Gabby Petito Family Lawsuit In FL: Depositions Begin, Report Says

SARASOTA, FL — Depositions in the lawsuit filed by Gabby Petito's parents against the parents of Brian Laundrie and their longtime family attorney begin this week in a Sarasota County court, WFLA.com reported. Petito's family alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress by the Laundries, whose son killed their daughter.

Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt will be questioned by legal counsel for Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, as well as attorney 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.

A letter written by Roberta Laundrie to her son mentioned supplying him with a shovel and garbage bags, as well as “baking a cake with a shiv in it." The letter is at the center of the civil lawsuit filed against by Petito’s parents against the Laundries, as well as their attorney, Bertolino.

The lawsuit claims the three knew that Brian Laundrie killed Gabby near a Wyoming campsite in August 2021 while a national search for her was underway.

The van-life couple lived with the Laundries in North Port, Florida, before embarking on their ill-fated trip in the summer of 2021. After killing Petito in Wyoming, Brian Laundrie later took his own life, shooting himself in the head at a Sarasota County park.

Petito's remains were found Sept. 19, 2021, while Laundrie’s remains were found in October.

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.

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

Petito, 23, of Blue Point, New York, and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, began traveling 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. Multiple law enforcement agencies across the country undertook a massive investigation into her disappearance, while Laundrie refused to speak with them.

He left his confession in his notebook, claiming he strangled Gabby out of mercy after she fell into a ravine.

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.

RELATED STORIES:

• Letter By Brian Laundrie's Mom About Shovel Released To Petito Family
• Petito's Bruised Face Shown In Selfie Taken Before Death
• Laundrie Lawyer Can Be Added To Petito Lawsuit, FL Judge Says: Report
• Brian Laundrie Confessed To Killing Petito In Notebook: FBI
• $50M Gabby Petito Lawsuit In Utah: 'She Would Have Been Alive Today'
• Gabby Petito's Family Awarded $3M In Wrongful Death Lawsuit
• Laundries Try To Limit Depositions In Gabby Petito's Family's Lawsuit

Patch Editor Peggy Hoey contributed reporting from Long Island.