Gabby Petito’s parents add Laundrie family lawyer to suit

Gabby Petito’s parents have included the Laundrie relatives law firm to an ongoing civil lawsuit towards the mother and father of Brian Laundrie, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie.

Petito, a journey blogger and aspiring social media influencer, disappeared shortly soon after departing her native Extensive Island for a cross-region vacation on July 2, 2021 with fiancé Laundrie. Her dad and mom, Joseph Petito and Nicole Schmidt, grew concerned when Laundrie later returned to his parents’ Florida house on Sept. 1 with no his bride-to-be. They reported her lacking a several times afterwards.

Legislation enforcement officers spanning many organizations searched together with volunteers for additional than two weeks right before they discovered Petito’s body at a campground around Grand Teton Nationwide Park in northwestern Wyoming. Professional medical examiners ruled the induce of loss of life was murder by strangulation.

Petito’s family members afterwards contended both of those of Laundrie’s mothers and fathers experienced been knowledgeable of their daughter’s loss of life and that their son experienced killed her. On his return from the cross-nation excursion, Laundrie and his mother and father speedily still left once again to go camping at Fort De Soto Park. The mom and dad returned from the journey by itself, and their son was discovered lifeless from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Oct. 20.

Authorities explained Laundrie confessed in a journal entry to killing Petito.

In a lawsuit submitted back again in March, Petito’s mother and father accused Christopher and Roberta Laundrie of failing to occur forward with information and facts pertaining to their daughter’s disappearance and dying. They even more alleged the pair were masking for Laundrie and had prepared to assistance him flee the region.

In a movement submitted on Tuesday, Petito’s parents extra the Laundrie relatives attorney, Steven Bertolino, to the accommodate. They alleged he far too realized Petito was lifeless, but in its place issued push releases and statements expressing hope for her safe return.

“When they did opt for to converse, it was by way of statements issued by Steven Bertolino, which includes a assertion on September 14, 2021 that it was the ‘hope’ of the Laundrie spouse and children ‘that the research for Pass up Petito is prosperous and that Skip Petito is reunited with her loved ones,’” Gabby’s mom and dad mentioned in a assertion to CrimeOnline Tuesday.

“Thus, after much thought, the mother and father of Gabby Petito submitted a Motion for Leave of Courtroom this afternoon inquiring the courtroom for permission to file a 2nd Amended Complaint to include Steven Bertolino as a defendant in the motion.”