Gabby Petito's family just released a photo that they say backs their wrongful death suit -- namely, what they claim is an alarming selfie taken minutes before cops stopped her -- and proof officers should've taken action.
Attorneys for Gabby's parents -- who filed suit against the Moab Police Dept. in Utah for not intervening to protect their daughter before she was killed by her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie -- distributed a picture they claim was taken on her phone minutes before she and Brian encountered MPD officers on the road ... following a call from a concerned citizen.
The photo appears to show Gabby with a bruised eye and red marks on her face ... something that didn't look nearly as visible in body cam footage taken during the actual traffic stop.
Interestingly, the cop talking to Gabby did point out something on her face ... asking if she'd been hit. He also pointed out what he seemed to think was an injury on her shoulder.
The Petito family says a timestamp from Gabby's selfie shows it was taken at 4:37 PM on August 12. Moab PD's body cam footage started rolling shortly after at around 4:53 PM.
Gabby's parents feel this shows she was obviously injured at the hands of Brian ... and that law enforcement had a duty to step in and shield her. As we now know, the two officers on the scene made a decision not to arrest anyone at the time ... something the Petitos feel warrants at least $50 million in damages.
Of course, Brian Laundrie later confessed to killing his girlfriend in a notebook found after he took his own life. Their disappearance sparked a nationwide search and subsequent investigation that captured the country's interest for months.