The Laundrie Family Exhibited Strange Behavior After Gabby Petito Went Missing

In 2021, 22-year-old Gabby Petito and her 23-year-old fiancé Brian Laundrie were on a cross-country road trip that wasn't meant to end until October. However, things took a terrifying turn when Laundrie returned home alone on Sept. 1. After 10 days, Petito's parents contacted law enforcement and reported that their daughter was missing.

The Laundries hadn't spoken publicly about Petito, who lived with them at one time. According to CNN, they went on a camping trip days after their son showed up. In October, Petito's body was found and a month later, Laundrie took his own life while admitting in a journal that he killed Petito. Throughout all of this, his parents' strange behavior was scrutinized by the public. Here's what we know about Brian Laundrie's parents.

Before going on their cross-country road trip, Laundrie and Petito were living with his parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, at their home in North Port, Fla. The pair was in the process of planning their wedding, although they decided to postpone it until further notice, reportedly due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

After Petito was reported missing by her parents, Laundrie and his parents refused to cooperate with law enforcement and didn't disclose any information on Petito's last known whereabouts. “We beg you to tell us,” a letter from Petito's parents to the Laundrie family read, per the New York Post. “As a parent how could you put Gabby’s younger brothers and sisters through this? Gabby lived with you for over a year. She was going to be your daughter-in-law. How can you keep her location hidden?”

On Sept. 20, Laundrie's parents were removed from their home in North Port after the FBI issued a warrant to search the residence, calling it a "crime scene."

"The FBI is executing a court-authorized search warrant today at the Laundrie residence in North Port, FL relevant to the Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito investigation," the Tampa, Fla., FBI branch tweeted. "No further details can be provided since this is an active and ongoing investigation."

The couple reportedly placed into an unmarked van while authorities searched their home for more than an hour. Laundrie's parents reported that he was missing on Sept. 17 after they said he went for a hike at the Carlton Reserve that week and never returned.

On Sept. 19, human remains matching Gabby's description were found near the Spread Creek Dispersed camping area in Wyoming. One month later, a coroner declared Petito's cause of death was strangulation.

Part of Laundrie's remains were found under three feet of water at the Carlton Reserve on Oct. 20 and by November it was determined that he died by suicide.

In January 2022, a statement was released by FBI officials out of Denver. They closed the Petito case and added, "The investigation did not identify any other individuals other than Brian Laundrie directly involved in the tragic death of Gabby Petito." If anyone believed his parents were directly involved, this statement cleared that up. However, the legal issues following the Laundrie family weren't over yet.

CBS News reported that in November 2022, "The families of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie reached a $3 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed after authorities concluded he strangled her during a cross-country trip in August 2021." The lawsuit was filed in May of that year and "claimed Laundrie was liable for damages because he caused her death." Sarasota County Circuit Judge Hunter W. Carroll agreed.

The Petitos also sued the Laundrie family in a civil suit, alleging that they concealed the fact that their son was responsible for the death of Petito. A settlement for that was reached in February 2024 ahead of a May 2024 trial date, according to CBS News. In a statement, Petito's parents and their attorney shared that the decision to settle was reluctant but necessary in order "close this chapter of our lives to allow us to move on and continue to honor the legacy of our beautiful daughter, Gabby."