Gabby Petito Wrongful Death Lawsuit: Shocking Photo Shows Tearful Blogger With Blood On Her Face During Fatal Road Trip With Brian Laundrie

A newly released photo showed an emotional Gabby Petito with tears in her eyes and blood smeared on her face moments before the police responded to a 911 call during her fatal road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie.

RadarOnline.com can confirm that lawyers for Petito's family released the shocking image as they build a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against police in Moab, Utah, claiming that if the officers noticed her injuries, her tragic death in the weeks to follow could have been prevented.

Brian Stewart, a lawyer representing Petito's grieving family, said that "Moab police failed to listen to Gabby, failed to investigate her injuries and the seriousness of her assault, and failed to follow their own training, policies, and Utah law."

The timestamp on the selfie showed it was taken at 4:37 PM on August 12, 2021, just before the couple was pulled over for a traffic stop.

A witness had called to report a domestic dispute that day, describing the white van Petito and Laundrie had been traveling in. The witness said Laundrie was "slapping" and hitting Petito before they drove off and were later stopped by a patrol car.

The outfit she was wearing in her selfie matched that of bodycam footage captured by the police. "We've just been fighting this morning. Some personal issues," Petito said at the time.

Laundrie also explained the scratches on his face, stating, "She had her phone and was trying to get the keys from me. I said, 'Let's just step back and breathe,' and she got me with her phone."

As for the blood smear on her face, Petito told officers she was cut by a fingernail when Laundrie allegedly grabbed her. Petito, not Laundrie, was described to be the alleged aggressor, reported journalist JB Biunno.

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Petito was later reported missing after her fiancé returned home from a cross-country road trip without her.

It was ultimately revealed Laundrie shot himself in the head a month after Petito's body was discovered in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

She was sadly strangled to death, a Wyoming coroner confirmed, and Laundrie confessed to the killing in a notebook uncovered by the FBI amid their search.