VENICE, Fla. (WFLA) — The second day of depositions with the parents of Brian Laundrie was filled with more tension, and more revelations on the aftermath of Gabby Petito’s death.
“We learned a lot in the last two days that we didn’t know before,” attorney Pat Reilly said.
On Wednesday in Venice, Florida, Roberta Laundrie, Brian’s mother, was questioned by Reilly ahead of the civil trial slated for May. Brian’s father, Christopher, was deposed Tuesday.
Questions were said to surround the infamous “burn after reading” letter she wrote to Brian. In the letter, Roberta offered her son a shovel and garbage bags if he needed to dispose of a body.
“There is pure evil in this world,” said Nichole Schmidt, Gabby’s mother, after listening to Roberta’s deposition over Zoom. “I have witnessed it firsthand.”
Gabby’s father, Joe Petito said the Laundries refused to look his way at all during the two-day deposition.
“Not once,” Petito told WFLA.com. “I’ve never such seen emotionless answers regarding a deceased child.”
Reilly questioned Roberta Laundrie for more than three hours but refused to discuss the new information they received about why the Laundries refused to respond to Gabby’s family after her disappearance in August 2021.
The depositions mark only the second time Petito and Schmidt have had the opportunity to come face-to-face, and are expected to play a major role in the civil trial between the two families.
Steven Bertolino, the longtime Laundrie attorney who is a co-defendant in the case, says Roberta’s deposition, like Christopher’s the day before, went as anticipated.
“Once again, there were no surprises on our side,” Bertolino told WFLA.com.
Reilly, in response to Bertolino, issued a statement to WFLA.com accusing Bertolino of being insensitive.
“[Regarding] Bertolino’s statement that there were no surprises on their side: of course not!,” wrote Reilly. “They have been hiding the truth and refusing to give Joe and Nichole the answers they so desperately needed for 2 years. Bertolino makes it sound like it is just another day in his and the Laundries life. But it was an emotional, gut wrenching and eye opening day for Joe and Nichole. They learned exactly what the Laundries and Bertolino knew while they were searching for any information on Gabby but failed to disclose. The level of insensitivity of Mr. Bertolino is never ending.”
More depositions are on the schedule, including with Brian Laundrie’s sister, Cassie. Petito’s parents are suing the Laundries and Bertolino for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Their lawsuit claims the Laundries were aware of Petito’s murder soon after the 22-year-old’s death in August 2021 and chose to do nothing to help.
