Will Brian Laundrie’s parents go to jail for letter?
Brian Laundrie is currently a person of interest in the disappearance and death of his fiancée, Gabrielle Petito. On September 11, 2021, Petito was reported missing after her family had not heard from her in several weeks. She had been traveling with Laundrie on a cross-country road trip, which they had been documenting on social media. Laundrie returned to their home in North Port, Florida without Petito on September 1, 2021.
After an extensive search, Petito’s body was found in a remote area of Wyoming on September 19, 2021. The cause of her death was later determined to be homicide. Laundrie, who had been named a person of interest in the case, disappeared on September 14, 2021, and has not been seen since.
There have been lots of twists and turns in this particular case, and part of the reason for this is the involvement of Laundrie’s parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie. With each new piece of evidence that gets uncovered, the more it seems as though the parents were involved in covering up their son’s crime.
Petito’s disappearance and death
Laundrie’s actions leading up to and following Petito’s disappearance have been considered highly suspect. In the days before the latter’s disappearance, witnesses reported seeing Laundrie and Petito arguing in public. On August 12, 2021, police in Moab, Utah responded to a report of a domestic disturbance involving the couple.
According to police reports, Petito was crying and said that she and Laundrie had been arguing. Laundrie told police that he had pushed Petito in an attempt to get her to calm down. No charges were filed as both parties agreed it was a verbal argument that did not get physical.
After Petito was reported missing, Laundrie returned to Florida driving her van without her. He was accused of not cooperating with the investigation into her disappearance, including refusing to speak with police and leaving home without notifying his family.
Laundrie’s disappearance & death
Laundrie’s disappearance sparked a nationwide manhunt, with law enforcement officials and the public searching for him in various parts of the country. The most obvious inference drawn was that Laundrie was guilty of murdering Petito, as he would have had little reason to flee if he was innocent.
Even more suspicious is the fact that Laundrie’s parents seem to have no idea of their son’s whereabouts. This has drawn the ire of several high-ranking people in law enforcement, including former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who said that the family “has conducted themselves in a very odd way that’s generated a lot of suspicion right from the beginning.”
There was also the discovery of a notebook in which Laundrie allegedly claimed responsibility for Petito’s death. Laundrie was found dead in 2021 from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The case against Laundrie’s parents
Authorities recently learned of an envelope belonging to the Laundries. It’s reportedly labeled “burn after reading” and inside is said to be a message in which Roberta Laundrie said she would “bring a shovel to help bury a body.” The Laundries are being ordered to produce the envelope within 30 days, and are currently being sued by Petito’s parents for damages related to pain and suffering over her death.
It’s theorized that both Christopher and Roberta Laundrie knew of Petito’s death before it was widely reported, and went out of their way to help their son by attempting to cover up what happened. Their lawyer, however, has countered by pointing out that the letter in question is not dated, and was therefore written after Petito’s death had been made public.
Christopher and Roberta Laundrie have not yet been charged with a crime in connection with Petito’s death.
