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gabby petito

Bodycam footage of Gabby Petito

It's common news at this point that the cause of death for young aspiring influencer Gabby Petito was strangulation. But to the survivors of domestic abuse, the tell-tale signs were clear long before the headlines came out.

In a recent interview with BuzzFeed, 35-year-old Kayla Walters reflected on her own experience following Petito's case on social media. In particular, the released bodycam footage where Petito described an aggressive lover's quarrel with fiance Bryan Laundrie. As BuzzFeed put it, "As she watched the video, Walters was sure that Petito had been at risk of strangulation, and with it, death."

Why? Because Walters saw how Petito demonstrated Laundrie's violent face grab during the fight. That's all. But for survivors of strangulation like Walters, that small aggressive gesture is the only red flag needed.

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