Gabby Petito appears bruised and bloodied in new photo

The photo was released by the lawyers representing Ms Petito's family in a lawsuit against police

A photo of killed blogger Gabby Petito has been released by her family's lawyers, revealing cuts, bruises and smeared blood on her face.

Lawyers say it was taken moments before police stopped her and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, in Utah in August 2021 on a domestic disturbance call.

Ms Petito was found dead weeks later in a Wyoming campground. Mr Laundrie later shot himself.

Her family is suing Utah police over negligence.

The photo was released on Monday by her family's lawyers and was previously described in a lawsuit the family filed against the Moab City Police Department in November.

The family have accused the police of negligence in its hiring and training practices. They also allege negligence against the officers who handled the domestic violence report.

The city of Moab issued a statement denying responsibility for Ms Petito's murder and said it would contest the lawsuit.

Ms Petito, 22, and Mr Laundrie, 23, had been on a cross-country excursion in a van during the summer of 2021. Ms Petito posted several images of her picturesque road trip on social media. But at some point, things turned terribly wrong.

Ms Petito's family reported her missing in September, not too long after her distressed selfie was taken.

• Gabby Petito: Boyfriend of blogger 'responsible' for her murder

A witness who saw the couple at a grocery store in Moab, Utah, on 12 August 2021, called police and reported that Mr Laundrie had hit Ms Petito and attempted to take her mobile phone and leave her stranded outside the store.

Moab City Police Department officers later encountered the couple and interviewed them for almost an hour. Bodycam footage showed Ms Petito crying and complaining about her mental health to officers. She also said the couple had been arguing more frequently.

A police report of the incident said Mr Laundrie claimed Ms Petito hit him after an argument. The officers recommended they spend the night apart, but did not file any charges.

Ms Petito allegedly revealed her injuries to Moab police, who the family's lawyers say ignored her "and did nothing more to investigate or document the injury".

Ms Petito's body was found on 19 September at a campground near Grand Teton National Park in north-western Wyoming. The coroner ruled her death a homicide.

On 20 October, Mr Laundrie's body was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in a Florida nature preserve near his parents' home.