Brian Laundrie’s parents took him on trip knowing he had murdered Gabby Petito, updated lawsuit claims
Amended lawsuit claims that the Laundrie parents took their son camping at Fort De Soto Park in Florida knowing that Petito had been murdered and where her body had been left
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Brian Laundrie’s parents took him on a camping trip knowing he had killed his girlfriend Gabby Petito and where he had left her body, according to an updated lawsuit brought by the murdered vlogger’s family.
Petito’s parents Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt filed an amended complaint against Chris and Roberta Laundrie this week, alleging that the family went on vacation to Fort De Soto Park in Florida at a time when they knew Petito’s family was trying to find the 22-year-old.
In the suit, according to NBC News, they allege that not only did the Laundries know that their 23-year-old son had murdered his girlfriend but that they knew the location of her remains.
Instead of coming forward with the information, the family went on a last trip together to the campsite roughly 75 miles from their home in North Port, the suit alleges.
For three weeks, Petito’s remains were left out in the wilderness in a Wyoming national park before they were finally discovered. By that time, Laundrie had also gone missing.
“While Gabrielle Petito’s family was suffering, the Laundrie family went on vacation to Fort DeSoto Park on September 6-7, 2021,” the suit states.
“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.”
Records from Pinellas County, Florida, previously revealed that Laundrie’s mother had made a reservation for the campsite at Fort De Soto Park for two people from 1 to 3 September.
On 31 August, she cancelled the booking before making a new reservation on 3 September for three people to stay between 6 and 8 September.
Laundrie returned to the family home in Florida on 1 September – the day after his mother cancelled the original booking and two days before she planned the new trip with her son.
He was alone and driving the van that he and Petito had lived in as they travelled across America on what was supposed to be an adventure of a lifetime for the young couple.
The attorney for the Laundrie family previously confirmed that he stayed with his parents at the campsite for one night on 6 September, leaving the next day.
Petito’s parents sued Laundrie’s parents back in March, claiming that they knew that their son had murdered their daughter and that they had been trying to help him flee the country to evade justice.
A judge ordered that the complaint be amended, citing “procedural deficiency” in the original suit.
The newly amended filing did not lay out evidence for their claims that the Laundries knew what had happened to their daughter.
The Laundries have denied any knowledge that their son killed Petito and have not been criminally charged. The Laundrie family lawyer Steven Bertolino responded to the new allegations in a statement.
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,” he told NBC News.
Petito and Laundrie set off in their campervan on a cross-country trip in July and had been documenting their travels on YouTube.
On 1 September, Laundrie returned to his parents’ home alone.
Petito’s parents reported her missing on 11 September after they couldn’t get in contact with her and Laundrie was refusing to say where she was.
Laundrie then went on the run days later, with his family telling police he was heading into the nature reserve close to their home.
On 19 September, Petito’s remains were found in a Wyoming national park with her autopsy confirming that she had been strangled to death.
Weeks later on 20 October, Laundrie’s remains were found inside the Florida reserve.
He died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
In a notebook found with his remains, the 23-year-old confessed to murdering his girlfriend.