Laundrie Vs. Petito FL Lawsuit: Attorney Asks Judge To Block Testimony

SARASOTA, FL — The attorney for Gabby Petito's killer, Brian Laundrie, and his parents has asked a Florida judge to deny a motion that would force him to speak about private conversations they had before Laundrie shot himself.

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.

Attorney Steven Bertolino, who represents the Laundries, argued he should be allowed to maintain his attorney-client privilege, he confirmed to Patch Friday night.

An attorney for Petito's parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, is seeking to force Bertolino, to testify about his communications with Brian Laundrie.

The legal maneuver is part of the ongoing lawsuit filed against Laundrie's parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, which alleges 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.

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.

"The plaintiff’s motion is unsupported by the law and the facts of the case," Bertolino told Patch Editor Peggy Spellman Hoey in Long Island Friday night. "Hopefully their motion is denied and the basic legal tenet of attorney-client privilege remains intact."

His attorney, Laura Kelly, wrote in a court filing that Petito family attorney Pat Reilly's request for Bertolino's testimony "would severely compromise the attorney-client privilege that exists between countless clients and their chosen legal counsel," Fox News reported.

Reilly has argued Laundrie's communications with Bertolino can't be protected because Laundrie admitted to choking Petito to death, according to Fox.

Patch has reached out to Reilly for comment.

After first filing their lawsuit, Petito's family amended their complaint to add Bertolino to the lawsuit and claimed that he also knew that Gabby Petito was dead during the public search for her in 2021. During this search, Bertolino frequently spoke as a representative of the Laundries.

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 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:

• 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 By Patch Editor Peggy Spellman Hoey.