According to Brian Laundrie‘s mom, Roberta Laundrie, the conversation with her son in Aug. 2021 started like any other. But by the end of their talk, Roberta knew something was seriously wrong. She then urged Christopher Laundrie, Brian’s dad, to call their son back.
These details about that conversation between Laundrie and his parents were revealed in court documents, stemming from an ongoing civil lawsuit Gabby Petito‘s parents brought against Laundrie’s parents, alleging they withheld information about their daughter’s whereabouts even though they knew what happened to her, according to CNN.
In a case that gripped the nation, Laundrie and Petito were aspiring vanlife Instagram influencers on a cross-country trip when Petito disappeared, and was later found dead at Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. Laundrie was later found dead from suicide in a nature preserve near his home in Florida, along with a letter admitting that he had killed Petito.
Once Christopher reached his son, Brian was overwhelmed, telling his father, “Gabby’s gone,” and that he needed a lawyer. Brian, however, apparently gave his father no further information about what happened to Gabby. Referring to when Brian broke down on the phone with his father, Roberta later said that’s when “everything hit the fan.”
Brian Laundrie never directly told his parents that he killed Gabby Petito
According to Brian Laundrie’s parents, the day they learned something was wrong with their son, he never specifically stated to them that he had killed Petito. Brian’s dad, Christopher, said his son was “Frantic. He was not calm, and he got very excited,” he added. But when Christopher asked why his son needed a lawyer, his son wouldn’t tell him. After they hung up, Brian called them back and said he was coming home to Florida. “I had no idea what to think,” Christopher said.
As their son requested, Christopher and Roberta contacted their lawyer. According to court documents, Christopher told their attorney, Pat Reilly, based on how “frantic” Brian was, “it was something I thought we had to consider.” In her deposition, Roberta admitted the possibility that Brian murdered Petito crossed her mind. “My attorney told me not to talk to anybody, so I just didn’t talk to anybody,” Roberta said.
When Brian finally returned home to Florida he seemed like a “kid in trouble,” his parents added. According to the Laundrie family lawyer, Pat Reilly, he confirmed with Christopher whether or not he thought Brian murdered his girlfriend. Reilly said, “He told you Gabby was gone. He’s frantic, and he’s upset. He’s like a kid that came home, and he was in trouble. Did that lead you to believe he murdered Gabby?” According to Reilly, Christopher said it didn’t.
As of this report, both parties involved in the civil suit related to Petito’s murder are scheduled for mediation on Feb. 21, 2024, Fox13News.com reported.