Brian Laundrie’s parents expressed hope his fiancee would be found despite call from him saying Petito was ‘gone’, lawsuit claims

The fiance and killer of the domestic violence murder victim Gabby Petito desperately called his parents and told them that she was “gone” weeks before she was discovered dead – yet they later shared messages expressing hope that search efforts for her would end in success, her family has alleged.

Petito’s parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, made the claim in a lawsuit that they are pursuing against Brian Laundrie’s family and their attorney in the latest chapter to a case that has generated international news headlines.

The Petitos, who amended the lawsuit with the new allegations on 30 November, have accused Laundrie’s parents as well as their lawyer of intentionally withholding information about their daughter’s murder, inflicting on them pain and emotional distress.

  • Dkarma@lemmy.world
    171·
    11 months ago

    This is a tough sell in civil court imo. You’d have to prove they knew she was dead based on the word gone. Maybe there’s enough context there recorded but if your kid left with his gf on a trip and came back saying she was gone and they had split up I wouldn’t necessarily think anything of it. Especially since they had been patchy b4 and also this was weeks later after she had supposedly split. I’m not convinced the parents knew or were told.

    • phoneymouse@lemmy.world
      11·
      11 months ago

      He said he needed a lawyer and the family went and got him one… you don’t need a lawyer for a break up.

      • OpenPassageways@lemmy.zip
        3·
        11 months ago

        I don’t think getting a lawyer should be seen as an admission of guilt. Its dangerous for even 100% innocent people to talk to the police without a lawyer.

        • phoneymouse@lemmy.world
          1·
          11 months ago

          Preponderance of evidence is required in civil cases. In the same conversation, he both told his parents she was gone and also said he needed a lawyer.

        • interceder270@lemmy.world
          12·
          11 months ago

          I mean, that doesn’t have to stop the jury from including it in their verdict.

          The legal system is way more flimsy than a lot of you people realize.

          Here’s a case of a bootlegger that killed his wife after he got out of jail because she left him and sold all his stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Remus

          He was found not guilty even though he admitted to doing it. Apparently the courtroom cheered (I don’t blame them, tbh.)

    • I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world
      81·
      11 months ago

      “Gone” alone wouldn’t make me suspicious. I would assume she left and didn’t plant to come back. It’s the “she’s gone and I need a lawyer” part that would make me at least ask what kind of “gone” did you mean, son? It could have just been that he hit her and then she left and he expected legal repercussions. Parents don’t usually jump to suspecting their kid of murder and I don’t think there is a way to know without violating attorney client privilege.

      The Petitos allege that Christopher and Roberta Laundrie received “a frantic telephone call” from their son on 29 August 2021 in which he said his betrothed Gabby was “gone” and that he “needed a lawyer”.

      That same day, the Petitos allege, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie spoke with a lawyer, Steven Bertolino. The Laundries, from Florida, are accused of telling Bertolino that Petito was “gone” and their son needed an attorney.

      Four days later, on 2 September 2021, the Laundries had paid Bertolino to retain his services, and he in turn entered into a fee agreement with a criminal defense law firm in Wyoming, the state where Petito would later be found dead.

      • NoSpiritAnimal@lemmy.world
        2·
        11 months ago

        Did you read that last paragraph?

        How would the defense know to contract with a local firm where Gabby was murdered unless the defense were informed of the crime by their clients?

        • I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world
          2·
          11 months ago

          I anal, but I think defense attorneys are used for assault/DV as well as murder cases? It’s not totally beyond belief to imagine that he wasn’t up front with his parents or his lawyers in the first few days. I’ve never contracted a defense attorney, I don’t know if the attorney would have told his parents the details since they were the ones who hired him or if this guy was freaked out enough that he didn’t tell the lawyers right away and just had a story about getting into a physical altercation with her and her leaving. He died of suicide pretty soon after the time frame in question, he wasn’t in a calm rational state.

          • NoSpiritAnimal@lemmy.world
            1·
            11 months ago

            Defense Attorneys defend you in any criminal proceedings. You may be thinking of Public Defenders, which are Defense Attorneys paid by the state.

            If he wasn’t up front they would have no reason to hire a local firm at the location the murder occured.

            It was a cross country road trip. Any other jurisdiction along the route could’ve been relevant without all the facts.

    • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
      5·
      11 months ago

      Civil Court only has a “more likely than not” burden of proof. This is a pretty good piece of circumstantial evidence. If you can string 2-3 things like this together, it’s a strong case.

    • interceder270@lemmy.world
      42·
      11 months ago

      You’d have to prove they knew she was dead based on the word gone.

      I mean, if his parents’ response is anything but “gone where?” then it’s already proven they know he was talking about killing her.

      Gone fishing? Gone to the mall? Gone and left me now I need you guys to get me a lawyer?

      Oh what I would give to be on that jury.