Gabby Petito’s Parents Reach Settlement With Brian Laundrie’s Family in Civil Lawsuit
Gabby Petito's parents are putting another legal chapter behind them.
In the months following their daughter's 2021 death at the hands of then-boyfriend Brian Laundrie, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt filed two lawsuits—the first a wrongful death suit against Brian's estate and a second against his parents Christopher and Roberta Laundrie and their lawyer, Steven Bertolino, for intentional and reckless infliction of emotional distress.
Now, this second lawsuit has reached an agreement.
Though the details of the resolution were not disclosed, Joseph and Nichole shared a statement via their attorney following the Feb. 21 legal settlement.
"All parties reluctantly agreed in order to avoid further legal expenses and prolonged personal conflict," the statement, obtained by NBC News, read. "Our hope is to close this chapter of our lives to allow us to move on and continue to honor the legacy of our beautiful daughter, Gabby."
In August 2021, Gabby was reported missing after Brian returned from their cross-country road trip without her. After her body was discovered in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest on Sept. 19, Brian disappeared, prompting a month-long police manhunt that resulted in his remains being found in a Florida swamp.
His death was ruled a suicide, and a notebook—in which he claimed responsibility for Gabby's death—was found nearby per a Jan. 2022 press release by the FBI.
In their emotional distress suit, the Petitos alleged that Brian's parents and their lawyer knew Gabby was dead while she was missing but lied to them and the public by sharing messages that expressed hope she'd be found. At the time, a statement from the Laundries regarding the suit denied that "everything" alleged in the lawsuit was true and argued the family had "no obligation to speak to Law Enforcement or any third-party including the Petito family."
Following the settlement, the Laundries' lawyer issued a statement to local outlet WFLA Tampa. "Christopher and Roberta Laundrie and I participated in mediation with the Petito family and the civil lawsuit has now been resolved," Steven said. "The terms of the resolution are confidential, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us."
The news comes over a year after Joseph and Nichole were awarded a previous settlement after filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Brian's estate. The complaint, obtained by E! News, alleged that Brian murdered Gabby and as a direct result, her parents "incurred funeral and burial expenses and they have suffered a loss of care and comfort and suffered a loss of probable future companionship, society and comfort."
As a result of the Nov. 2022 settlement, Gabby's parents were awarded $3 million.
"The Petito family lost their daughter, and they were also denied the opportunity to confront her killer," Patrick Reilly, an attorney for the Petito family, said in a statement to E! News at the time. "No amount of money is sufficient to compensate the Petito family for the loss of their daughter, Gabby, at the hands of Brian Laundrie."
NBC News and E! News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App