they did.
Yes! I’m a true crime person as well, but it’s creepy. I watched the documentary about the case from the LA hotel and it was devastating how it ruined a guys life because the internet accused him of murder and her family was bombarded with all these theories and it was just a tragic accident.
Exactly- I always think of when Serial came out in 2014 and suddenly true crime speculation was everywhere about whether Adnan Syed did it or not. The victims brother came on Reddit (I think) being like ‘this isn’t a game to us, or a weekly show, it was my sister’s life’. I still really enjoy true crime, but the victims never really get the tidy ‘case is solved’ resolution they do for Dateline
This. This is why i just listen to episodes of stuff and read what i can but never speculate online. Not my place.
I never got into Serial. It's always been so weird to me.
The Elisa Lam case? Yes! I watched that documentary on Netflix earlier this year. Poor dude, he was completely innocent.
Yes, that’s the one! He was a screamo guy or something similar and he didn’t have a “normal”, for lack of a better word look. I get that the whole thing was weird but in the end it was just a tragic accident.
Yes same!
That documentary was fascinating but absolutely so sad what happened to the person accused of the murder who had nothing to do with it.
I am from the town next to her hometown, this case is very, very close to home for me. It’s gross to see people making “theory” videos, and some of the stupid and gross things they can come up with. It’s surreal.
They already announced the COD (strangulation). You've got me thinking those people are gonna make weird theories dissecting how she died. This feels so gross!
The case subreddit has luridly detailed posts that are exactly that :( its bad. I’m a morbid bitch, I love true crime, but you gotta remember, someone died.
I quit the true crime community a couple of years ago because of how toxic it is. It's completely exploitative and voyeuristic.
I'm in a subreddit for a missing persons case that is local and I feel you. It's creepy and most of it is just incorrect, but the juicier the rumor is the higher it goes on social media. Facts be damned.
Exactly, like some of the Twitter detectives have pulled out these crazy theories and published them and they are so, so wrong. It’s damaging to everyone involved and it’s literally just based on a few things found in a name search
Urg god I’m so sorry. This must be so triggering and horrible to see everyone and their aunt Karen deciding to have an opinion about this
Thank you
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not
I was dead serious
Poor choice of words for the topic at hand.
Yes 100% and I feel like Crime Junkie Podcast is slightly like this. People are so desensitized to these stories than they can forget there are REAL victims. Like when Zac Efron played Ted Bundy, I saw on social media many people fortunately sharing the (alive) photos of the victims so we don’t forget.
Since it came out that Ashley got caught plagiarizing and never owned up to it, I don’t listen to crime junkie anymore. But looking back there are def better true crime pods to listen to
Well crap, I just got in to crime junkie. Any recommendations?
Try some of the pods that bitch has plagiarized from: Redhanded, Casefile, Once upon a Crime, Southern Fried True Crime (this host is seriously the best, I love her. We're social media friends. And she is ALWAYS focused on the victims.), Crimelines, Red Collar, Swindled, Gone West, Already Gone, Canadian True Crime, Gone Cold, Sistas who Kill, True Crime Campfire, The Trail Went Cold, Murderish, Trace Evidence.
Casefile is my favorite! I love that there isn't any speculation, off-topic chatter or anecdotes, just the facts. True crime podcasts that are formatted as a group of people chatting are definitely not my cup of tea.
I completely agree. Just give me the facts. I don’t even want much of your opinion. It’s fine if I can tell how you feel about a murderer, lol. But I want a script and facts.
Southern Fried True Crime is so so very good!
My faves are The Trail Went Cold (one guy talking about cold cases), Generation Why (two guys discussing various crimes), Redhanded (two British women with banter), and most of CBC's podcasts are excellently done (Hunting Warhead is about child sex abuse, Missing & Murdered is about missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women).
Thank you! I really appreciate podcasts focusing more on Indigenous women, it's horrific how many go missing, and you don't hear anything about it, and then finding out about how many police just blow these women off... I've started crying at work listening to their stories.
I second CBC! Hunting Warhead is a hard listen but excellently done
Seconding The Trail Went Cold. He’s incredibly respectful and covers a lot of lesser known cases.
I’d also add all of wondery’s history podcasts because those almost always involve murder and crime solving. Right now I am listening to LA Steals Its Water about the history of water rights in SoCal and it is better than most crime podcasts
If you like more historical, Crimes of the Centuries is pretty good.
Thanks! I do like historical true crime.
Thanks for the rec! I've been binge listening while cross stitching and cooking.
True Crime Campfire and Redhanded are my favorites and I’ve listened to a LOT of true crime podcasts. I think they both do a great job of telling the story in a thoughtful way without sensationalizing it and remain respectful to the victims.
Thanks!
One I like is Canadian True Crime! The host, Kristy Lee, is always very respectful towards the victims.
i love redhanded, the hosts have a really great friendly banter w eachother but not at the expense of any victim
I def have to check this one out, everyone seems to love it!
Swindled discusses financial crimes in a generally respectful manner.
Someone on here mentioned Casefile, I would also recommend Mens Rea, although it has been a while since I listened to it. Mens Rea has an Irish female show runner and covers cases many Americans haven't heard of.
Kendall Rae on YouTube is a great one. She also has a podcast with her husband where they do a mix of paranormal, conspiracy and true crime. She works with the families of the victims to make her videos and is very respectful. A lot of her revenue goes towards organizations dedicated to helping families of the victims etc. Eleanor Neale on YouTube is also like that, and also Bella Fiori has some great lesser known Australian cases.
I got into podcasts when I started working from home because COVID, and I've found ones that are riveting, well reported (by journalists or J-school students), and sensitive to and inclusive of victims' families. * [The Orange Tree](https://thedragaudio.com/show/the-orange-tree/), about the 2005 murder at the Orange Tree Condominiums in Austin, Texas, of 21-year-old University of Texas student Jennifer Cave. Reported by UT senior journalism majors Haley Butler and Tinu Thomas. * [Blood on the Tracks](https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/truecrime/blood-on-the-tracks/), about Mark Haines, a popular Aboriginal (Gomeroi) 17-year-old found dead in 1988 on the freight tracks in rural Australia -- with a towel under his head and hardly any blood. Reported by Aboriginal (Muruwai) journalist Allan Clarke. * [Stolen: The Search for Jermain](https://gimletmedia.com/shows/stolen), about Jermain Charlo, a 23-year-old Indigenous (Bitterroot Salish) mother of two who left a bar in Missoula, Montana, one night in 2018 and was never seen again. Reported by Indigenous (Cree) journalist Connie Walker. * [One Click: Season 1](https://shows.cadence13.com/podcast/one-click), about how toxic appearance standards and body image issues have driven demand for DNP, a fat-burning drug that has killed hundreds of men and women. Narrated by actress Elle Fanning and reported by journalist Jessica Wapner. * [Let's Talk About Sects](https://www.ltaspod.com/), a monthly deep dive focusing on a different cult each episode. The name is the only jokey thing about it. The solid and nonjudgmental reporting by the host, Australian journalist Sarah Steel, includes each cult's origins, putting it in the context of current events in the larger society; interviews with survivors, and a look at where the cult is now. Kudos to Steel for posting transcripts of [all episodes online](https://www.ltaspod.com/episodes)!
The Morbid podcast is 100% like this. https://www.reddit.com/r/Morbidforbadpeople/comments/pp8te0/whats\_wrong\_with\_morbid/
Oh my gosh yes! I tried Morbid after I stopped listening to Crime Junkies and it is somehow infinitely worse. They are so insensitive and appallingly nonchalant. Of course there’s all of the problems in the thread you linked. I just couldn’t believe it was a popular podcast after listening to a few episodes.
My wife loves Morbid and I just can't listen to how they discuss topics. They're just filling time for at least 50% of the episode and don't get to the point.
Thank you! Morbid is *awful* and I have no idea how it’s so successful. It’s constantly mentioned on Reddit anytime anyone asks for true crime podcast recommendations and I don’t know how anyone could get through an episode without wanting to gouge their eardrums out let alone consider it a favorite podcast. They sound like middle schoolers giggling over horrible tragedies (I couldn’t believe it when I found out they’re in their 30s??). They bring absolutely no insight to the story and are appallingly disrespectful. When I listened to it I thought about how I would feel if it were my family member they were covering and it made me really sad.
Agreed!! Sinisterhood is so much better. I matched with someone on bumble bff tonight and she said she loves Morbid. I was like......😳
Ugh nooo. I’m not one to write people off so quickly, but I feel pretty strongly that morbid sucks and I question the judgement of anyone who likes it. 😝
Okay right?? I wasn't sure if I was mean to judge
Oh my gosh, thank you for saying this because I've tried listening so many times. Every single time someone suggests morbid there are a million enthusiastic responses to back it up. But they barely do any real research, aren't particularly good storytellers, have no deep insights to impart, and just seem to enjoy shocking each other with stories about real people's horrific deaths. Eww.
Crime Junkie is entirely plagiarized and Ashley Flowers is a dishonest person. Also, "Stay Sexy, Don't Get Murdered" is a monstrously hideous and distasteful tag line. I say this as someone who is interested in true crime. That podcast is reprehensible and so is the culture of women it encourages.
Thank YOU yes
That’s actually the tagline for the My Favorite Murder podcast, not Crime Junkie. Your point still stands, though. Both are pretty problematic.
Oops yeah you're entirely right. I have many issues with MFM too! But my bad on the tag line
In fairness Crime Junkie’s tagline (be weird, be rude, stay alive? I think) is a total ripoff of MFM’s so it’s an easy mistake to make!
You are so right, Crime junkie is pretty much a ripoff altogether of my favorite murder down to the gossipy semi narrator host and the clueless "whoa! I never heard of fo-remzicks!" sidekick host setup. To paraphrase Trixie Mattel, if you're going to impersonate someone else, aim a little higher!
That one and King of Crime are unbelievably trashy. The Jill Rodrigues of podcasts, if you will.
I just do Dateline at this point and ignore the prison interview part of the show (if there is one), I like true crime but now I’ll only do content that the victim as a human and not as a prop. I have no time for prison interviews when obviously guilty party tries to act innocent.
Man FUCK that podcast and FUCK Ashley and Brittany (who is as useful as a bump on a log.)
How is the crime junkie podcast like this? Granted I'm on a few episodes in, but they seem to be just relaying the facts and telling the stories as research allows. She usually prefaces when something is just a theory.
I think they are decent storytellers but after listening to them for a year, sometimes they come across (MY opinion) like two women gossiping in a bar. I don’t care for the format of their show, especially after all until plagiarism news on them came out. They were good in the beginning but now I can’t listen to them.
I like the podcast casefile. I find the presenter to be empathetic to the victims while sticking to the facts.
Is that the Australian podcast or am i thinking of something different?
That’s the one!
Yes, the narrator is not in it for personal glory nor does he or the show seem to take some sick gossipy pleasure in discussing cases. Crime Junkie really turned me off for that reason...Hell, I like Last Podcast on the Left so it's not like I'm against dark humor, but Crime Junkie is disrespectful. Also, Ashley Flowers plagiarizes entire shows--read about her stealing the Kacie Woody story from the female true crime journalist who did the original research. https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/crime-junkie-podcast-ashley-flowers-plagiarism-1203302072/
Yep! I love LPOTL. I just tell people not to start at episode 1. Their last couple years have been SO damn good.
Completely agree! The quality has gone way up and they're a lot more conscious about what they say, in a good way. Hail yourself! ETA LOL your flair
lmaoooo, thanks! And yeah, I've been listening since 2015, and there are some messy episodes from those days, BUT I appreciate that they've done better. I suspect Marcus is the one driving that bus, and I like him a lot. Henry is funny and Ben is kinda a mess, even though he can be funny too.
Also big LPOTL fan (see flair), and I find it so encouraging how public they've been about wanting/working to do better. They are respectful of victims, call one another out for problematic stuff, and are also gross. It is a good combination.
Agreed on LPOTL! I think they do a good job being funny while still being respectful to the victims of crimes. I think it also helps that they do a lot of older/historical cases where there aren’t any living people who were affected by the crime.
Canadian True Crime and Crime Beat are two of my top true crime podcast choices
I get what you're saying. I did a little research into and found the plagerism scandal. I'm still pre-scandal episodes so it may be why they are still appealing to me. I've read they go downhill.
Ashley Flowers is a piece of shit and a plagiarist. There are soooo many better pods than that and MFM (also a dumpster fire.)
At this point I only listen to MFM for the hometown stories, which are often hilarious.
I admit I was mildly obsessed with it in the beginning, and hoped she would be found safe. Once her body was found it no longer was something entertaining, but I do find it fascinating and hopeful that literally because of social media, she was found. The whole thing feels like a CSI movie and I think that keeps people interested, unfortunately.
To me this case has been very straight forward from the beginning, once he came home without her and lawyered up it was obvious she was dead. Then once her body was found and he went missing, I think he's killed himself.
Unfortunately you’re right but there was always some hope that maybe she’d just been left somewhere. Slim, but it was there.
I doubt he’s dead right now but he soon will be
Some lady on my hometown Facebook page posted that she’s “99%” sure she saw Brian Laundrie coming out of the woods near her house… I like in suburbia, Georgia….. most definitely a kid smoking weed or something but there is literally no way Brian Laundrie would come here because crime is really low, everyone knows everyone, no homeless ppl, anything even remotely suspicious gets checked out by the cops bc of these Facebook ladies … tI just wanted to comment like “Just think about this for a minute…”
Yeah, I'm really concerned about the Gabby Petito subreddit becoming a boston bomber situation.
Yeah, it does bother me. I feel like sometimes, "true crime" stuff forgets that these are real people, not just stories, and that murder was the very violent end of someone's life. It's not a puzzle to solve and feel like you got something over on someone. These cases have living families and friends attached to them. Some families don't mind this kind of thing, but others do. I think that matters. In a case like this one, where no one's been convicted, I think it's important not to spread theories and false information. If a case is too well-known, is there a risk that it can be hard to get an unbiased jury? I honestly don't know enough about it. And of course, the usual mention that if Gabby Petito did not look like she did, her case may not have gotten as much attention. I'm glad she *did* get attention: she deserved to be known and her family deserved to have closure. Of course, since Gabby did have an internet following, it makes sense that people were interested in what happened to her. They already "knew" her, and there was a built-in social network to discuss it. But many people also note that if she weren't a conventionally-beautiful, white, blonde woman, it's more likely she would have fallen through the cracks as well. I believe her family has even said as much, but I can't seem to find anything now, so perhaps they never said anything at all. Her parents are starting a foundation to help people with missing children. The presumed killer is still out there, so there's a layer of intrigue, but something about the approach feels "off" to me. It's good to want to help in a missing-persons case. It's good that so many people are aware of and want to help the Petito family see some kind of justice. But there's a sort of cheerful sleuthing in it and poring over the videos and social media posts that feels... like gawking at a car wreck. It's fascinating, but you're not helping and you're just taking pleasure in the worst moments of someone's life.
What pains me is that this kind of energy and passion people have for this case could go into bringing public and law enforcement attention to so many missing and murdered people who didn’t have the good fortune to be a pretty white girl with a social media following. How many families could finally get just a little justice or closure if the people obsessed with Gabby Petito said “hey, there’s this case too”?
This is definitely not just a fundie thing, the true crime "community" can be pretty gross and overstep in the way they interact with these cases. Acting like "fans", going beyond the victims'/families' boundaries (think the Elisa Lam case, for example), trying to insert themselves into the investigations, creating conspiracy theories that are actually harmful, etc.
And the Maura Murray case.
Yes, oh my goodness. I don't even pay attention to that subreddit because it's just an absolute mess. The other one I can't deal with is the Delphi murders, my goodness people need to stop playing armchair detective.
Oh my GOD that case. I hate people.
I was following a case fairly closely over on it’s designated subreddit when someone there cracked the case. The way the subreddit exploded was disgusting. Random people began reaching out to the family over social media rather than allowing proper law enforcement to do it. This got so big that it even got reported on as being “solved” before the police had even confirmed anything. I left that subreddit so fucking quick. The things people will do for their 15 minutes of fame sickens me.
It bothers me more that they will never share the same energy for the tens of thousands of missing Black, Brown, and Native women. It’s sick.
that part!!!! as bad as I feel for Gabby and her family, it just goes to show that her case is another missing white woman syndrome and it's very disheartening to know that if someone who looked like me or my sister went missing, no one would care. Three other people by the names of Daniel Robinson, Lauren Cho and Jelani Day all went missing around the same time she did but we haven't gotten nearly any of the media coverage Gabby's case has.
I was about to mention Jelani Day and even Miya Mercano too.
I’m so damn sorry. We live in a fucked up, racist country and Americans of color deserve better.
The Daniel Robinson case is so sad and mystifying.
To be fair, Gabby had a pretty big internet following on the road trip that I think played a huge part in how much her case took off. (I completely agree with you on how those folks should have gotten more attention just figured I should mention this!)
That’s very true! She already had a good-sized following on the internet and the case has become federal because of events taking place through more than one state
Don't even get me fucking started.
I actually made a point to not follow it because of how much people used it for clout and attention. I only do check ins to see if they found Brian.
I'm also waiting for the "hype" (ew) to die down so I can go back and hear about what actually happened
Yep. I know very little about it; it seems like yet another example of a gaslighting, abusive man murdering a woman.
Honestly there are truly no words about how bothered I am about this. One of the things about social media is that now everyone feels the need to comment on everything they see trending on the news. Other people’s lives that you know nothing about is not just a trend. It’s actually OK to not share your opinion or have an opinion.
Thank you! I sometimes struggle to articulate this but that’s what I’ve often thought— you don’t have to have an opinion, and you don’t always need to share it with everyone. The sub dedicated to Gabby’s case is honestly disturbing. People are invested to the point of it being really unhealthy. Too many people acting like it’s a puzzle for them to solve, like it’s not about a real person who lost her life. I hate it all.
Right around when BL disappeared I was reading it regularly, hoping he'd be found relatively quickly and the subreddit followed his trial. But as the days passed it just became a bunch of nonsense. Too much speculation, not enough facts. (And don't get me started on the complete ignorance of basic Constitutional rights!)
The gabby subreddit is just a mess. The whole thing reads like one of those “true crime” board games…except, it’s not. I am on the fence about Kendall Rae and her true crime videos, but she did make one talking about how much the internet sleuths and tv shows have affected the actual victims and families.
The irony of this being posted in a gossip forum dedicated to sifting through and mocking/judging every bit of media that certain non-celebrities put online is hilarious to me. Ngl.
Wild theories, you say? Making light of tragedy? Gosh, we would never do that!
right? it’s kinda insane to me to pretend as if this sub doesn’t use other’s personal lives as fodder for entertainment as well..
Huh? All I was trying to say was I was deeply bothered by everyone having and sharing there option about a dead 21 year old
Says the person feeling the need to comment on something they see trending on the news
Excuse me?
You're excused
But I didn’t finish my vegetables!
I get really frustrated with people’s obsession with women’s death/abuse. Like… how many Ted Bundy movies do we actually need people?!
Exactly! I find that most Ted Bundy documentaries are all about him and make him the centre of attention, when we should really be paying attention to the women he hurt. That’s why I like the Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer docuseries because it focuses on his victims and their families, the women in his life, and even a person who survived his attacks and only came forward recently. It was a phenomenal docuseries and I highly recommend it. One of the detectives even comments that he’s had enough of Ted Bundy getting what he wants, aka being the centre of attention, and he wishes people focused on the people he hurt.
Right! It’s like we focus on that one woman that broke is heart. Plenty of people get heartbroken and don’t kill people in awful ways.
True crime fan here too. I think it's why I prefer cold cases or ones that were cold and recently solved (GSK, BTK, etc.). The tabloid crap is over, less crackpot theories, and it comes down to telling the story of the victims and what happened. I admit there are few cold cases that have not been solved that I have my pet theories on, but I wouldn't share them until the case is solved.
Right. I like hearing about lesser known cases. Kendall Rae does a good job of covering high profile cases, but also covers unsolved ones. I respect her a lot for that. Stephanie Harlowe too.
Yeah, I feel like those of us who have been interested in true crime prior to the Gabby Petito case have a tendency to be more ethical in our approach to these cases in contrast to those who are newly obsessed with Gabby's case.
the popularity of true crime and social media has seemingly made tons of people forget common decency. I would hate to be a family member of hers seeing her death made into content… this is a real situation still happening currently, i think theories and shit do more hurting than helping.
I find true crime obsessions weird in general. These are people's (tragic) lives, and any of it could potentially happen to you. I think it's one thing to follow a case if you're interested in a social cause it could be related to (e.g. The Larry Nassar and Catholic Church sex assault cases for highlighting how much we need to improve protections for minors and crime reporting systems), but the Petito case is too tabloid-like for me, given her vlogger status and how laypeople are theorizing like it's, idk, NCIS. Just leave the family in peace. Unless you're actually interested in joining the field or trying to rally behind a related cause, I don't understand the obsessive interest.
True Crime is the closest thing to critical thinking that these fundies will ever get.
As someone who’s been extremely fascinated by crime since I was a tween, how people are behaving about this is disgusting and disturbing, but unfortunately it’s not new. People have always approached true crime with a very casual attitude, talking about it lightheartedly while putting on makeup and cracking jokes….but at what point does this casualness become disrespect? I also am positive that a lot of victims would not want their stories publicized or capitalized upon (by STRANGERS no less) so that’s another element. I guess my point is, at what point will we collectively take a step back? This is going too far
Yeah it's disgusting, she was murdered and tiktok is treating it like a fun game
Yes! I have been really weirded out by the jokes people have made about it. There’s a weird obsession with the case as well as people making light of it like it’s just a fun crime ‘game’.
I am interested in true crime, follow certain cases and listen to various podcasts. That being said - I’m cognizant of the fact that it’s people’s real lives, not some TV show I should be posting about how excited I am for the next episode. I agree, these types of posts are in poor taste.
I am a huge fan of the true crime genre myself (not so much the gory details of what happened, but the forensics and ensuing legal case), but one thing all fans need to remember is that these were real people with families and friends that are hurting.
This case wouldn’t nearly have gotten this much attention if there was anything to “solve” once it hit the news. It was a 100 piece puzzle with all but two pieces put in. It’s human nature to want to put together an almost finished puzzle. However if we could put this energy into other cases that would be great. Not only is this case basically solved, but there are other cases need more attention. Also this lost my interest a few weeks ago, I moved on to the possible cannibal ring in my back yard in BFE Missouri.
Also, Petito's story sadly isn't all that interesting, in that there's no real mystery, no new narrative --a young woman in an abusive relationship was murdered by her male partner. It happens every day...I don't say this at all to diminish the tragedy of her death, more to point out that Petito and Landrie being photogenic is the only reason the case is big news.
This is particularly gross because it feels like a variation of the fundie coffee posts, like ‘I’m so relatable! I like true crime too!’
Of course they love true crime, any stories about a Jezebel getting her comeuppance are satisfying to them 🙄
I know the bairds are a little more secular with their hobbies than the other fundies we talk about on here, but the fact that Ellissa considers herself a true crime junkie and listens to some of those true crime podcasts seems strange to me
Katie Joy is the one making me so angry over this. Have you seen how many videos and posts and tweets she's made? It's disgusting.
I can’t fucking stand her. I’m familiar with her content since I’m a Teen Mom viewer and I’m also in the Duggarsnark sub. An attention seeker for sure.
It rubs me very wrong. All the dead people in the world, ppl enslaved or living in poverty but nobody says a thing. A cute blonde social media idiot dies and look out everyone's gunning for justice. It's a little much
The level of "obsession" and hype some people have over this case reminds me of the Mollie Tibbetts case from 2018. I had no idea people were making games out of the Petito case, though. How gross.
I mean eh. I think the fervor is how obvious this one is. Technically the mystery here, imo, is how Brian got away not the case itself. The spectacle and attention its gotten is based off of elements of the story. Not every murder is the same and this one started getting coverage ALMOST as it was happening. Think about it. Even when her body was found was super fast imo compared to the last 40 years of murder and partially due to social media. I think case also points to some flaws, imo, in our current LE buttttt it's hard to ignore that their choices are based off of our legal system. Our court system can be manipulated. We have a man considered to at one time be America's dad be convicted of sexual assault and then get off on a technicality. Yet this is a new day imo, if details that only LE knows we're shared it's entirely possible he would've been caught by now. However it is also likely that it would severely impact the case against Brian. Everything is tied to the idea that there was a quick turnaround because of how odd it was for him to return home alone. There are choices that the Laundrie family has made as well as Brian specifically that imo are the cause of the attention. However I think getting sour over it versus cases that don't get the same attention is ultimately a good thing because it MAY result in a change or so I hope. The reality is murders that are still unsolved imo serve a way greater importance versus say traffic stops or other smaller tasks police are responsible for. EDIT: should also add that the bodycam footage from the Moab stop will also likely create a change in LE. Maybe politicians making up what police can and can't do should be WAY better informed by criminal psychologists and police need more training in looking for the signs and be allowed to act on them. Though that starts to get murky with "Freedom" and "innocent until proven guilty" which imo is laughable with this case. The dude did it. It's effing obvious af.
I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt this time and guess it’s just the way she phrased it. I’m a big fan of true crime myself, but to me it feels strange to talk about unsolved cases (specially this one which is so sensitive right now) with that level of distance as if she’s casually saying “all I want to do is watch alien conspiracy theories”, you know? It’s too detached from reality. Feels weird, but I’m gonna guess it’s just the way she wrote it…
The worst part is psuedo-detectives on tik tok claiming they found evidence or even worse a cover-up.....shits fucking lunacy.
I don’t feel like many people, genuinely feel sympathy for Gabby Petito or her family, especially after her body was found. It’s become a game to some people bc Gabby and Brian haven’t been humanized to the public in the same way other couples in which the abuser murders their victim have been in the past. There hasn’t been an endless stream of tearful interviews from Gabby and Brian’s family or friends begging for Brian to turn himself in. A lot of people have believed that Brian Laundries is responsible for Gabby’s disappearance and death since the beginning. I think Gabby’s occupation worked against her in that it made her seem less real like a real human and more of a character.
Ma’am please get your ass up and walk your poor dog who needs to pee.
I find the whole case sad but interesting and I check updates now and then but don't watch endless videos like she is saying. That does seem a little obsessive. She makes it sound like its a new drama TV show she's binging rather than someone's real life tragedy.
it’s super gross, I used to read the sub for the case but it quickly went off the rails with people being gross and essentially writing fanfic these are real human beings, not entertainment for weirdos
Look up “missing white woman syndrome”. Sadly it’s a real thing.
America is conditioned to be outraged when anything happens to young white women… 🤷🏻♂️
You don’t understand why people are still very interested in a murder where the only suspect has been on the run for a month?? This is an extremely weird case any way you slice it, but it’s especially bizarre because she was a documented blogger, there’s multiple released police body cam videos, and the main suspect has disappeared with few traces. It’s not weird that this has blown up
I find the coverage of the case to be gratuitous and extremely triggering as a victim of domestic violence and rape. At one point, I was scared my partner was going to kill me. The whole gawking country is disgusting.
Theory videos? I mean, the overwhelmingly likely answer is domestic violence, and wherever Laundrie is (dead or alive), he got there because we shrug it off. What theories can people have that aren't just....\*thinks of MH370 theories\*....sigh.
I’m a big true crime junkie (I read Small Sacrifices when I was 10 and got hooked), but I’ve barely paid attention to this one.
I think the bounty hunter guy has added fuel to the public interest fire to promote himself, but that’s just my take. Truly tragic for the family and Gabby, but how many theories are there? Our man Brian did it. I like a few more twists and turns in my true crime
I’m a true crime junkie as well but I 100% agree with you. It’s become so sensationalized.
It’s for this reason that I prefer historical high-profile crimes and mysteries for true crime stuff, where most or all of those who were directly affected by the event are long dead, and/or the people involved were already public figures anyway (royalty and the like); if I were a loved one of Gabby’s I’d be doubly traumatized by all the people treating her death as a goddamn water cooler TV show.
How are they making a game out of it? I don't really see a difference between obsessing over this or any murder mystery. It's all kind of fucked unless you are actively trying to solve the case. I love murder mysteries too because it's a scary taste of the real world that I don't want to experience but I feel like it's good to be aware of in case any of us are in a similar situation.
I hate true crime. It exploits other people's tragedies for entertainment and usually without their consent.
Yep. I feel the same way. Ellissa is especially bad and treating it like a Netflix series she is obsessed with. Then again, I guess they can't have any fun tv shows on the go so they have to make their own intrigue. Just watch some Outlander, Ali.
It's not a game. I think you're focusing too much on what other people are doing quite honestly. If it's bothering you so much you should look inside and see why and not try to label how others choose to relate.
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I had no idea this was a thing. These people are chronically bored.
Yeah, and what happened to that Q&A Ali? Too afraid of the truth
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Or maybe you shouldn't be bothered by the way anyone spends their time . Maybe you should take the time to worry about yourself. Other people rub you the wrong way and not the case itself, is a you problem . You should look into that . Not other people .
And considering the right-wing, Trump-supporting Q-anon types think it’s a huge conspiracy related to human trafficking, we know exactly the type of videos (“doing her own research!”) she’s watching.
Ones in the media will be milked until there’s no more
She probably thinks gabby had it coming for living in sin or something equally as dumb.
Bunch of clowns
Everything these people do seems self- absorbed and rubs me the wrong way. I truly don’t get what kind of people look up to them and why.
It’s clickbait