Six months after Gabby Petito’s body was discovered in Wyoming on September 19, 2021, her parents Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt are taking legal action against Brian Laundrie’s parents.
According to Today, Petito and Schmidt are suing the Laundrie’s because they believe the Laundrie’s knew their son had murdered their daughter all along. While the civil suit did not name the exact dollar amount Petito and Schmidt are suing the Laundrie’s for, it did say that it would exceed $30,000.
Gabby Petito’s Family Sues Brian Laundrie’s Family Over What They Think They Knew All Along
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, Petito’s cause of death has been reported as manual strangulation and the only person of interest ever named in the investigation was her then-boyfriend Brian Laundrie. The young couple was on a months-long “Van Life” trip across the continental United States.
After a run-in with police over a domestic dispute and multiple sightings by strangers, Petito last contacted her parents on August 25. Just a few days later, on September 1, Laundrie took Petito’s white Ford van they were traveling in back to Florida by himself.
Despite Petito’s parents reaching out to Laundrie and his family as they desperately search for their daughter, the family ignored their attempts. By September 17, Laundrie also disappeared.
His remains, a notebook, and more were later discovered in a nearby Florida Park in October. Laundrie’s cause of death is suicide and authorities have reported that the contents of the discovered notebook revealed Laundrie’s confession.
According to the FBI, the notebook offered “written statements by Mr. Laundrie claiming responsibility for Ms. Petito’s death.” It was with Petito’s family’s permission that his admission was revealed.
As Today reports, it was stated in the civil complaint, that “on September 14, Laundrie’s parents issued a statement, supporting the search for Petito. But Petito’s parents believe “that statement was made ‘with full knowledge that Gabrielle Petito had been murdered by their son.’”
However, the civil complaint did not reveal evidence as to how they might know Laundrie’s parents knew. “It is believed … that on or about August 28, 2021, Brian Laundrie advised his parents, Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie, that he had murdered Gabrielle Petito.”
As their lawyer, Patrick Reilly continued to write, “Despite the fact that Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt implored Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie to tell them if their daughter was alive, and if she was not, where her remains were located, Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie refused to respond to either Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, or law enforcement.”
The Laundrie family lawyer has since denied the allegations in the lawsuit.
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