Brian Laundrie’s parents have submitted a settlement proposal to the parents of Gabby Petito in an attempt to resolve the ongoing civil suit, according to court documents obtained by WFLA. This proposal follows a previous settlement offer made by the Laundries’ former lawyer, Steve Bertolino, who is also a co-defendant in the case. The specific terms of both proposals have not been disclosed.
Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, the parents of Gabby Petito, filed a lawsuit against Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, alleging that they were aware of their son’s involvement in their daughter’s death and assisted him in evading justice. Last week, the two families met face-to-face for the first time since Gabby’s murder. Christopher Laundrie was questioned by the Petito family’s attorney, Pat Reilly, on Tuesday, while Roberta Laundrie was deposed the following day.
During the depositions, Joseph Petito stated that the Laundries refused to make eye contact with him, describing their responses as emotionless. Nichole Schmidt expressed her hurt and disappointment, stating that it was painful to listen to someone who showed no remorse or compassion for the person they considered their daughter-in-law.
The civil trial is scheduled to commence in May of next year. Authorities have previously stated that Brian Laundrie killed Gabby Petito in 2021 during their cross-country road trip. The cause of death was determined to be strangulation by the coroner. After an extensive manhunt, Brian Laundrie was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Sarasota County’s Carlton Reserve. The FBI revealed that Laundrie had confessed to killing Petito in a notebook entry before his death. Additionally, they obtained a letter written by Roberta Laundrie, in which she offered her son a shovel and garbage bags to assist him in disposing of a body. This letter has become a significant piece of evidence in the civil suit.
