Kriti Mehrotra
The case of 22-year-old influencer Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito has recently sparked countless headlines after she went on a cross-country road trip with her partner Brian Laundrie, never to return. While the Florida resident was last seen alive and well on August 24, 2021, checking out of a Utah hotel with Brian, her parents last heard from her on call the next day, where she said she was near the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Investigators recovered her remains from near that area on September 19 and subsequently ruled her death a homicide.
Brian had returned home to Florida without Gabby on September 1, yet he went missing around the time he was labeled a person of interest. As per his family, they last saw him on Tuesday, September 14. There are a lot of conspiracies and speculations surrounding what happened, but one thing is certain, Gabby deserves justice. With that said, if you’ve been following her case, here’s a list of 5 true-crime documentary shows on Netflix that might help you deal with the senseless murder of Gabby Petito.
5. Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021)
Directed by Joe Berlinger, ‘Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel’ is a four-part special that delves into the complex world of downtown Los Angeles and its historically ominous Cecil Hotel to profile the vanishing of 21-year-old Canadian student Elisa Lam. From her online footprint to her solo trip to America and from her highly unusual behavior to the discovery of her remains, this series examines every aspect. Like in Gabby’s matter, Elisa’s disappearance and death also gave rise to several theories, except here, the reality was simply unsettling.
4. The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann (2019)
Just like the title suggests, ‘The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann’ is an eight-episode documentary series that gives us a detailed look into the vanishing of three-year-old Madeleine McCann. The toddler went missing from her bunk in the Praia da Luz resort in Algarve, Portugal, on the evening of May 3, 2007, where the family had been vacationing with close friends. Her parents were only about 180 feet away, and even they saw or heard nothing. Therefore, this Netflix original revolves around the investigations, media coverage, and events surrounding the search for Madeleine.
3. The Keepers (2017)
In November 1969, Sister Catherine Cesnik, a warm and loving drama and English teacher at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland, suddenly disappeared, only to be found dead near a landfill on January 3, 1970. Since then, there have been suspicions of a cover-up by the Church and local officials, allegations of possible sexual assaults, and much more, but nothing has ever panned out. All this is precisely what ‘The Keepers,’ a seven-installment documentary by Ryan White, chronicles, with the aid of former students, priests, family members, and journalists.
2. Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta? (2020)
Unlike the others on this list, Netflix’s ‘Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta?’ is an Argentine true-crime documentary miniseries that Alejandro Hartmann has directed. In four episodes that are all around an hour-long, we get an in-depth look into one of the most controversial cases of the nation — the bewildering passing of María Marta García Belsunce. She was found dead in her bathtub on October 27, 2002, with many assuming that she’d had a freak accident. However, it later came to light that she was shot to death, so the mystery of who was responsible is explored here.
1. The Staircase (2004-2018)
Directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, ‘The Staircase’ outlines a true-crime matter with so many captivating twists and turns that it had to be updated twice – in 2015 and 2018 – following its initial release. Thus, with a total of 13 episodes, it showcases the murder of Kathleen Peterson, along with its aftermath. She was found dead at the bottom of the stairs at her home on December 9, 2001, with her husband, novelist Michael Peterson, indicating that she fell. However, the medical examiner concluded that she had been beaten to death, leading to Michael becoming a prime suspect. His claims of innocence, trial, and public and familial scrutiny are all documented here.
Read More: 28 Best True Crime Podcasts of All Time
