By Jason Sethre
Publisher
Fillmore County Journal
jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com
I recently watched “American Murder: Gabby Petito” on Net-flix.
I’ve talked to quite a few people who have watched this documentary.
The biggest takeaway from this film was that anyone trying to get away with something nowadays is literally under a watchful microscope of technology, and that’s a good thing.
There are cameras everywhere. Dash cameras on vehicles, body cameras on law enforcement, in addition to cameras at homes and businesses.
Couple that technology with GPS tracking on cell phones and even some newer vehicles, and big brother is watching your every move.
Some family members subscribe to Life 360, which is tied to cell phone locations. Others utilize vehicle tracking GPS, which pings a satellite at all times to keep tabs on vehicle locations.
All things considered, it amazes me when I see that people think they can get away with something and they think nobody will find out.
The Gabby Petito murder was eventually traced back to boyfriend Brian Laundrie – who later committed suicide in a vast park system.
And, then there’s Adam Fravel, who was recently convicted of the murder of Madeline Kingsbury – two counts of first degree murder and two counts of second degree murder.
As the evidence became readily available to the media and public, all fingers continued to point toward Fravel. Computers and cameras were discovered to be removed, destroyed and even burned. Everything started to sound eerily suspicious.
Cell phone messages were reviewed and cross-referenced with the cooperation of Madeline’s friends, family and co-workers.
I remember when I heard the news that Adam Fravel told Madeline Kingsbury that she would end up like Gabby Petito. And, he even told law enforcement that he was infatuated with the Gabby Petito case.
Adam Fravel was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
There was another case in Fillmore County involving twin sisters and a vehicular crash with an Amish buggy that resulted in the death of two Amish children along with two of their siblings hospitalized.
Identical twins Sarah and Samantha Petersen tried to play games with law enforcement, switching identities in front of officers in order to coverup the fact that Samantha (the driver) was high on meth. Fortunately, our local law enforcement was paying attention to the attempted switcheroo and their cameras captured audio and video that would later prove to be valuable. Add in the cell phone records from both of their phones, and it became quite clear what had taken place. In February 2025, Sarah Petersen pleaded guilty to aiding an offender in connection with the September 2023 crash. There will be more coverage relating to this case in future issues of this newspaper.
There are quite a few takeaways from these cases.
First, anyone who is trying to get away with a crime, someone or something is always watching. There are cameras, GPS, and humans keeping a watchful eye on the comings and goings of people.
Second, law enforcement can’t arrest someone until they have all of their ducks in a row. So many people flock to social media and say someone is guilty, because they feel there is enough evidence to support that claim. However, law enforcement has to build a case full of evidence prior to making an arrest and pressing charges. If law enforcement doesn’t proceed with justification, they could jeopardize the entire case, which ultimately doesn’t serve justice for the victim. I think people need to take a step back and keep that in mind as they are questioning why law enforcement hasn’t arrested someone in a case that they feel is obvious. Our law enforcement needs to have probable cause. They need to follow a procedure for the best possible results, so please always keep that in mind when you feel things are not moving fast enough.
Third, the media needs to be careful about putting too much information out there too soon. Primarily, for the sake of victims in a case, a defense attorney will often say that their client isn’t getting a fair trial due to local media coverage. That doesn’t mean we don’t cover it, but we do need to be mindful of the possibility that we could have an impact on the jury selection process – which can result in a change of venue.
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