Gabby Petito family zeroes in on what Brian Laundrie told his parents between key dates in new lawsuit request
GABBY Petito's family has filed another motion, seeking all correspondence between Brian Laundrie and his parents between key dates.
As part of the Petito family's ongoing lawsuit against Chris and Roberta Laundrie, they submitted the request for production on Wednesday.
Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, Gabby's dad and mom, filed a civil lawsuit against the Laundries in 2022 following the death of Gabby while she was on a cross-country road trip with Brian.
They are now seeking all messages exchanged between Brian Laundrie and his parents from August 27, 2021, through Brian's death in November of that same year.
“If you communicated with Brian Laundrie through any form of messaging services and/or apps between August 27, 2021, through Brian’s date of death, please provide all documents relating to your communications with Brian Laundrie during the relevant time frame,” the documents state, as obtained by local NBC affiliate WFLA.
"They're clearly seeking direct evidence of what the Laundries knew," according to WFLA reporter JB Biunno, who has followed the case from the beginning.
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The Petitos have accused the Laundries of emotional distress in relation to their daughter's death.
They claim that they didn't return their texts while authorities were searching for Gabby.
Her parents also claim that the Laundries and their attorney Steven Bertolino already knew Gabby was dead when they released this statement: "On behalf of the Laundrie family it is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is reunited with her family."
Attorneys for Petito's family had previously requested access to all text messages between Brian and his parents from July 2, 2021, to September 30, 2021, WWSB reported.
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They also wanted to see any other correspondence between the three during that date range.
EVIDENCE IN THE CASE
As the lawsuit between the two families continues, more evidence has come to light.
Earlier this year, a "burn after reading" letter Brian's mother sent to him was summarized in court documents related to the suit.
The undated letter "references bringing a shovel to help bury a body," according to court documents.
The Petito family's attorney Patrick Reilly addressed the letter in a court filing in early May.
"A reasonable inference is that the letter was written at a time when Gabrielle Petito was as yet unburied and Brian Laundrie could go to jail for the crime of murder," he said.
But Brian's mother has denied this.
"While I used words that seem to have a connection with Brian's actions and his taking of Gabby's life... I never would have fathomed the events that unfolded months later," Roberta Laundrie wrote in a court motion.
"My words to Brian were meant to convey my love and support for my son through a light-hearted and quirky reminder."
However, a judge then ruled that the letter can be used as potential evidence in the case.
FULL LETTER REVEALED
The full "burn after reading" letter was revealed just weeks ago after a judge ruled it could be released to Gabby's parents.
Brian's full name was written on the outside of the letter with the now infamous phrase "burn after reading."
An image of a bird, possibly a crow, was scrawled on the other side along with the word "Remember..."
In the note, Roberta wrote how "nothing" would ever make her stop loving her son, whom she called "my boy."
"Nothing can make me stop loving you, nothing will or could ever divide us," the note says.
"No matter what we do, or where we go, or what we say - we will always love each other."
Gabby's parents believe Roberta wrote the note around the time of their daughter's disappearance as she makes references to a shovel and burying a body.
However, the Laundries argued that the undated note was written before Brian left home to go on the road trip.
"If you’re in jail, I will bake a cake with a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags," the note says.
The letter ends with Roberta warning her son to "watch people's actions to know if they love you - not their words."
She also included a bible verse, writing that nothing could separate her and Brian.
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"Nothing can separate us: not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not threats, not even sin, not the thinkable or unthinkable can get between us.
The trial is scheduled to begin on May 13, 2024.