Gabby Petito’s parents make new demand in lawsuit against Brian Laundrie’s family but face major obstacle
AN attorney representing the parents of murder victim Gabby Petito has filed a motion demanding testimony from Steven Bertolino, the lawyer who once represented the killer and his family.
They want to know what information Brian Laundrie, 23, told the attorney about Gabby's death before her body was found in Wyoming in September 2021.
Brian wrote a note admitting he murdered his 22-year-old fiancee shortly before he died by suicide in Florida in October 2021.
Pat Reilly, the attorney representing Petito's parents Joe Petito and Nicole Schmidt, argued the killer waived his attorney-client privilege with the admission of guilt.
"Clearly, Brian Laundrie had no such expectation of privacy in authorizing a confession and leaving it in his backpack to be found following his death," he wrote in the motion shared by WFLA reporter JB Biunno.
Bertolino has argued that the attorney-client privilege bars him from testifying about whether he and Brian's parents knew about Gabby's murder and the location of her body when they made a public statement on September 21, 2021.
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At the time, the group said they hoped that Gabby would soon be found and "reunited" with her family.
"Part of our case is our allegation that the Laundries and Bertolino knew Gabby was deceased and where her body was located," Reilly wrote.
"I believe Brian Laundrie told Bertolino both of those things."
That's why Petito's family has sued Brian's parents and Bertolino for "emotional distress."
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Brian's parents Christopher and Roberta Laundrie tried to settle the lawsuit earlier this month.
The unknown terms of the proposal came after a first attempt to settle the case failed.
Brian's parents came face to face with Gabby's father for the first time since the murder during a grueling two-day deposition earlier this month.
Christopher and Roberta both waived their attorney-client privilege during the hearing.
The father's testimony was described as "heart-wrenching" while Roberta was grilled about the infamous "burn after reading" letter she gave to Brian.
The new motion will require a hearing in front of Judge Danielle Brewer in Sarasota County Circuit Court, but a date has not yet been set.
The civil trial is scheduled to go ahead in May 2024.