Before Gabby Petito Listed As Missing Laundrie Hired Lawyer: Report

SARASOTA, FL — Brian Laundrie hired a nationally known criminal defense law firm more than a week before his fiancée Gabby Petito was reported missing, according to an amended complaint filed against his parents and attorney, Fox News reported.

In the complaint, which was filed Thursday after Petito family attorney Patrick Reilly deposed Christopher and Roberta Laundrie and Steven Bertolino in their lawsuit, Laundrie allegedly told his parents in a "frantic" phone call "that Gabby was gone and he needed a lawyer" on Aug. 29, 2021, the outlet reported.

Petito was killed at the hands of Brian Laundrie, her fiancé, in August 2021. He strangled her to death and left her body at a Wyoming campsite while they were on a cross-country trip.

Petito's parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, have sued Laundrie's parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, claiming they intentionally inflicted emotional distress on Petito's family because they knew about her slaying before her body was found and tried to help their son run from the law.

On Sept. 2, 2021, according to the document, Laundrie's parents relayed that information to Bertolino, retaining him and then he entered into a fee agreement with Fleener Peterson LLC in Laramie, WY, close to where Petito's remains were found.

Tom Fleener, the firm's partner, is a U.S. Army veteran who became a JAG lawyer and represented Osama Bin Laden's personal assistant and press secretary when he was detained at Guantanamo Bay, The New York Post reported.

Laundrie later took his own life, shooting himself in the head in a Sarasota County park in September of 2021. His remains and a handwritten confession to killing Petito were found in October 2021.

Bertolino declined to comment specifically about Fleener, adding, that "the amended complaint will be answered in due time."

Patch has reached out to Reilly and Fleener for comment.

Petito was found strangled to death near Grand Teton National Park. Petito and Laundrie had been traveling in her van across the country while documenting their adventures on YouTube. Petito's mother reported her missing Sept. 11 after she lost contact with her.

In a suicide note, Laundrie said he strangled her because she was in so much pain after falling into a ravine, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

In the two years since Petito's death, her family has continued to work with the foundation they founded in her honor to help the victims of domestic violence.

Related Stories:

• Witness List Updated For Petito, Laundrie Trial In Florida
• Gabby Petito's Parents Add Laundrie Attorney To Lawsuit
• $50M Petito Lawsuit Against UT Cops A 'Stunt,' Lawyer Says
• Laundrie's Mom Offered To Bake Cake With Shiv For Son
• Petito Parents Win $3M Wrongful Death Case Vs. Laundrie Estate: Report

Story includes reporting by Patch Editor Peggy Spellman Hoey on Long Island.