Brian Laundrie's Parents Admit He Told Them Gabby Petito Was "Gone," Unveiling New Details in Civil Trial
Dec 05, 2023, 12:00 PM
In a surprising turn of events in the ongoing civil trial between the families of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie, it has been revealed that Brian Laundrie's parents admitted to receiving a frantic phone call from him on August 29, 2021, just two days after the day Gabby Petito was believed to have been murdered. During the call, Brian informed his parents that Gabby was "gone" and needed a lawyer, according to attorney Pat Reilly, representing Gabby Petito's family.
This revelation emerged during depositions conducted for the upcoming civil trial, shedding new light on the events surrounding Gabby Petito's tragic death in August 2021.
While Chris and Roberta Laundrie confirmed that Brian told them Gabby was "gone" in the phone call, they did not admit to knowing that she had been killed, emphasizing only that Brian had used the term "gone."
In response to this development, attorney Pat Reilly stated, "I want to know what [Brian] told Bertolino. He probably admitted more. And did [Bertolino] know where Gabby's body was located?" Reilly has filed a motion to compel Steven Bertolino, the Laundries' longtime lawyer, to reveal any additional information he may have received from Brian during the aftermath of Gabby's disappearance. A hearing on this motion, as well as the question of whether Brian's attorney-client privilege should be upheld, is scheduled for December 20 in Sarasota County Circuit Court.
Ryan Gilbert, the attorney representing the Laundries in the Petito civil suit, has not responded to the requests for comment regarding this revelation. Similarly, Steven Bertolino has declined to make any statements on the matter.
The Petito family's allegations in the civil suit are based on the belief that, following Gabby's murder, Brian Laundrie used Gabby's phone to send text messages to her family in an attempt to deceive them. Among these messages, one text was sent to Gabby's mother, Nichole Schmidt, referring to Gabby's grandfather as "Stan." Schmidt has maintained that Gabby never referred to her grandfather by his first name, considering the text highly suspicious.
Nichole Schmidt and Joe Petito, Gabby's father, have brought a lawsuit against the Laundries and Bertolino, accusing them of intentional infliction of emotional distress. The Petito family alleges that the Laundries were aware that Gabby was deceased but chose not to take any actions apart from releasing a statement expressing hope for Gabby's safe return.
The trial for the Petito civil suit, which has experienced several postponements, is currently scheduled for May 2024. This new revelation regarding Brian Laundrie's phone call to his parents has added another layer of complexity to the legal proceedings, potentially bringing forth previously undisclosed information in the highly publicized case.
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This revelation emerged during depositions conducted for the upcoming civil trial, shedding new light on the events surrounding Gabby Petito's tragic death in August 2021.
While Chris and Roberta Laundrie confirmed that Brian told them Gabby was "gone" in the phone call, they did not admit to knowing that she had been killed, emphasizing only that Brian had used the term "gone."
In response to this development, attorney Pat Reilly stated, "I want to know what [Brian] told Bertolino. He probably admitted more. And did [Bertolino] know where Gabby's body was located?" Reilly has filed a motion to compel Steven Bertolino, the Laundries' longtime lawyer, to reveal any additional information he may have received from Brian during the aftermath of Gabby's disappearance. A hearing on this motion, as well as the question of whether Brian's attorney-client privilege should be upheld, is scheduled for December 20 in Sarasota County Circuit Court.
Ryan Gilbert, the attorney representing the Laundries in the Petito civil suit, has not responded to the requests for comment regarding this revelation. Similarly, Steven Bertolino has declined to make any statements on the matter.
The Petito family's allegations in the civil suit are based on the belief that, following Gabby's murder, Brian Laundrie used Gabby's phone to send text messages to her family in an attempt to deceive them. Among these messages, one text was sent to Gabby's mother, Nichole Schmidt, referring to Gabby's grandfather as "Stan." Schmidt has maintained that Gabby never referred to her grandfather by his first name, considering the text highly suspicious.
Nichole Schmidt and Joe Petito, Gabby's father, have brought a lawsuit against the Laundries and Bertolino, accusing them of intentional infliction of emotional distress. The Petito family alleges that the Laundries were aware that Gabby was deceased but chose not to take any actions apart from releasing a statement expressing hope for Gabby's safe return.
The trial for the Petito civil suit, which has experienced several postponements, is currently scheduled for May 2024. This new revelation regarding Brian Laundrie's phone call to his parents has added another layer of complexity to the legal proceedings, potentially bringing forth previously undisclosed information in the highly publicized case.
Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com