Parents of slain teen Emily Finn speak out, forge bond with Gabby Petito’s family
Nichole Schmidt, Petito’s mother, has been supporting Emily’s family as they navigate their loss.
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The parents of 18-year-old Emily Finn are sharing their grief and their daughter’s story—hoping her legacy will help protect others.
Emily, an aspiring teacher and talented ballerina from West Sayville, was killed the day before Thanksgiving. Police say she was killed by her ex-boyfriend. For her parents, Cliantha and Ryan, the loss is immeasurable.
All they have left now are photographs, memories and the bright pink items they wear each day in her honor—Emily’s favorite color.
“She was the model daughter. Happy. Loving. Kind. Sweet. Fun-loving. Talented,” her mother, Cliantha, said.
Ryan added that Emily was always organized and driven.
“Everything planned. Always had everything worked out before we did," he said.
Her parents say they feel Emily’s presence constantly.
“She’s holding us together,” Cliantha said. “She’s with us every day.”
“Everywhere. All over. In my dreams,” Ryan added.
From their grief has come a connection with another Long Island family who understands the depth of their pain: the family of Gabby Petito.
Nichole Schmidt, Petito’s mother, has been supporting Emily ’s family as they navigate their loss. Petito was killed in 2021 by her fiancé—a tragedy that later led Schmidt to create the Gabby Petito Foundation, which focuses heavily on domestic-violence awareness and prevention.
Now, the families are planning to work together to make sure other young people recognize the warning signs of abusive relationships.
“Gabby’s voice was silenced. Emily’s voice was silenced,” Schmidt said. “A lot of young people stay silent. A lot of people in these situations just are not talking about it. And we have to normalize talking about it.”
The Gabby Petito Foundation spoke at Sayville High School on Thursday and will meet with students at Kings Park High School on Friday.
