In the ongoing case of Gabby Petito’s death, new developments suggest that the family of Brian Laundrie, Gabby’s boyfriend and the main suspect in her killing, has made a settlement offer to Petito’s parents. The details of the proposed settlement, however, remain undisclosed.
Petito’s parents, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, began a civil lawsuit in Florida against Brian Laundrie’s parents, Chris and Robert Laundrie.
The lawsuit alleges that the Laundries knew of Gabby’s death but chose to withhold this information, causing severe emotional distress to Gabby’s parents. They are now seeking compensation for that pain.
Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing the Laundries, has also been named as a co-defendant in the suit.
The court has scheduled a jury trial for May 2024, with depositions already underway from the previous month.
Recalling the events that occurred in 2021, Gabby Petito, 22, was on a trip cross-country with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie when she disappeared in August. Laundrie returned to Florida without her and was soon declared a person of interest by the police. Petito’s remains were discovered in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming a month later, and not long after, Laundrie was found dead in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida.
An investigation confirmed his suicide, coupled with a confession letter about Petito’s murder.
The Petito family also brought a lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department in Utah. The claim states that the department failed to protect Gabby, leading to her death. The police had earlier intervened when the couple was pulled over, noticing signs of a physical altercation but took limited action.
The death of Gabby was remembered on its two-year anniversary earlier this week. Nichole Schmidt urged the public to remember victims and survivors of domestic violence.