section_path: Public interest
section_name: Public interest
paragraph_text: Public interest
  
  The case sparked more public interest and coverage on news and social media than other missing persons and murder cases. This heightened interest was attributed to several factors, such as the refusal by Laundrie and his parents to comment on Petito's whereabouts, the amount of content on social media documenting the couple's lifestyle, the video footage of the Utah traffic stop, the audio recording of the 9-1-1 call, the video posts by witnesses which provided a lot of publicly available evidence, the idea that those involved were a young and attractive couple in a romantic getaway gone wrong, the domestic violence incidents in their relationship, an increased interest in cross-country van-dwelling trips due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the general increased interest in true crime -related entertainment in the decade leading up to Petito's murder.
  
  There was speculation that the case was linked to the murders of Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner, which occurred in Moab around the same time Laundrie and Petito were there. Law enforcement ruled out any connection between the two cases by September 17.
  
  Public involvement in the case included witnesses and others posting their observations and theories on social media, protestors demanding answers outside the Laundrie home, a candlelight vigil for Petito in her hometown, and donations to the Gabby Petito Foundation established by her parents to support searches for other missing persons. The increased interest in the search for Laundrie and Petito led to the discovery of five bodies of other missing persons. While some posts on social media regarding the case were helpful in the investigation, many of them have been characterized as insensitive, unhelpful, motivated by potentially increased exposure or financial reward, or outright misinformation.
  
  The high volume of media coverage of the case was cited by some commentators as an example of missing white woman syndrome, a term used to describe the news media's disproportionate focus on missing person cases involving young, attractive, white, upper-middle-class women or girls, while cases involving individuals who do not fit that description receive significantly less attention. Several outlets compared Petito's case to the approximately 710 indigenous people reported missing in or near the same location between 2011 and 2020, highlighting the stark disparity in media coverage. Joseph Petito, Gabby Petito's father, initially expressed discomfort with the term but later recognized the disparities it underscores. He has since used his platform to advocate for greater attention to missing persons cases involving marginalized groups, notably through projects like the television series Faces of the Missing and the Gabby Petito Foundation.
  
  The case sparked more public interest and coverage on news and social media than other missing persons and murder cases. This heightened interest was attributed to several factors, such as the refusal by Laundrie and his parents to comment on Petito's whereabouts, the amount of content on social media documenting the couple's lifestyle, the video footage of the Utah traffic stop, the audio recording of the 9-1-1 call, the video posts by witnesses which provided a lot of publicly available evidence, the idea that those involved were a young and attractive couple in a romantic getaway gone wrong, the domestic violence incidents in their relationship, an increased interest in cross-country van-dwelling trips due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the general increased interest in true crime -related entertainment in the decade leading up to Petito's murder.
  
  There was speculation that the case was linked to the murders of Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner, which occurred in Moab around the same time Laundrie and Petito were there. Law enforcement ruled out any connection between the two cases by September 17.
  
  Public involvement in the case included witnesses and others posting their observations and theories on social media, protestors demanding answers outside the Laundrie home, a candlelight vigil for Petito in her hometown, and donations to the Gabby Petito Foundation established by her parents to support searches for other missing persons. The increased interest in the search for Laundrie and Petito led to the discovery of five bodies of other missing persons. While some posts on social media regarding the case were helpful in the investigation, many of them have been characterized as insensitive, unhelpful, motivated by potentially increased exposure or financial reward, or outright misinformation.
  
  The high volume of media coverage of the case was cited by some commentators as an example of missing white woman syndrome, a term used to describe the news media's disproportionate focus on missing person cases involving young, attractive, white, upper-middle-class women or girls, while cases involving individuals who do not fit that description receive significantly less attention. Several outlets compared Petito's case to the approximately 710 indigenous people reported missing in or near the same location between 2011 and 2020, highlighting the stark disparity in media coverage. Joseph Petito, Gabby Petito's father, initially expressed discomfort with the term but later recognized the disparities it underscores. He has since used his platform to advocate for greater attention to missing persons cases involving marginalized groups, notably through projects like the television series Faces of the Missing and the Gabby Petito Foundation.