Brian Laundrie's Parents Knew Gabby Petito Was Dead: Family

NORTH PORT, FL — The family of Gabby Petito said that they believe the parents of her confessed killer, Brian Laundrie, knew he had killed her and should be held accountable in an announcement Friday — a day after the filing of a lawsuit seeking civil damages in Florida.

In a statement to Patch from Petito's family, they say that on Aug. 27 Laundrie "murdered" Petito, who "would have been part of the Laundrie family," but "it meant nothing to Christopher and Roberta Laundrie after their son ended Gabby’s life."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced in January that Laundrie admitted to killing Petito in a notebook found near his remains.

"We believe Christopher and Roberta became aware of Gabby’s murder on Aug. 28, 2021," the statement continues. "There were multiple conversations between Brian, his parents, and their lawyer, Steven Bertolino, before Brian left Wyoming on Aug. 30, 2021. Christopher and Roberta had multiple opportunities to disclose to Joe, Nichole, or the authorities that Gabby was no longer alive and to direct them to her body."

"Instead, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie showed callous indifference to the suffering of Gabby’s family and compounded her family’s anguish, pain, and suffering by their actions. For this, Christopher and Roberta must be held accountable," the statement concluded.

A lawsuit was filed Thursday by the 23-year-old Petito's father, Joseph Petito, and her mother, Nichole Schmidt, alleging that around Aug. 28 Brian informed Christopher and Roberta Laundrie of the slaying and on that same date, the Laundries spoke with Bertolino, then retained him on Sept. 2, WFLA.com first reported on Friday.

The lawsuit does not include evidence to back up the allegations, according to the outlet.

The lawsuit alleges that the Laundies knew their son murdered the native Long Islander and the pair had plans to help him go on the run outside of the United States, the outlet reported.

Petito, a Blue Point native, disappeared in August on a cross-country trip with Laundrie, her fiancé, who returned to his parents' home in Florida in her van on Sept. 1, but without her. After a frantic interstate search, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, Petito was found strangled to death near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on Sept. 19 — eight days after she was reported missing by her mother.

In their lawsuit, Petito's family claims there was also evidence of blunt force injuries to her head and neck, WFLA.com reports.

Not long after his arrival in Florida, Laundrie, who had refused to speak with police after Petito was reported missing, drove to a nearby nature preserve where investigators believe he shot himself in the head, and his partial remains were found about one month later.

In January, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Laundrie admitted to slaying Petito in a notebook found near his remains.

The Petito/Schmidt family lawsuit claims Laundrie texted back and forth between his phone and Petito’s after her death “in an effort to hide the fact that she was deceased,” and mentions a text he is believed to have sent to Schmidt on Aug. 27 that refers to Petito’s grandfather by his first name, Stan, WFLA.com reports. Schmidt has stated in previous interviews that Petito never would have called him by his first name and at the time, it concerned her.

The lawsuit also mentions a text believed to be sent by Laundrie to Schmidt as he pretended to be Petito, claiming there was no service in Yosemite "in an effort to deceive her," according to the outlet.

Petito's family has previously said there was no communication between them and the Laundries, and in their lawsuit, they highlight how the family would not answer questions from them or law enforcement about Petito's disappearance and how they went camping at Fort DeSoto Park "while Gabrielle Petito’s family was suffering,” WFLA.com reports.

The lawsuit also claims that Roberta Laundrie blocked Schmidt’s phone number and blocked her from messaging on Facebook around the time her daughter was reported missing, according to the outlet.

Another key part of the lawsuit is that Petito’s parents believe the Laundries were planning to help their son leave the U.S., WFLA.com reports.

“While Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt were desperately searching for information concerning their daughter, Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie were keeping the whereabouts of Brian Laundrie secret, and it is believed they were making arrangements for him to leave the country,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit accuses the Laundries of "malice or great indifference to the rights of" Petito’s family, WFLA.com reported.

“Christopher and Roberta Laundrie exhibited extreme and outrageous conduct which constitutes behavior," that "goes beyond all possible bounds of decency and is regarded as shocking, atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community,” according to the lawsuit obtained by the outlet.

The lawsuit seeks at least $100,000, and states that Petito and Schmidt suffered pain and mental anguish as a result of the “willfulness and maliciousness” of the Laundries, WFLA.com reports.

Bertolino could not be reached for comment.

In a statement to TMZ, he told a reporter: "As I have maintained over the last several months, the Laundries have not publicly commented at my direction, which is their right under the law. Assuming everything the [Petito/Schmidt family] allege in their lawsuit is true — which we deny — this lawsuit does not change the fact that the Laundries had no obligation to speak to law enforcement or any third-party including the Petito family."

"This fundamental legal principle renders the [Petito/Schmidt family's] claims to be baseless under the law," he added.

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Tiffany Razzano contributed additional reporting to this story.