Depositions Begin This Week In Gabby Petito Lawsuit: Report

SARASOTA, FL — Depositions for Gabby Petito's parents' lawsuit filed against the parents of Brian Laundrie and their longtime family attorney begin this week, WFLA.com reported.

Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt will be questioned by legal counsel for Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, as well as Steven Bertolino, on Tuesday and Wednesday, but it is unclear if the Laundries and Bertolino will be there, the outlet reported.

If the Laundries attend, it will be the first time the two sets of parents have been face-to-face since Petito’s murder and Laundrie’s suicide in 2021, according to the outlet.

The Laundries will be deposed by Petito and Schmidt's attorneys in October, the outlet reported.

Patch has reached out to Petito and Schmidt's attorney, Pat Reilly, as well as Bertolino for comment.

For more on WFLA.com, click here.

Petito's family alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress.

A judge presiding over the case in June denied motions to dismiss argued by the Laundries and Bertolino.

Petito, 23, of Blue Point, and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, began traveling in her van across the country in the summer of 2021 when she lost contact with her family. Her mother, Nichole Schmidt, reported her missing Sept. 11, 2021.

Laundrie returned in her van to his parents' house in Florida, where they had been living. Multiple law enforcement agencies across the country undertook a massive investigation into her disappearance, while Laundrie refused to speak with them.

Laundrie later drove to a Florida swamp, where he shot himself. He left his confession in his notebook, claiming he strangled her out of mercy after she fell into a ravine.
Petito's remains were found Sept. 19, 2021.

Her family later filed a lawsuit against the Laundries and Bertolino alleging that they knew she was dead but released a statement before her remains were found giving them hope that she would be found.

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