As far as I can tell, the cops did everything they could legally do. They gave her great advice, which she chose to ignore. Maybe she really loved the guy or maybe she was just so driven to stick to her agenda that she didn’t see it coming.

It’s a tragedy, and I believe the responsibility for her death lies firmly in Laundrie’s hands. However, Portraying Gabby as some poor clueless victim who was helpless against her abuser isn’t doing her justice. She gambled, for whatever reason, and lost.

I believe we re-victimize women by characterizing them as helpless dupes who didn’t have a chance. We’ll probably never know the whole story, but she did have choices and opportunities to extricate herself from the situation and didn’t.

Perhaps the bigger villains are a culture that promises untold riches to those who create the perfect fantasy and the followers who believe in that fantasy, providing encouragement for what sometimes prove to be dangerous and deadly games. I hope they catch the bastard.