So heartbroken over the Gabby Petito Case

[Lookinagain]

Omgggggg.

he probably killed himself shortly after going “hiking”. I hope they can find cause of death.

Yeah, or some animal got him while he was hiding. Didn't I read that this area was underwater recently or swampy? Don't they have rattlesnakes and other dangerous critters? Do they have alligators in that part of Florida? I'm hoping they can figure out the cause of death.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Yeah, or some animal got him while he was hiding. Didn't I read that this area was underwater recently or swampy? Don't they have rattlesnakes and other dangerous critters? Do they have alligators in that part of Florida? I'm hoping they can figure out the cause of death.

Me and my brother were personally rooting for the “mauled alive by alligators” option. Frontier justice

 

[whitewave]

since I just got out of the hospital for food poisoning, I was thinking a nice case of e. Coli would have him praying for death. (not what I had)

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Such a waste of two young lives. If he'd just walked away and didn't murder her it wouldn't have come to this. They could have gone their separate ways and lived till 80.

Such a tragic waste.

 

[kenny]

When a POC gets murdered the media and the public don't pay attention.
Good thing she was white.

Groupism is in all of us.

My group good.
Your group bad.

 

[telephone89]

When a POC gets murdered the media and the public don't pay attention.
Good thing she was white.

Groupism is in all of us.

My group good.
Your group bad.

Missing white woman syndrome - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Missing white woman syndrome.

Missing white woman syndrome is a term used by social scientists[1][2][3] and media commentators to refer to the media coverage, especially in television,[4] of missing-person cases involving young, white, upper-middle-class women or girls compared to the alleged relative lack of attention towards missing women who are not white, women of lower social classes, and missing men or boys.[5][6]

 

[Jambalaya]

The case is splashed all over the news again this morning for that feels like the umpteenth day. I feel extremely sorry for Gabby, of course I do, and I think it's completely tragic. I can't imagine what her poor family and friends are suffering.

But man, I am getting fed up with all the coverage of one murder. What about all the other people who have been murdered since Gabby went missing? Why is one person so very much more special than the others? It feels wrong to pay one victim so much attention and others nothing at all. It was exactly the same in Britain with the Sarah Everard case. Imagine how the parents of the young woman of color who was stabbed to death on the street a couple of days before Sarah's murder must feel. And she was five years younger than Sarah, too, so she had even less time than Sarah did. Imagine having your own daughter's murder ignored totally while the family of another victim in the same week gets all that sympathy and attention. I mean, they're probably drowning in grief so I don't expect they care, but I think it's totally wrong. The national papers could at least have run one article about the other poor lady! (Nothing came up when I googled the case except a very short piece in her local paper.)

JMO.

 

[seaurchin]

I read that the search for Gabby Petito and then for Brian Laundrie caused three more deaths to be solved. But each of the people found should have been searched for that thoroughly as well.

Also, Nancy Grace said she doesn't think Brian Laundrie's parents will be prosecuted unless they did an "overt act." I don't know what would be considered an overt act though.

And I just saw that Brian Laundrie's cause of death may be released today.

 

[Matata]

Nearly 700 Native American women went missing in the area Petito was found and I think one or two were given token coverage after the uproar over Petito coverage.

 

[autumngems]

Very suspicious, his parents lead them directly there to the spot to start looking. I saw online that the area had been searched with dogs before and a handler says that dogs can sniff out a body even if it's under water so makes you wonder..........

 

[VRBeauty]

Missing white woman syndrome - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Missing white woman syndrome.

Missing white woman syndrome is a term used by social scientists[1][2][3] and media commentators to refer to the media coverage, especially in television,[4] of missing-person cases involving young, white, upper-middle-class women or girls compared to the alleged relative lack of attention towards missing women who are not white, women of lower social classes, and missing men or boys.[5][6]

I don’t think “white woman” is the sole determinant. White, blonde, attractive, young, seemingly vulnerable (as in Laci Peterson, who was a brunette but pregnant), and seemingly blameless.

 

[seaurchin]

FWIW: From what I gathered online here and there Brian Laundrie's cause of death could take a while to determine, if it even can be determined from the partial skeletal remains.

And it's all probably wrapped up, legally speaking. The parents probably won't be charged with anything and the authorities probably won't investigate further into it since both the victim and only person of interest are dead.

Someone named John Widman, who lives in the area, said this: “There’s alligators, but the worst thing are the wild pigs,” he continued. “They’re evil animals and will eat anything. Any flesh out in the open will not be wasted.”

Eaten by pigs, wow.

My feeling is that it would just cause Gabby's family more pain to be told the details of what exactly happened to her anyway so maybe it's for the best but who knows...

 

[telephone89]

I don’t think “white woman” is the sole determinant. White, blonde, attractive, young, seemingly vulnerable (as in Laci Peterson, who was a brunette but pregnant), and seemingly blameless.

If she was young, attractive and latina it would not have this same sort of media coverage. The white-ness is absolutely a determining factor. I definitely think being young and attractive and vulnerable (aka the helpless femme!) contributes too, but definitely being white helps.

 

[missy]

"Missing White Woman Syndrome" is real.

The ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’ still plagues America​

Derecka Purnell

"Black people constitute 13% of the US population and 31% of missing persons; 54% of missing persons are white, though they make up 76% of the population. A 2013 study found that news outlets covered missing white women significantly more often, and more intensely, than everyone else. As Charles Blow recently penned: “It is not that these white women should matter less, but rather that all missing people should matter equally. Race should not determine how newsroom leaders assign coverage, especially because those decisions often lead to disproportionate allocation of government resources, as investigators try to solve the highest-profile cases.” Advocates and families of color express that the disparate media coverage signals that their loved ones’ lives don’t matter as much as the lives of white women, which they believe then discourages police from pouring resources to pursue the cases.

What of the Indigenous women, or the Black women, or the Hispanic women who disappear? Why does society not see them as equally in need of honor and protection?


How do we fix it?

Missing White Woman Syndrome: How Do We Fix It?​

Oct. 19, 2021, 4:01 AM


The world seemed captivated with the story of Gabby Petito’s disappearance. Kirkland & Ellis attorney and criminologist Zach Sommers explores “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” first coined by late journalist Gwen Ifill, and suggests ways to combat this syndrome and ensure attention is paid to all missing persons in a fair way.

Gabby Petito’s disappearance has fascinated American and international audiences alike, with her case dominating news headlines across the world. As interest in the case spiked both in the news industry and on social media, commentators began to wonder aloud why Petito’s case, and not the hundreds of thousands of other missing persons cases that occur each year in the U.S., garnered so much media coverage.
Some have speculated that the interest in Petito’s case is the result of what journalist Gwen Ifill first termed “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” or the idea that young White women and girls who go missing—especially stereotypically attractive blonde women and girls who come from privileged backgrounds—are more likely to be covered in the news than missing persons of other demographics.
Thus, the idea goes, it was not the unique case characteristics that led to the enormous interest in Petito’s case, but rather who she was and what she looked like.
That idea is not wholly unfounded. In a 2016 study, I conducted a two-step statistical analysis to test whether Missing White Woman Syndrome is supported by underlying data. I examined every story about missing persons produced by four major online news outlets during one calendar year and compared the results with the overall population of missing persons as tabulated by the FBI.
I found disparities at two stages. First, the group of missing persons that received news coverage consisted of disproportionately fewer Blacks and men and boys when compared to the rates at which those groups actually go missing.
Second, when looking at that subset of missing persons who appeared in the news, the disparities grew even more pronounced when I examined the amount of coverage that each of those individuals received. White women and girls were the focus of almost half of all of the news articles, despite only accounting for approximately one-third of the missing persons in the news.
In other words, the coverage intensity was significantly higher for missing persons cases involving White women and girls. The two findings are consistent with Missing White Woman Syndrome and suggest that the race and gender disparities predicted by the idea are, in fact, a reality.
These findings were eye-opening to me. Although I hypothesized that race and gender disparities would exist, the extent of the overrepresentation of White women and girls surprised me.
Like much of my criminological research, the findings were yet another reminder of the challenges that underrepresented demographic groups still face in our country—and yet another lesson in the importance of feeling heard. I try to remember that lesson in all aspects of my life, including in my professional life as a social scientist and an attorney.
In my legal practice, I actively remind myself that every participant in our legal system brings her own perspective and experiences, and that the best litigation strategy always requires me to understand my counterparties and their motivations on a very human level. And in general, by staying vigilant and increasing awareness of the issues like Missing White Woman Syndrome, I hope to do my part to chip away at the types of disparities seen in my analysis.

How Do We Combat This Syndrome?​

On a broader scale, what collective steps can we take as a culture to combat Missing White Woman Syndrome?
First, as referenced above, we can continue to raise awareness of these disparities and to engage in meaningful dialogue about their existence and implications. Additional empirical research in the area would fortify those discussions and strengthen the statistical basis for Missing White Woman Syndrome.
Second, increased awareness is especially paramount within news organizations, which are largely responsible for determining a story’s newsworthiness. Media companies must be deliberate in their editorial choices about missing persons stories to ensure that the victims presented are an accurate reflection of the overall demographics of such cases.
Achieving that goal is likely made easier when newsrooms themselves are diverse places filled with individuals with different backgrounds and experiences. A multitude of perspectives is more likely to lead to a variety of cases being highlighted and discussed in production meetings.
But the onus does not lie solely on news corporations. News consumers, too, can have an impact by lending their clicks and views to news stories and social media posts about missing persons from underrepresented groups. If news agencies’ metrics revealed increased interest in those stories, additional similar stories would follow.
Third, law enforcement also plays a role in determinations of newsworthiness. Public relations arms of police departments often serve as filtration points for crime news—departments may tip off reporters to specific cases or ask news agencies to run specific stories to help break open unsolved crimes. By striving to highlight a representative sample of missing persons cases, law enforcement could help ensure that more cases involving missing people of color come across the news desk.
To be clear, Petito’s case is a tragedy that no family should have to endure. Her story is worthy of the news coverage it has received, which may have helped with the police investigation into her disappearance. But other missing persons who do not look like Petito should also benefit from the same type of spotlight.
The families of those other missing persons are just as deserving of answers as Petito’s. After all, it is not just White women and girls who go missing.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. or its owners.
Write for Us: Author Guidelines

Author Information​

Zach Sommers is an attorney at Kirkland & Ellis and a criminologist who researches and explores the intersection of criminal law, race, and the news media and the corresponding effect on perceptions of crime. His law practice focuses on white collar matters, including governmental and internal investigations and cross-border transactional and compliance matters.

 

[Rfisher]

Achieving that goal is likely made easier when newsrooms themselves are diverse places filled with individuals with different backgrounds and experiences. A multitude of perspectives is more likely to lead to a variety of cases being highlighted and discussed in production meetings.
But the onus does not lie solely on news corporations. News consumers, too, can have an impact by lending their clicks and views to news stories and social media posts about missing persons from underrepresented groups. If news agencies’ metrics revealed increased interest in those stories, additional similar stories would follow.

Has anyone else noticed the past few years that your local news started pulling random/strange/entertaining bits straight from what on top of yesterday’s Reddit’s ‘all/popular’ page?
It’s like a self propelling clickbait circlejerk of interest.

Not discounting the white woman syndrome at all . I believe it.

But this case specifically, she was a vlogger. She was living the dream. She was one of them.

 

[missy]

Has anyone else noticed the past few years that your local news started pulling random/strange/entertaining bits straight from what on top of yesterday’s Reddit’s ‘all/popular’ page?
It’s like a self propelling clickbait circlejerk of interest.

Not discounting the white woman syndrome at all . I believe it.

But this case specifically, she was a vlogger. She was living the dream. She was one of them.

I rarely watch the news anymore. I find it completely subjective vs factual reporting and the past number of years I just can’t bear it. In fact it’s all a mess of reporting everywhere. Sorry that doesn’t answer your question. Whatever appeals to the masses. It’s always been and always will be about the money.

 

[Jambalaya]

@missy, I think the news has become so sensationalist and subjective because it has to compete with social media and other online pastimes such as gaming.

Social media really has ruined our world, imo. Idiotic, moronic, and dangerous ideas spread like wildfire now, whereas before, they had a much harder time gaining traction when reputable outlets were the main source of info. Now, people harboring strange ideas can band together without leaving their living rooms and have all their thoughts confirmed and mirrored back to them. It's just awful.

 

[VRBeauty]

If she was young, attractive and latina it would not have this same sort of media coverage. The white-ness is absolutely a determining factor. I definitely think being young and attractive and vulnerable (aka the helpless femme!) contributes too, but definitely being white helps.

To be clear, I was not saying that the Missing White Woman phenomenon does not exist. What I was trying to convey (obviously not clearly enough) is that is a further stratification within the “white woman” category that affects media interest, and that the further stratification is influenced by the factors I mentioned. And those factors echo what advertisers and the media try to sell as being desirable women, or desirable beauty traits and goals. When is the last time there was a lot of media attention paid to a missing white woman who was not young and attractive by conventional standards? Or one who had “moral failings” such as a history of drug use?

But from what I can tell, I’d agree that color is most likely the predominant factor.

BTW one exception that comes to mind is Annie Le, the Yale chemistry student that went missing (and was found murdered) a few years ago. As I recall, that story exploded nationally not too long after she went missing. But she local ties in the media market I live in, so it’s possible that the coverage I saw was more extensive than that in the rest of the country.

 

[Bron357]

I agree with @mellowyellowgirl if only they had split up before his unmanageable anger and lack of impulse control caused this toxic relationship to end in murder (of her) and death via suicide or misadventure (of him).

 

[Ionysis]

I’ve just seen the Kendall Rae coverage of this on Facebook - hadn’t seen any media before where I live. This is so so tragic. My mother works for a charity that helps women victims of domestic violence and since the pandemic the number of cases of domestic abuse have sky rocketed. It’s utterly horrific.

People think this is only prevalent in poorer socioeconomic demographics but many of the people my mums charity helps are from wealthy and supposedly “respectable” backgrounds - husbands are doctors, lawyers, bankers etc. Its endemic across society.

As a mother of girls AND someone who went travelling with a boyfriend myself for a year this story really hits home. I’m dreading my little ones getting to the age when I have to let them have more independence and where I can’t protect them any longer.

 

[Demon]

Has anyone else noticed the past few years that your local news started pulling random/strange/entertaining bits straight from what on top of yesterday’s Reddit’s ‘all/popular’ page?
It’s like a self propelling clickbait circlejerk of interest.

Not discounting the white woman syndrome at all . I believe it.

But this case specifically, she was a vlogger. She was living the dream. She was one of them.

Something to check into is if your local stations are part of the Sinclair Broadcasting group. Can't say too much on it, as it would get political, but check them out and what they did a little while back with all of their stations running the same propaganda message.