Laundries Seek To Limit Depositions In Petito Family Lawsuit: Court

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — An attorney representing the parents of Brian Laundrie filed a motion in Sarasota County to limit the scope of their depositions in a civil lawsuit filed against them by the parents of his slain fiancé, Gabby Petito. (Read the entire motion below.)

Their request will be considered by Judge Hunter W. Carroll Nov. 22 in a Venice courtroom, court records show.

The Petitos are suing the Laundries for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The case will go before a jury next summer.

Petito was killed at the hands of Laundrie in August 2021 at a Wyoming campsite while they were on a cross-country trip. He later took his own life, shooting himself in the head in a Sarasota County park, in September of that year. His remains and a handwritten confession to killing his fiancée were found in October 2021.

Related Stories:

• Brian Laundrie's Remains, Confession About Gabby Found One Year Ago
• New Video Shows Laundrie, Petito Shopping Hours Before Her Death
• Petito Lawsuit Going To Trial, Laundrie Motion To Dismiss Case Denied

Before their ill-fated trip, the couple lived with Laundrie’s parents in their North Port, Florida, home.

In their lawsuit, which was filed in March, Petito’s parents claim that Christopher and Roberta Laundrie knew their son murdered the 22-year-old woman and “knew the whereabouts of her body” when they took a family vacation in early September, according to their complaint.

The Petito family is seeking "damages that exceed $30,000 exclusive of prejudgment, interest, costs and attorney fees."

After Carroll denied the Laundries’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit at the end of June, they’re now seeking to limit their upcoming depositions in the case.

Their depositions, originally scheduled for Oct. 20, are set to take place the morning of Dec. 1 at the law office of Snyder & Reilly in Venice, according to court records.

In their motion, their attorney, P. Matthew Luka, wrote they’re seeking “a protective order from the court prohibiting the (Laundries) from inquiring into irrelevant matters during their depositions in order to protect them from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, undue burden and expense.”

The attorney added, “This has been a truly heartbreaking experience for both families. The public who followed the case and the Plaintiffs are likely curious about Brian Laundrie’s life, his last days, his interaction with his parents, and the thoughts and feelings experienced by his parents. But curiosity is not a reason to require the Defendants to discuss such personal and heart wrenching details. Rather, the discovery must be relevant to the cause of action at issue.”

Steven Bertolino, a New York-based attorney who has represented the family since Petito went missing, told WFLA, “We are just looking to confine the questioning to matters and the time frame relevant to the claim that has been filed.”

Read the entire motion by the Laundrie family attorney seeking a protective order to limit the scope of their depositions in the lawsuit filed against them by the Petito family: