The case centered on Gabby Petito’s tragic death has unveiled another development. The family of Brian Laundrie, who was identified as both Gabby’s boyfriend and her suspected killer, agreed to offer the Petito family a settlement.
In a prior lawsuit between the families, the Petito and Laundrie parents reached a $3 million settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit relating to Petito’s murder. Petito’s family will donate the funds to the Gabby Petito Foundation, which works to locate missing people and address domestic violence.
In Florida, the latest civil lawsuit was pursued by Gabby’s parents, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt. They filed against Brian Laundrie’s parents, Chris and Robert Laundrie. The crux of this lawsuit is the accusation that the Laundries, being aware of Gabby’s death, chose to remain silent on the matter. This alleged concealment has resulted in extreme emotional agony for Gabby’s parents, who demanded compensation for their pain.
In addition to this, Steven Bertolino, the legal representative for the Laundrie family, has been included as a co-defendant in the lawsuit.
In 2021, Gabby Petito, then 22, was on a cross-country expedition with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie. Her mysterious disappearance in August garnered much attention. Brian’s solo return to Florida further intensified the concerns. A month after her disappearance, Gabby’s remains were located in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Soon after, Brian Laundrie was discovered dead in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida. His death was determined to be a suicide, and a confession letter regarding Gabby’s murder was found.
The Petito family has also leveled charges against the Moab City Police Department in Utah, alleging their failure to adequately protect Gabby. The police had previously intervened when the couple showed evidence of a physical disagreement, but they did not go far enough to protect her.
On the second anniversary of Gabby’s death, her mother, Nichole Schmidt, appealed to the public to pay homage to victims and survivors of domestic violence.
