Brian Laundrie's Sister Speaks With Good Morning America

BLUE POINT, NY — The sister of Brian Laundrie, Cassie Laundrie, became the first of his family to speak out publicly on Good Morning America on Friday, saying her family wants his missing girlfriend, Gabrielle Petito, to be found, saying that she is like a sister to her and that her children love her.

“All we want is for her to come home safe and sound, and this just is a big misunderstanding,” Laundrie told the outlet.

She goes on to say that she had not been able to talk to Laundrie since he returned.

“I wish I could talk to him,” she said, adding, “I've cooperated every way that I can. I wish I had information where I would give more. This is all I have; I gave to the police.”

Laundrie went on to say that was not uncommon for him to fight with Petito, and then reconcile, “as couples do.”

Laundrie has not spoken with police but is instead has been filtering the answers to their questions through a family attorney. North Port police have classified him as a "person of interest" in Petito's disappearance and have said that he is hindering their investigation, though it is not something that he can be charged with.

Petito’s family filed a missing person report with Suffolk police on Saturday, and have been pleading with Laundrie and his family to come forward with information

Her father, Joe Petito, appealed to Cassie Laundrie as a parent, saying, “I am hoping that the pleas, and the begging, and the community, and the entire damn planet will knock some sense into her, when she’s like, ‘I’ve got to speak.’”

On Wednesday, Petito’s family called on Laundrie's parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, telling them in a letter read by family friend Rick Stafford outside his Bohemia law firm, that they believe the couple knows the location where their son "left Gabby."

"We beg you to tell us," the letter continues. "As a parent how could you let us go through this pain and not help us. As a parent, how could you put Gabby's younger brothers and sisters through this?"

"Gabby lived with you for over a year," the letter reads. "She was going to be your daughter-in-law. How can you keep her location hidden? You were both at Jim and Nichole's house. You were both so happy that Brian and Gabby got engaged and were planning to spend their lives together."

"Please, if you or your family has any decency left, please tell us where Gabby is located. Tell us if we are even looking in the right place. All we want is Gabby to come home. Please help us make that happen," the letter concludes.

An attorney for the Laundrie family, Steven Bertolino of East Islip, has previously said that neither Laundrie, nor his parents would be making public statements, or speaking with police, noting that "many people are wondering why" Laundrie would not make a statement or speak with law enforcement in the face of Petito's absence."

"In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focuses their attention on in cases like this, and the warning that 'any statement made will be used against you' is true, regardless of whether my client had anything to do with Ms. Petito's disappearance," Bertolino said, adding, "As such, on the advice of counsel Mr. Laundrie is not speaking on this matter."

Bertolino said he has been informed by police that his client is a person of interest, but the "formality has not changed the circumstances" of Laundrie "being the focus and attention of law enforcement and Mr. Laundrie will continue to remain silent on the advice of counsel."

Petito and Laundrie were seen in police bodycam footage just after an argument and were later advised to separate for the night with Petito taking the van, and Laundrie going to a hotel.

Police in North Port has said that there is no criminal investigation, only a missing persons case. Investigators have reviewed the body cam footage, but did not see what it has to do with the disappearance, Chief Todd Garrison said.