Trigger Warning: This article contains references to homicide.
The case of Gaby Petito and Brian Laundrie's death has been one of the most chilling and spoken about criminal cases in the US. Long Island native Gaby Petito was reported missing on September 11, 2021, following her cross-country trip with fiance, Brian Laundrie that July. On August 27, 2021, Gabby was killed, and on September 19, 2021, her body was discovered.
Latest Update on the case:
According to recently filed court records, Brian Laundrie "was frantic" when he informed his father that Gabby Petito was "gone" on August 29, 2021, and that he required legal representation. In the ongoing civil litigation against the Laundrie family and their attorney, Steve Bertolino, Petito's family filed an additional complaint, requiring Bertolino to disclose what Brian told him on August 29, 2021.
In court documents, her family has contended that Bertolino and Brian's family were aware of Gabby's death and concealed it as part of a purported plot to aid Brian in avoiding punishment while causing the Petitos mental anguish.
A week after the attorneys for the Laundries made a settlement proposal, on October 26, the amended lawsuit was submitted to the Sarasota County, Florida, court.
Today, we took a look at the timeline and chilling details of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie's case!
Advertisement5 details you need to know about the Petito-Laundrie case:
Laundrie had hit Petito on their trip
Petito and Laundrie left New York on a planned four-month journey throughout the United States, during which they decided to visit and camp in national parks. On August 12, 2021. someone reported witnessing a fight between Gabby and Brian and called 911. He observed Laundrie hit Petito, the caller claimed.
After being called, police arrived in Moab, Utah, and stopped the vehicle. Petito was upset and weeping on police bodycam footage. Although Petito is reported to have struck Laundrie, no one was taken into custody. Laundrie stayed in a motel, while Petito spent the night in the van.
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Gaby Petito went missing while Brian returned home
A search warrant states that Petito's mother received an unusual text from Gabby's phone on August 27. It said, "Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls." Gabby's mother claims that while Stan is her grandfather, Gabby never addressed him by his first name. It was alarming and out of character, according to Gabby's mother.
On September 1, 2021, Laundrie returned to North Port, Florida, where he had lived with Gabby, but he was by himself, according to the police. On September 11, 2021, Petito was officially declared missing. The missing woman's family urged Laundrie's family to assist with the inquiry in a letter read by the Petito family attorney at a police news briefing.
Brian Laundrie went missing and was listed as a person of interest
Before either family could comment, Laundrie had been listed by Florida authorities as a person of interest in the disappearance of Petito. By September 17, 2021, Laundrie also went missing. In a statement, North Porth Police stated that they, along with the FBI, were looking for him and Petito.
On September 21, 2021, the FBI verified that Petito's remains had been discovered close to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The FBI's Denver field office tweeted that Petito passed away from a homicide. According to a statement, on September 22, 2021, the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal warrant for Laundrie's arrest while the search for him continued.
AdvertisementPetito's death was confirmed to be strangulation
According to Teton County Coroner Brent Blue, Petito's cause of death was confirmed to be strangulation following a thorough examination by forensic pathologists, anthropologists, and local law enforcement, with assistance from the FBI.
In addition to declining to say whether Petito was manually strangled or whether an object was used, Teton County Coroner Brent Blue informed that he was prohibited by state law in Wyoming from disclosing numerous details of the autopsy. He did confirm, though, that her body was left outside for three or four weeks.
Brian Laundries's body was discovered
On October 21, 2021, partial human remains discovered at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park the day before were identified by the FBI, as belonging to Laundrie. Family lawyer Steven Bertolino confirmed that Laundrie had died from a gunshot wound to the head. It was determined that he committed suicide.
Laundrie leaves a confession note about killing Petito
A notebook with a written confession accepting responsibility for his fiancée's death was discovered close to Laundrie's remains, the FBI disclosed on January 21, 2022. In a handwritten message, he said, "I ended her life. I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock."
The months-long investigation that captured the attention of the country came to an end when authorities identified Laundrie as the only individual linked to Petito's death.
Petito's family filed a lawsuit against Laundries'
Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, Gabby's parents, filed a lawsuit in March 2022, requesting more than $30,000 in damages for the mental distress they endured as a result of the Laundries' purported dishonesty. According to the March petition, Christopher and Roberta allegedly assisted Brian in hiding Gabby's death and were arranging for him to leave the nation.
The family of Brian Laundrie filed a lawsuit to have it dismissed, citing "frivolous" and "baseless" allegations BY Petito's family. A Florida circuit court judge denied the Laundrie family's request to have Gabby's family's lawsuit dismissed on June 30, 2022. According to the lawsuit, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie were aware of Gabby's whereabouts when the authorities were devoting a significant amount of resources to a thorough investigation into missing persons.
AdvertisementThe Laundrie family filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that they were under no obligation to reveal any information they were aware of regarding Gabby or their son.
Following investigations by authorities on the death of Gabby Petito, who was strangled by Brian Laundrie during a cross-country trip in August 2021, the families of both people have struck a $3 million settlement in a wrongful death case.
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