Gabby Petito’s family sues Utah police department for wrongful death

Case alleges the Moab agency was negligent despite a bystander reporting conflict between the woman and her boyfriend

Family members of a 22-year-old woman whose boyfriend admitted to killing her last year have filed a wrongful death suit against the Moab police department, claiming their negligence led to her death weeks later.

The lawsuit filed on Thursday is the latest development in the high-profile case around Gabby Petito's death. What began as a missing person case last summer rode a wave of true crime obsession to become a social media sensation, drawing amateur online sleuthers and the kind of worldwide attention that can help authorities locate missing people.