News Gabby Petito was strangled. Experts say such an assault is a red flag for intimate partner homicides. October 12, 2021 Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY Comments Off on Gabby Petito was strangled. Experts say such an assault is a red flag for intimate partner homicides. Strangulation is one of the leading predictors of future domestic violence-related homicides, and experts say it's more common than we realize.