The parents of Gabby Petito, the young woman tragically murdered in 2021, reached a settlement with the parents of Brian Laundrie in March 2023, the prime suspect in her death. The civil case, which the Petito family filed in 2022, accused the Laundrie family of emotional distress after they allegedly failed to disclose that their son, Brian Laundrie, had admitted to killing Gabby. Although the case has now been resolved, both families have agreed to keep the details confidential in order to avoid further public scrutiny and legal battles.
Laundrie's parents were not charged but found themselves accused in a civil case of failing to disclose that their son admitted to killing her. That case has now been resolved and a trial avoided. Both sides said details of the resolution were confidential.
Laundrie died by suicide and admitted he was responsible for Petito's death in written statements that were found in a notebook near his body in a Florida nature reserve.
Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old social media influencer, was found murdered in Wyoming in August 2021 after embarking on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Her case drew international attention, and authorities soon named Laundrie as the prime suspect in her death. After returning to his parents’ home in Florida without Petito, Laundrie went missing himself and was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a nature reserve near his home in October 2021.
Although the Laundrie family was not charged in connection with Petito’s murder, the Petitos filed a civil lawsuit in 2022, accusing the Laundries of emotional distress. The Petito family claimed that the Laundries had knowledge that Gabby was dead and failed to inform them, instead publicly expressing hope for her safe return. The Laundrie family has denied these claims.
Joseph and Tara Petito, Gabby's parents, issued a statement after the settlement was reached, explaining that both sides had “reluctantly agreed” to the resolution after a “long day of mediation” in order to avoid “further legal expenses and prolonged personal conflict.” The Laundrie family’s lawyer echoed these sentiments, confirming that both families hoped to put the matter behind them.
Gabby Petito’s disappearance first made headlines when she stopped posting on social media in late August 2021. Her body was discovered in a Wyoming campground near Grand Teton National Park later that month. Following the discovery, the focus shifted to Brian Laundrie, who had returned to Florida without her. Laundrie was named a person of interest but vanished shortly after, prompting a nationwide search. His remains were found in a Florida nature reserve in October, along with a notebook in which he confessed to killing Petito.
The emotional toll of this case was further heightened by the discovery of a letter written by Roberta Laundrie, Brian’s mother, which was found during the investigation. The letter contained controversial statements, including: “If you’re in jail I will bake a cake and put a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.” The Laundries argued that the letter was unrelated to the case and referenced Brian’s favourite childhood books, but the Petito family contested this, suggesting the letter was written after Gabby’s death.
On September 19, Petito's remains were found in Wyoming's Bridger–Teton National Forest. An autopsy found that she was killed by blunt-force injuries to her head and neck and manual strangulation
The Petito family had previously reached a separate settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Brian Laundrie’s estate, seeking compensation for their daughter’s tragic death. This wrongful death suit alleged that Laundrie was directly responsible for Gabby’s death, and the Petito family was awarded a $3 million settlement.
Despite this, the emotional distress case remained ongoing until the recent settlement. Although the terms of the settlement remain confidential, the resolution brings a close to this painful chapter for both families, allowing them to move forward without further legal proceedings. A wrongful death lawsuit was previously settled and a judge awarded the Petito family $3 million in 2022.
Gabby Petito’s case sparked national conversations about domestic violence and the way the media covers missing persons cases. The extensive media coverage surrounding her disappearance and death, especially when compared to other missing persons cases, led the Petito family to advocate for more attention to be paid to other missing people, particularly those from minority backgrounds.
Gabby’s parents have continued to use their platform to raise awareness about missing persons, creating a website dedicated to highlighting cases that do not receive the same level of media attention.
Gabby Petito was laid to rest in Holbrook, N.Y.
In newly released documents from the FBI related to the tragic case of Gabby Petito’s murder, a handwritten letter from Petito to her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, has emerged...
The case of Brian Laundrie, the prime suspect in the death of his fiancée Gabby Petito, captured the public’s imagination in a way few criminal cases ever do...
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The long-awaited Netflix docuseries American Murder: Gabby Petito is set to debut on February 17, 2025, offering an intimate and heartbreaking look into the final days of Gabby Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, as they embarked on a doomed cross-country road trip that would end in tragedy...
