Gabby Petito lawsuit: Brian Laundrie’s parents finally admit what their son told them, attorney says
VENICE, Fla. (WFLA) — The attorney for Gabby Petito’s family says Brian Laundrie’s parents have admitted what their son told them in the days after killing his 22-year-old fiancé in August 2021.
During depositions for the upcoming civil trial between the two families, Chris and Roberta Laundrie said in a “frantic” phone call on Aug. 29, 2021, two days after the day Petito was believed to be murdered, Brian informed them that Gabby was “gone” and needed a lawyer, according to Petito attorney Pat Reilly.
Reilly says Chris and Roberta did not admit to knowing Gabby was killed, only that they were told by Brian that she was “gone.”
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According to court documents and the depositions, Chris and Roberta then informed their longtime lawyer Steven Bertolino that Gabby was “gone” and that Brian was in need of an attorney. A retainer was sent to him six days later.
Reilly says he believes the Laundries, and possibly Bertolino, were told more. He has filed a motion to force Bertolino into revealing what Brian told him. A hearing on the motion and whether Brian’s attorney-client privilege should be upheld is scheduled for Dec. 20 in Sarasota County Circuit Court.
“I want to know what [Brian] told Bertolino,” Reilly told WFLA.com. “He probably admitted more. And did [Bertolino] know where Gabby’s body was located?”
Ryan Gilbert, the attorney representing the Laundries in the Petito civil suit, has not responded to request for comment. Bertolino declined to comment.
According to the court documents, the Petito family alleges that in the aftermath of Gabby’s murder, Brian used Gabby’s phone to send text messages to her family in an attempt to deceive them. Among the messages sent, Brian is believed to have sent a text to Gabby’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, about Gabby’s grandfather and referred to him as “Stan.” Schmidt has stated Gabby never called her grandfather by his first name and that the text was highly suspicious.
Schmidt and Joe Petito, Gabby’s father, have sued the Laundries and Bertolino for intentional infliction of emotional distress, claiming they were aware Gabby was dead but chose to do nothing other than release a statement expressing hope Gabby would be found.
After several postponements, the trial is scheduled for May 2024.
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