Gabby Petito’s parents amend lawsuit, allege Laundrie family knew of daughter’s death on vacation

The parents of Gabby Petito, a young woman who was allegedly killed by her fiance Brian Laundrie, amended their lawsuit against Laundrie’s parents, accusing the family of knowing their daughter was dead while they were on vacation. 

NBC News reported that the judge overseeing the case told Petito’s family that they needed to amend their filing because it contained “procedural deficiencies.”

“They went on vacation knowing that Brian Laundrie had murdered Gabrielle Petito, it is believed that they knew where her body was located, and further knew that Gabrielle Petito’s parents were attempting to locate her,” the lawsuit said, according to NBC.

The amended lawsuit accuses the Laundrie family of going to Fort De Soto Park near Tampa, Fla., right before Petitio was reported missing. 

Petito was on a vacation with Laundrie and was reported missing after her fiance came back to Florida without her driving the van they used for their cross-country trip. Laundrie was later named a person of interest.

Her disappearance sparked nationwide attention amid the search for her body, and she was later found dead in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. 

The amended lawsuit alleges that Laundrie, who died by sucidie, sent a text from Petito’s phone after she died in order to hide her death. Lawyers argue it was Brian who sent the text because the message contains a name for Petito’s grandfather she never used.

The family lawyers allege that Laundrie told his parents about Petito’s killing before or while on vacation.  

NBC News notes the filing did not offer much evidence for the new claim, but there is still time for more evidence to be submitted to the court. 

Laundrie’s attorney brushed off the allegations in the amended filing, and expressed confidence that the court will dismiss the case.

“The allegations in the amended complaint may now conform to proper pleadings but they do not give rise to liability under the law,” Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told NBC News. “Thus we are still confident the Court will dismiss the action.”

The Hill has reached out to Bertolino and the Petito family’s lawyer for comment.