PAINFUL SILENCE

Brian Laundrie’s Parents Say Keeping Quiet Is What Everyone ‘Should Do’

Brian Laundrie’s family has defended their right to silence after Gabby Petito went missing.

Brian Laundrie’s parents have argued that remaining silent during the frantic search for their son’s fiancee Gabby Petito “is what most people would and should do.” On Friday, lawyers for Chris and Roberta Laundrie filed an updated motion to dismiss the lawsuit of Petito’s parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, which alleges that Brian’s parents knew he had murdered Gabby and helped him escape. “The Laundries’ decision to exercise their constructional rights to silence, privacy, and counsel, and to have their attorney speak for them under such trying circumstances and media pressure, could not be further from conduct that is extreme or goes beyond all bounds of decency,” the Laundries’ motion to dismiss states. “It is what most people would and should do in such a situation.” They also claimed that “there are no more facts that could emerge that would bolster the plaintiff’s claim.” Attorney Steven Bertolino, who acts as a spokesman for the Laundries, told WFLA he believes the lawsuit will be thrown out. “The amended complaint did not have any new facts or cite any law that would support the Petito’s legally baseless claim,” he said. Barring dismissal, a trial by jury has been set for the week of Aug. 14, 2023 at the South County Courthouse in Sarasota County, Florida. In August 2021, Gabby Petito was allegedly killed by her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, while they were traveling together on a road trip across the United States. Laundrie left his home on Sept. 13, and was never seen again until his body was found on Oct. 20.