Gabby Petito's family claim in lawsuit Brian Laundrie's parents knew about her murder and helped their son get away
NEW YORK -- Gabby Petito's family is filing a civil lawsuit against Brian Laundrie's parents, seeking tens of thousands of dollars for their pain and suffering.
They say the Laundrie family knew about Gabby's murder and did nothing about it, CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas reported Friday.
Gabby Petito was engaged to Brian Laundrie when they headed out for their cross-country trip, but the Petito family says that didn't matter to Laundrie's parents, who the Petitios say, instead of sharing information about Gabby's murder, tried to help Brian get away with it.
When Petito's communication with her family stopped after Aug. 27, during her cross-country trip with fiancé Laundrie, they became concerned.
The lawsuit filed in Sarasota, Florida, alleges the next day, Laundrie confessed to his parents that he murdered Petito, prompting Christopher and Roberta Laundrie to contact an attorney who they retained days later.
According to the lawsuit, Brian Laundrie sent text messages to Petito's parents from her phone to hide the murder.
On Sept. 1, Laundrie returned to his parents' Florida home from the cross-country trip without Petito, raising even more concerns.
While search efforts for Petito were underway in a camping area in Wyoming, court documents said the Laundries went on vacation.
As suspicion mounted, the Petito family said Roberta Laundrie blocked Petito's mother's phone number and Facebook profile in order to not receive messages or phone calls.
On Sept. 16, the Petito family issued a plea through a letter to the Laundries to help find her and to tell them where she was. All statements from the Laundrie family came through their attorney.
In a statement, the Petito family called it "callous indifference to the suffering of Gabby's family."
After a manhunt that lasted for weeks, Brian Laundrie, the sole suspect in the case, died by suicide. His remains were found in a Florida nature reserve. The lawsuit alleged his family was trying to send him out of the country.
Petito's remains were found Sept. 19. She was 22.
Now, the Petitos are seeking in excess of $30,000 for their pain and suffering, saying Brian Laundrie's parents should be held accountable.
In a statement, the Laundrie family's attorney said they deny the allegations. He said the family was not legally obligated to speak to law enforcement or any third party, including the Petito family, and called the allegations "baseless under the law."