The Brutal Murder of Gabriel Kuhn

Gabriel cheated and I will make him pay for all his actions; as he said that there is Heaven and Hell, there in Hell is he; I will find him there and take revenge again.

-Alleged last communication of Daniel Petry

What began as a fun way to escape the realities of life and meet new friends became a death sentence for 12-year-old Gabriel Kuhn after he met fellow player, 16-year-old Daniel Petry.

Daniel had a history of violent outbursts which frightened his parents so badly that they sent the 16-year-old to different psychiatrists in Brazil hoping something would help their son. Daniel hated doctors and refused to talk. He acted out during the sessions and eventually stopped going.

He stopped going to school and some people speculate he spent time in a psychiatric hospital, although those claims have never been substantiated.

Daniel spent much of his time online playing the game Tibia. For hours at a time, Daniel became the Tribia monster as he interacted with other players online.

Daniel Meets Gabriel

Gabriel happened to be one of the players he met during one of his hours-long gaming sessions. Gabriel resided nearby Daniel and the two soon became good friends or at least pretended as much.

The Tribia game was a free-play game loaded with in-game currency coins. The coins could buy anything out of the game store, from characters to costumes to in-game pets.

Gabriel set up a private server for himself and Daniel to play. One day, Gabriel asked Daniel if he could borrow currency coins to buy an item out of the game store. He needed 20,000 coins, the equivalent of $1.75 USD. Gabriel agreed to repay the coins several days later. Daniel agreed to the loan.

On the day Gabriel promised to repay the coins, Daniel logged in to play the game and discovered he had been blocked from the server.

Daneil Visits Gabriel at Home

Enraged, Daniel decided he would visit Gabriel at his home. By the time Daniel arrived at Gabriel’s front door, he had one plan in mind: killing his ‘friend.’

Gabriel was home alone when Daniel arrived. Although he owed Daniel currency and blocked him from the game server, he had no idea the kind of rage inside the teenager. Gabriel opened the door and welcomed him inside hoping he could make things right with his friend.

Daniel attacked Gabriel immediately after walking side the apartment, beating the much younger and smaller boy before sodomizing him several times.

After the attack, Daniel mocked Gabriel and laughed at him as he lay bleeding and in pain on the floor. Gabriel then bravely said that he would tell his mom was Daniel had done.

Daniel ripped the cord from Gabriel’s computer and began strangling him. Apparently, this turned him on because he sexually assaulted Gabriel as he tightened the cord around his neck; tighter and tighter until he stopped moving.

Daniel Saws Gabriel's Body in Half

Assuming Gabriel was dead, Daniel attempted to force his body into a crawlspace but the entrance was not wide enough. He decided the best way to move the body would be in pieces; he located a hacksaw in the home and began sawing away at Gabriel’s torso.

Gabriel was still alive. He awoke screaming from the pain. This excited Daniel; he loved hearing Gabriel scream and struggle. He continued sawing away at Gabriel’s body, smiling through the screams, until his body was in two pieces.

He carved Tibia symbols into Gabriel’s body, then attempted to stuff the two parts into the crawlspace. When his body still did not fit, Daniel left it lying in the hallway and fled the home. Gabriel’s brother discovered the gruesome scene later the same day.

Daniel Confesses to Murder

Police questioned Daniel soon after they learned of their online argument. Daniel admitted that he killed Gabriel and provided investigators with horrific details of how it happened. He showed no remorse as he recalled the details.

When Daniel told them that he sodomized Gabriel, they asked if he was homosexual. He lashed out at this question and denied being homosexual.

T hree Years in a Juvenile Facility: Injustice for Gabriel

Brazilian authorities charged Daniel Petry as a juvenile and sentenced him to three years at a juvenile facility. He was released from the facility in 2010. Little about Daniel is known since his release. Perhaps he has changed his name.