The parents of Gabby Petito, a US blogger who was allegedly strangled by her boyfriend, have released a letter from the alleged killer’s mother in which she talks about burying a body. Gabby Petito’s family are suing the parents of her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, for emotional distress. In the note, Mrs Laundrie writes to her son: “If you need to dispose of a body. I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.” She wrote “burn after reading” on the envelope that contained the letter. The Petito family said in a statement that a “reasonable inference is it was written after Gabby Petito was murdered”.
As highlighted by a recent article on BBC News, the parents of Brian Laundrie, the alleged killer of US blogger Gabby Petito, have released a letter from Laundrie’s mother in which she talks about burying a body. The Petito family is suing the Laundrie family for emotional distress, and a judge has ruled that the Petitos can include Roberta Laundrie’s letter to her son in their civil lawsuit.
The death of Gabby Petito in 2021 drew international attention. Laundrie shot himself after his girlfriend was found strangled in a Wyoming campground. His parents, who have not been charged with any crime in connection with Petito’s death, had asked the judge to keep the letter out of the case.
In the note, Mrs Laundrie writes to her son: “If you’re in jail I will bake a cake and put a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body. I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.” She wrote “burn after reading” on the envelope that contained the letter.
In a previously filed court document, Mrs Laundrie said the letter merely contained “quirky” references to her son’s favourite childhood books. She also said she had written the letter before her son left on his cross-country trip with Petito. But the Petito family said in a statement to the BBC on Thursday that a “reasonable inference is it was written after Gabby Petito was murdered”.
In court on Wednesday, Petito family attorney Patrick Reilly said of the letter: “Those are criminal acts, by the way, that Roberta Laundrie has said she would commit.” Sarasota Circuit Court Judge Danielle Brewer declined to issue an order blocking the use of the letter in the case.
Last year, the Petito and Laundrie families reached a $3m (£2.4m) settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Petito’s parents. The couple had been documenting their cross-country road trip on social media following their engagement before Laundrie returned alone to his family home in North Port, Florida, in September 2021. Her body was discovered near Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park later that month. Laundrie’s body was found a month later in a Florida nature reserve near his parents’ home, the FBI said.
The letter was discovered by authorities during a search of the Laundrie family home in September 2021. It is unclear why Mrs Laundrie wrote the letter or what she meant by its contents. However, its release has added a new dimension to the already complex case, which has gripped the nation for months.
The Petito family has said that they hope the lawsuit will bring them some closure and justice for their daughter’s death. They have also called for changes to be made to the way missing persons cases are handled, including better communication between law enforcement agencies and more res for families searching for their loved ones.
The case has sparked a national conversation about domestic violence and the importance of speaking out when someone is in danger. It has also highlighted the power of social media in raising awareness and mobilizing communities to take action.
As the case continues to unfold, it is clear that the impact of Gabby Petito’s death will be felt for years to come. But the hope is that by shining a light on this tragedy, we can all work together to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
