RICHMOND, Va. β A father whose stepdaughter was murdered in a high-profile domestic violence case is now training first responders to recognize the warning signs that could save lives.
Jim Schmidt, co-founder of the Gabby Petito Foundation, was in Richmond today training emergency workers to identify signs of domestic violence and strangulation. Schmidt's 22-year-old stepdaughter, Gabby Petito, was strangled to death by her fiancΓ© during a cross-country road trip in 2021.
The former firefighter partnered with the Bon Secours Saint Mary's Violence Response Team to educate emergency workers about strangulation, one of the most under-reported forms of abuse.
"It's really raw and emotional, so it always starts with our story and why I'm there, and then we get into what domestic violence really looks like," Schmidt said. "We talk a lot about the non-physical forms of abuse, power and control, how that leads towards physical violence and eventual homicide."
Schmidt emphasized the importance of proper documentation and recognizing hidden injuries in strangulation cases.
"A person who's been strangled typically oftentimes does not have any external marks on their body, but they can have a multitude of underlying conditions," Schmidt said. "If we're not looking for them, we're gonna miss them."
The training comes as alarming statistics show survivors of strangulation are 750% more likely to be murdered by their intimate partner.
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