Damning footage has shown Brian Laundrie's parents refusing to speak with police after their son's fiancée, Gabby Petito, was reported missing.
Gabrielle Petito was a 22-year-old vlogger whose death in 2021 became widely publicized in news publications and social media.
The aspiring social media star went missing in late August 2021 during a four-month cross-country road trip from New York to Oregon with her partner Brian Laundrie.
After her parents lost contact with her in late August, a massive search was launched. Eighteen days later, Petito's remains were found, and an autopsy confirmed she had been strangled to death.
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Petito's tragic death sparked a highly publicized murder case where Laundrie became the prime suspect in a nationwide manhunt after he returned solo to his parents' home on September 1.
Newly released bodycam footage was shared online, and showed North Port police at Laundrie's Florida home on September 11, 2021 - the night Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt, reported her daughter missing after being unable to reach her via phone for more than two weeks.
Watch the clip below:The clip shows Brian's dad, Christopher, telling a police officer: "I’m not talking to anybody," when he answered the door.
The cop, who had a New York detective on the phone, responded: “You don’t want to talk to us?” to which Christopher replied: "No," while shaking his head. Stuttering over his words, the father revealed that Brian was inside their home and added: "That's all I'm going to say."
Christopher then proceeded to tell the officer that he had an attorney and that police could contact him before he slipped inside to gather the contact information.
Before leaving the residence, the officer asked about the white van in the driveway, which was registered only to Petito. "Is this her vehicle? Her van?" the officer questioned, to which Christopher responded: "It's... it's both of them."
Brian ended his life in October 2021. A medical examiner ruled that he died due to a self-inflicted gunshot.
His body was discovered in a nature preserve near his family’s home on October 20, along with a backpack containing what the FBI described as a notebook “claiming responsibility” for Petito’s murder.
In his version of events, the late man claimed that Petito was injured from a fall and that she was in "extreme pain" which is why he "ended her life, I thought it was merciful," as cited by The Independent.
"I’m sorry for everyone’s loss. Please do not make life harder for my family, they lost a son and a daughter. The most wonderful girl in the world. Gabby I’m sorry," he reportedly penned. “I have killed myself by this creek in the hopes that animals may tear me apart. That it may make some of her family happy.”
In 2022, Petito's parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, sued Brian's parents and their attorney, Steve Bertolino for inflicting emotional distress.
According to The Mirror, Roberta was suspected of helping her son sneak away while cops had him as a key suspect in Petito’s murder. She was also accused of not cooperating with authorities during the early stages of the investigation.
In February, Joseph and Nicole settled a civil lawsuit. It is believed that all parties had "reluctantly agreed" to the deal after a "long day of mediation" to "avoid further legal expenses and prolonged personal conflict," per the BBC.
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