Petito family alleges Brian Laundrie’s lawyer, parents knew of Gabby Petito’s death

SALT LAKE CITY — The parents of Gabby Petito now allege that Brian Laundrie told his parents that Petito was “gone” weeks before Gabby went missing.

Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito were engaged, and traveling together across the the United States in a van until Gabby was reported missing by her parents on Sept. 11, 2021.

Eventually, her body was found abandoned in a campground outside Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Laundrie’s body was also later found at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida. A medical examiner determined that he had died by suicide. The FBI reported a notebook was also found that contained a note from Laundrie claiming responsibility for Petito’s death.

However, new allegations in a lawsuit against Laundrie’s parents claim he had told them, in August 2021, that Petito was “gone” and that he needed a lawyer.

Subsequently, the family hired a lawyer who said, after Petito was reported missing, that the parents hoped Petito was found.

The Petitos claim that at that time, the lawyer also knew Petito was dead.

The Petitos won a lawsuit against the Laundries and were awarded $3 million. These new allegations are in a separate case that’s still ongoing in Florida.

Related: 

• Lawyer releases pages from Brian Laundrie’s notebook in which he admits to killing Gabby Petito
• Florida judge allows lawsuit filed by Gabby Petito’s parents against Brian Laundrie’s parents to proceed