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196

Killer’s family allegedly knew Gabby Petito was dead weeks before discovery (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

29 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The fiance and killer of the domestic violence murder victim Gabby Petito desperately called his parents and told them that she was “gone” weeks before she was discovered dead – yet they later shared messages expressing hope that search efforts for her would end in success, her family has alleged.

Petito’s parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, made the claim in a lawsuit that they are pursuing against Brian Laundrie’s family and their attorney in the latest chapter to a case that has generated international news headlines.

The Petitos, who amended the lawsuit with the new allegations on 30 November, have accused Laundrie’s parents as well as their lawyer of intentionally withholding information about their daughter’s murder, inflicting on them pain and emotional distress.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (4 children)

This is a tough sell in civil court imo. You'd have to prove they knew she was dead based on the word gone. Maybe there's enough context there recorded but if your kid left with his gf on a trip and came back saying she was gone and they had split up I wouldn't necessarily think anything of it. Especially since they had been patchy b4 and also this was weeks later after she had supposedly split. I'm not convinced the parents knew or were told.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 months ago (3 children)

He said he needed a lawyer and the family went and got him one… you don’t need a lawyer for a break up.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I don't think getting a lawyer should be seen as an admission of guilt. Its dangerous for even 100% innocent people to talk to the police without a lawyer.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Preponderance of evidence is required in civil cases. In the same conversation, he both told his parents she was gone and also said he needed a lawyer.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Getting a lawyer is never going to be usable evidence I would bet though.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I mean, that doesn't have to stop the jury from including it in their verdict.

The legal system is way more flimsy than a lot of you people realize.

Here's a case of a bootlegger that killed his wife after he got out of jail because she left him and sold all his stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Remus

He was found not guilty even though he admitted to doing it. Apparently the courtroom cheered (I don't blame them, tbh.)

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

"Gone" alone wouldn't make me suspicious. I would assume she left and didn't plant to come back. It's the "she's gone and I need a lawyer" part that would make me at least ask what kind of "gone" did you mean, son? It could have just been that he hit her and then she left and he expected legal repercussions. Parents don't usually jump to suspecting their kid of murder and I don't think there is a way to know without violating attorney client privilege.

The Petitos allege that Christopher and Roberta Laundrie received “a frantic telephone call” from their son on 29 August 2021 in which he said his betrothed Gabby was “gone” and that he “needed a lawyer”.

That same day, the Petitos allege, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie spoke with a lawyer, Steven Bertolino. The Laundries, from Florida, are accused of telling Bertolino that Petito was “gone” and their son needed an attorney.

Four days later, on 2 September 2021, the Laundries had paid Bertolino to retain his services, and he in turn entered into a fee agreement with a criminal defense law firm in Wyoming, the state where Petito would later be found dead.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Did you read that last paragraph?

How would the defense know to contract with a local firm where Gabby was murdered unless the defense were informed of the crime by their clients?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I anal, but I think defense attorneys are used for assault/DV as well as murder cases? It's not totally beyond belief to imagine that he wasn't up front with his parents or his lawyers in the first few days. I've never contracted a defense attorney, I don't know if the attorney would have told his parents the details since they were the ones who hired him or if this guy was freaked out enough that he didn't tell the lawyers right away and just had a story about getting into a physical altercation with her and her leaving. He died of suicide pretty soon after the time frame in question, he wasn't in a calm rational state.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Defense Attorneys defend you in any criminal proceedings. You may be thinking of Public Defenders, which are Defense Attorneys paid by the state.

If he wasn't up front they would have no reason to hire a local firm at the location the murder occured.

It was a cross country road trip. Any other jurisdiction along the route could've been relevant without all the facts.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Wouldn't assault that didn't involve murder need to have a firm local to the incident?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago

An assault where the victim disappeared and is not heard from again?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Civil Court only has a "more likely than not" burden of proof. This is a pretty good piece of circumstantial evidence. If you can string 2-3 things like this together, it's a strong case.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

You’d have to prove they knew she was dead based on the word gone.

I mean, if his parents' response is anything but "gone where?" then it's already proven they know he was talking about killing her.

Gone fishing? Gone to the mall? Gone and left me now I need you guys to get me a lawyer?

Oh what I would give to be on that jury.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Wasn’t this already well established?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Predicted but confirmed this week.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Not predicted, there were letters that investigators made public that detailed how the parents knew she was dead. They were offering to help him hide the body.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The amended suit does not elaborate on how the Petitos knew about the phone call Laundrie made to his parents about his fiancee being “gone”. But NBC News reported being told by the Petitos’ attorney, Pat Reilly, that the information came from depositions that the Laundries gave in October.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I thought it was already known because of discoveries related to finding his remains, etc, and formed the basis for them suing the parents to begin with, but maybe not.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It was known. It was widely reported that there were letters written between Brian and his parents, with his parents offering to help him hide the body. It was a very well publicized case and it's weird that people forgot this massive detail.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Ok, yeah, that’s what I thought I remembered. Thanks for confirming.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Reminds me of that case where the dad killed his family and realized on air how fucked he was as they announced while interviewing him that they had found the bodies

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Which story was that?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

I would also like to know.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Stephen McDaniel I believe.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Sounds like a different case. This guy killed a woman, not a whole family. He did find out about police discovering her body on air, though.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I don't know anything about this case but if someone's fiance was missing for like a week or longer and they told me their fiance was "gone" I don't think I'd think anything that suspicious about it unless I was in the future and knew he was the killer.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

I actually feel the opposite if they didn’t elaborate at all, unless they really sold it with grief and mania or I previously knew them to be going through a rough patch. Someone’s fiancée leaving is generally a pretty traumatic experience, even if I didn’t think they did it I’d be super concerned about their mental state if they just shrugged it off

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Yeah we know. This was a key detail of the entire investigation when the investigation was occurring and the news reported on it.