Laundrie's Family Went On Vacation Knowing Location Of Gabby Petito’s Body: Petito Lawsuit

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — Brian Laundrie’s parents not only knew that Gabby Petito was dead when the family went on vacation in early September, they also “knew the whereabouts of her body,” her family alleges in an amended complaint they filed Thursday in their lawsuit against his parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie.

Petito’s parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, originally filed the complaint March 10. They claim Laundrie’s parents knew their son "murdered" the 22-year-old woman and are seeking "damages that exceed $30,000 exclusive of prejudgment, interest, costs and attorney fees."

Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito were Long Island, New York, natives living with his parents in North Port when they left for a cross-country road trip visiting state parks last summer, but only Laundrie returned to Florida Sept. 1.

Petito, who was last heard from at the end of August 2021, was found strangled to death near a Wyoming national park Sept. 19.

Laundrie and his parents camped at Fort De Soto Park in St. Petersburg Sept. 6-7, while knowing that his fiancée was dead and that her body was at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping area in Wyoming, the Petitos claim.

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“While Gabrielle Petito’s family was suffering, the Laundrie family went on vacation to Fort De Soto Park,” according to the Petito family complaint. “They went on vacation knowing that Brian Laundrie had murdered Gabrielle Petito, it is believed that they knew where her body was located and further knew that Gabrielle Petito’s parents were attempting to locate her.”

The family said Laundrie’s parents also stopped communicating with them and Roberta Laundrie even blocked Schmidt, Petito’s mother, on her cell phone and on Facebook.

The Laundries, knowing Petito was dead, continued to publicly issue statements that they hoped Petito would be found and reunited with her family.

“For the Laundries to express their ‘hope’ that Gabrielle Petito was located and reunited with her family, at a time when they knew she had been murdered by their son was beyond outrageous,” the family wrote in the complaint.

Steven Bertolino, the Laundrie family attorney, told CNN, “The allegations in the amended complaint may now conform to proper pleadings but they do not give rise to liability under the law. Thus, we are still confident the court will dismiss the action.”

Brian Laundrie was reported missing Sept. 17 in North Port. His skeletal remains, as well as a notebook and other items belonging to him, were found in a Sarasota County park after more than a month of searching for him.

The medical examiner's office determined in November that Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

In January, the FBI said the notebook found near Laundrie's body included written statements from him claiming responsibility for Petito's death.