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They're seeking damages for the pain caused.
By Alice Kelly — Written on Mar 11, 2022
Gabby Petito’s family have filed a lawsuit accusing Brian Laundrie’s parents of knowing about their daughter’s murder.
Since the 22-year-old’s disappearance and death in August 2021, there have been suspicions about Chris and Roberta Laundrie’s alleged involvement in their son’s actions and lack of cooperation with police.
Laundrie was reported missing on September 17, days after he was named a person of interest in Petito’s disappearance, though it was later revealed he likely left home before this.
The 23-year-old’s remains were found after weeks of searching on October 20 in what has been ruled a suicide.
The Petito family believe Brian Laundrie’s parents knew he murdered Gabby.
Petito’s father, Joseph Petito, and mother, Nichole Schmidt, filed the civil lawsuit on March 10 which revealed several details not previously known to the public.
The documents stated that Petito was likely killed on August 27. Though her cause of death was already revealed to be manual strangulation, the lawsuit claims that she also suffered blunt force injuries to the head and neck.
Petito’s parents argue that the Laundries likely knew about the murder “on or about” August 28.
The lawsuit alleges that Chris and Roberta Laundrie hired a lawyer for Brian shortly after Gabby’s death.
“It is believed, and therefore averred that… Brian Laundrie advised his parents, Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie, that he had murdered Gabrielle Petito,” the lawsuit states.
“On that same date, Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie spoke with Attorney Steve Bertolino, and sent him a retainer on Sept. 2, 2021.”
Brian Laundrie sent texts from Gabby Petito’s phone to cover up her death.
The lawsuit references several texts allegedly sent by Laundrie from Petito’s phone “in an effort to hide the fact that she was deceased.”
This includes texts about Petito’s grandfather and a message to her mother claiming the couple were in Yosemite.
It is now known that Petito never made it to Yosemite and was killed in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Brian Laundrie’s parents are accused of trying to help him flee.
The suit lays out the sequence of events between Petito’s death and her remains being discovered weeks later.
In the lawsuit, it is stated that Laundries parents made no effort to contact Petito’s family after their son returned home to North Port, Florida in her van without her.
The lawsuit mentions that the Laundrie family then took a vacation in Fort DeSoto Park “while Gabrielle Petito’s family was suffering” and refused to speak to the police once an official investigation into Petito’s disappearance was launched.
“While Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt were desperately searching for information concerning their daughter, Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie were keeping the whereabouts of Brian Laundrie secret, and it is believed were making arrangements for him to leave the country,” the lawsuit states.
“Christopher and Roberta Laundrie exhibited extreme and outrageous conduct which constitutes behavior, under the circumstances, which goes beyond all possible bounds of decency and is regarded as shocking, atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community,” the lawsuit also says.
Petito’s family are seeking damages of at least $150,000 due to the pain and mental anguish they say they have suffered as a result of the “willfulness and maliciousness” of the Laundries.
Alice Kelly is a senior news and entertainment editor for YourTango. Based out of Brooklyn, New York, her work covers all things social justice, pop culture, and human interest. Keep up with her Twitter for more.