Case Studies
When the FBI took on the Gabby Petito case, they faced a mountain of digital data. Within weeks, they transformed social media posts and text messages into crucial evidence revealing the truth.
By the Numbers: Digital Sleuthing at Scale
Picture this: A young woman's life documented across multiple platforms, creating a digital trail both revealing and misleading. The team had to sift through:
2,800+ social media posts from Gabby and Brian
7 national parks visited during their cross-country trip
1 critical domestic violence incident reported on August 12th
1 tattoo reading "Let it be" that became a key identifier
And we didn't just collect data — they uncovered the dark story hidden within it.
The Digital Detective Toolkit
The investigation leveraged TimePilot, a sophisticated data analysis platform that dramatically accelerated the processing of complex digital evidence. This tool enabled investigators to efficiently analyze social media activity, text messages, and location data—tasks that traditionally require extensive manual review for hours.
Critical Missed Opportunities
This case revealed two significant law enforcement missteps that changed the course of the investigation:
Mishandling of the Moab domestic violence incident: Officers failed to recognize classic signs of domestic abuse, incorrectly identifying Gabby as the primary aggressor despite witness statements to the contrary.
Misidentification during surveillance: On September 15, North Port Police Chief erroneously stated, "We know where Brian Laundrie is," when in fact they had mistaken his mother for him during surveillance—allowing Brian crucial time to disappear.
The Gabby Petito investigation didn't just solve a tragic case—it exposed critical gaps in how law enforcement handles domestic violence cases and digital evidence. It proved that in the social media age, digital footprints tell stories that physical evidence alone cannot.
The future of investigations isn't just digital; it's here, it's powerful, and it's putting predators behind bars
