Brian Laundrie’s parents, Christopher and Roberta, became well known for their involvement in the disappearance and murder of their son’s fiancée, Gabby Petito. They have also seclude them from the media and the public since their son’s suicide after killing his fiancée. However, during the investigation, their actions, especially their strange silence while authorities searched for Petito, have drawn intense attention from both law enforcement and the media.
Brian Laundrie met Gabby Petito at Bayport-Blue Point High School in Long Island, New York. In the summer of 2021, the couple started a cross-country road trip to explore national parks across the United States. They also documented their journey together and posted their trips on social media.
Petito had bought a 2012 Ford Transit van, which she and her fiancé renovated. Additionally, she also plans to record their journey through her YouTube channel, Nomadic Statik, and her Instagram account. Then Brian returned to his parents’ home with their van in September. Gabby was reported missing by her mother, Nichole Schmidt.
Two days after, Gabby was found dead in Wyoming, and the medical examiner eventually determined the cause of death to be strangulation. She had likely been dead for approximately 3 to 4 weeks before she was found.
During finding Gabby, Laundrie family claimed to have no idea of her location, refused to cooperate and directed everything to their lawyer. This later led to a lawsuit. But soon after, Brian went missing while nationwide calls for his arrest, which evoked his parents to join the search themselves. in that October, after finding in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, authorities found Brian Laundrie self-suicide gunshot wound with personal belongings, a backpack and a notebook at Công viên Môi trường Myakkahatchee Creek.
Along with Brian’s death scene, an undated letter from his mother was discovered, which was noted to be “burned after reading,” according to CNN. The letter was later confirmed not to be about Gabby but to have been months in the making about her attempts to fix her relationship with her son during a difficult time. It is hinted that she would take a shovel and bury a body if Brian needed her to, and she would help him get out of jail if necessary.
So who and where are Brian Laundrie’s Parents? Here is some information about them and what they have said about Gabby Petito’s case.
Who Are Brian Laundrie’s Parents?
Brian’s parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, lived in North Port, Florida. They had previously lived in several Long Island towns, including Woodhaven, Bayport, Bohemia, Maspeth, Forest Hills, and Sayville, according to The Independent. After Brian and Gabby became involved, the young couple moved in with them. But then the young couple started the trip in their van, and only Brian returned home in September of that year. When he went missing after, their family lawyer, Steve Bertolino, told the public that Brian’s parents had no idea where he was.
Thanks to Brian’s parents’ cooperation, the police located Brian’s body, which was reduced to a skeleton when it was found. Bertolino said the discovery came after Brian’s parents directed FBI agents and local police to an area where “some items belonging to Brian were found,” according to NBC News.
When Brian’s death was later determined to be a suicide, Bertolino released a statement on behalf of the family to the media, saying, “Chris and Roberta are still grieving the loss of their son and hope that these findings will bring closure to both families.”.
Why Did Gabby Petito’s Parents Sue Brian Laundrie’s Parents?
Gabby Petito’s parents initiated legal proceedings against Christopher and Roberta Laundrie in March 2022. Joseph Petito and Nichole alleged that the Laundries helped their son conceal Gabby’s murder and were arranging his escape from the country. The initial lawsuit sought damages exceeding $100,000 for emotional distress caused by what they described as the Laundries’ deliberate deception.
According to court documents, the Laundries allegedly took a vacation with Brian while ignoring pleas for assistance from Gabby’s concerned family. The legal filing further stated that Roberta deliberately cut communication channels with Nichole by blocking her phone number and social media account during the critical period when Gabby’s mother was desperately seeking information about her daughter’s whereabouts.
The lawsuit characterized the Laundries’ actions as “extreme and outrageous conduct” that “goes beyond all possible bounds of decency” and would be considered “shocking, atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community,” as reported by WFLA.
The complaint was amended in May, reducing the damages sought to at least $30,000 but intensifying the allegations. The revised lawsuit claimed the Laundries not only knew about Gabby’s murder but were also aware of where her remains were located during the active missing persons investigation.
Brian Laundrie’s Parents’ Testimony About Gabby Petito’s Case
In February 2024, Chris and Roberta Laundrie provided sworn testimony during depositions for the civil litigation between the families, marking their first statements under oath regarding Gabby Petito’s murder. Their testimony included details about a crucial call from their son shortly after he killed his fiancée.
According to court transcripts reviewed by Fox13, Christopher testified that Brian contacted him several times in late August with a distressing message that “Gabby’s gone.” However, Christopher claimed he didn’t understand what this statement meant at the time.
“I asked him, you know, how is he doing, and he — you know, he was not calm and he got very excited and told me things had — you know, ‘Gabby’s gone’ and he got very frantic” Christopher stated in his deposition, as reported by WFLA. “Everything was frantic and quick. So, you know, Gabby’s gone'”
Christopher further said: “He said, you know, ‘Can you help me,’ you know, and he might need a lawyer, you know,” Christopher continued. “And I would — I asked him why he wouldn’t tell me. He was very frantic. Everything was frantic and I started to not really comprehend, and then he said just, you know, ‘Can you help me?’ And I said, ‘Okay. I’ll help you.’”.
He concluded his testimony by adding, “And I calmed him down and I said — I don’t know. It was — it was all mumbled and I still don’t remember everything that happened.”
Current Status of Brian Laundrie’s Parents
Christopher and Roberta Laundrie continue to maintain their privacy, a stance they’ve held consistently since the case first gained public attention.
Regarding the emotional distress legal action brought forward by Gabby’s family, both parties came to an agreement in February 2024, several months prior to when the case would have proceeded to trial.
At the time of the settlement, Bertolino issued a statement to various media outlets including Fox News, stating: “Christopher and Roberta Laundrie and I took part in mediation proceedings with the Petito family, resulting in a resolution of the civil lawsuit. The specific terms of our agreement remain confidential, and we are eager to move forward from this situation.”
