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Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito
Image via Gabby Petito/Instagram

The Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie civil suit settlement, explained

The Laundries hope to put the matter behind them.

What began with Gabby Petito‘s disappearance in Aug. 2021 concluded with Petito and Brian Laundries family reaching a civil suit settlement for an undisclosed amount in Feb. 2024. If the civil suit had not been settled, the Petito and Laundrie family were expected in court two months later.

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According to the Petito family civil suit, the Laundries intentionally withheld information about Gabby’s whereabouts after she went missing and before she was found dead at Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. Before she died, Petito and Brian Laundrie, both in their 20s and engaged, were on a cross-country trip from Florida to build an online following as vanlife influencers.

What happened to Brian Laundrie?

Screenshot via 48 Hours/YouTube

Once Petito was reported missing, Laundrie was declared a person of interest in the case. He returned home to Florida and was later found dead by suicide in a nature reserve, along with writings admitting he killed Petito. The Petito family suit alleges that Laundrie’s parents knew she was dead and where her body could be found after Brian contacted them, but that they kept that information secret while the Petito search continued, according to CNN.

Laundrie’s parents said Brian told them Gabby was “gone. Brian asked them to get a lawyer, but he provided no specific information about what happened to her. Laundrie’s mother later said the possibility her son killed her may have “crossed her mind.”

What Laundrie and Petito’s parents said

NORTH PORT, FL - SEPTEMBER 16: Tara Petito (L) and Joe Petito react while the City of North Port Chief of Police Todd Garrison speaks during a news conference for their missing daughter Gabby Petito on September 16, 2021 in North Port, Florida. Gabby Petito went missing while on a cross country trip with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie and has not been seen or heard from since late August. Police said no criminality is suspected at this time but her fiance, Brian Laundrie, has refused to speak with law enforcement. Laundrie has be identified as a person of interest but investigators are solely focused on finding Petito.
Gabby Petito’s parents via Octavio Jones/Getty Images

The agreement to settle the suit out of court came after a long day of mediation, Petito’s parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, said in a statement, adding,

“All parties reluctantly agreed in order to avoid further legal expenses and prolonged personal conflict. Our hope is to close this chapter of our lives to allow us to move on and continue to honor the legacy of our beautiful daughter, Gabby.”

via NBC News

Through their lawyer, Steven Bertolino, Brian’s parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, told the Florida news outlet, WFLA,

“[The Laundrie family] participated in mediation with the Petito family and the civil lawsuit has now been resolved. The terms of the resolution are confidential, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us.”

via WFLA.com

If it had gone to court, the Petito civil suit asked for $30,000 for causing “emotional distress” for allegedly keeping Petito’s whereabouts confidential. The Petito family had previously been awarded $3 million in a wrongful death lawsuit, to be paid to Petito’s mother, as the administrator of her late daughter’s estate.


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Author
Image of William Kennedy
William Kennedy
William Kennedy is a full-time freelance content writer and journalist in Eugene, OR. William covered true crime, among other topics for Grunge.com. He also writes about live music for the Eugene Weekly, where his beat also includes arts and culture, food, and current events. He lives with his wife, daughter, and two cats who all politely accommodate his obsession with Doctor Who and The New Yorker.