In mid-September, soon after Laundrie returned home and after the FBI and police named him a person of interest in Petito’s disappearance, his parents reported him missing. In October, his remains were discovered in an area previously underwater in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida. His death was ruled accidental by authorities.
Attached to your notebook are the following statements Steven P. BertolinoLaundries’ lawyer wrote: “Today, Patrick Reilly, Petito Family Attorney, and myself met at the FBI Tampa to sort out and seize the personal belongings that belonged Gabby and Brian. The exchange was previously agreed upon to give both the Petitos’ and Laundries the right to the belongings of their children. Brian’s notebook was presented to me as part of this property return in FBI custody.
Bertolino said, “Although i have decided to release the correspondence as a matter if transparency, I will not comment further because there are still proceedings in Court.” These are Brian’s words.
Petito’s parents were notified in March Joseph PetitoAnd Nichole SchmidtLaundrie’s dad was subject to a civil lawsuit Christopher LaundrieMom Roberta Laundrie, alleging that they knew their son killed Petito before her body was discovered, kept his whereabouts “secret” after reporting him missing and were “making arrangements for him to leave the country.”
At the time, the Laundries’ attorney told CelebHomes News that the family had “no obligation to speak to Law Enforcement.” They have filed a motion to dismiss the civil lawsuit, while a judge is expected to issue an order on next steps within the next couple of weeks.
In May, Petito’s mom filed a separate wrongful death lawsuit against the curator of Laundrie’s estate. There has not been a trial date.
The Laundries’ attorney previously told CelebHomes News that the wrongful death lawsuit was “fully expected,” adding that it “will most likely not be defended and the Petitos will have gained nothing more than a piece of paper that tells them what everyone already knows—which is that Brian was responsible for Gabby’s death as indicated by the FBI.”