In the undated, handwritten letter obtained by , Roberta Laundrie allegedly offers to help her son “dispose of a body” by showing up with a “shovel and garbage bags”
The parents of Gabby Petito are “outraged” after receiving a copy of a letter allegedly penned by Brian Laundrie’s mom to Brian in an envelope marked “burn after reading,” says their attorney.
In the undated, handwritten letter obtained by , Roberta Laundrie offers to help her son “dispose of a body” by showing up with a “shovel and garbage bags.”
On Wednesday, lawyers for Gabby’s family and the Laundries argued over the admissibility of the letter and its relevance to the emotional distress lawsuit filed against the Laundries.
“Of course, [Roberta Laundrie] would say that it was written before Brian went on the trip and was not related to the passing of Gabby Petito. But certainly, a reasonable inference from the letter is that it could have been written at either time, before or after Gabby’s passing,” Patrick Reilly, attorney for Gabby’s parents Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, tells .
“That’s an issue that the jury will have to decide,” he adds.
Reilly says the contents of the letter may help strengthen their case.
“If it’s determined that it was written after Gabby passed away, then it’s further proof that the Laundries and Attorney [Steven] Bertolino were aware of Gabby’s passing” Reilly says, referencing a statement released Sept. 14, 2021, in which the Laundries said they hoped that Gabby would be reunited with her family.
In the letter, Brian’s mom allegedly makes mention of helping him escape jail and get rid of a body.
“If you’re in jail I will bake a cake with a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags. If you fly to the moon, I will be watching the skies for your re-entry,” the letter reads. “If you say you hate my guts, I’ll get new guts.”
“Remember that love is a verb not a noun. It’s not a thing, it’s not words, it is actions. Watch people’s actions to know if they love you – not their words,” the letter continues.
The letter was recovered in a backpack near the remains of 23-year-old Laundrie in Florida’s Carlton Reserve in October 2021, previously reported.
Petito, 22, was found strangled to death in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park a month prior, after embarking on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie over the summer of 2021. In Jan. 2022, the FBI revealed that a notebook found near 23-year-old Laundrie’s remains included a written confession taking responsibility for his fiancée’s death.
Petito’s parents filed a lawsuit in March 2022 seeking more than $30,000 in damages for the mental anguish they suffered due to the alleged deceit of the Laundries. The filing also alleged that Christopher and Roberta helped Brian conceal Gabby’s murder and were making plans for him to flee the country.
“Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie exhibited extreme and outrageous conduct which constitutes behavior, under the circumstances, which goes beyond all possible bounds of decency and is regarded as shocking, atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community,” the filing previously obtained by reads.