'Extremely Hurtful': Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie's Parents Come Face-to-Face for First Time Since Murder-Suicide
Gabby's father and mother, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, described Christopher's testimony as "gut-wrenching."
Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie's parents came face-to-face for the first time since the vlogger's murder in 2021, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The Petito legal team asked Brian's father, Christopher, several questions during a closed-door deposition at Saratoga County Court in Florida on Tuesday as part of the civil lawsuit filed against the Laundries and their longtime attorney Steven Bertolino.
The parents of Brian and Gabby came face-to-face for the first time since her 2021 death.
Gabby's father and mother, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, described Christopher's testimony as "gut-wrenching" ahead of their May 2024 trial date.
The Petitos are suing the Laundries and Bertolino for intentional infliction of emotional distress, claiming they were aware of Gabby's murder but did nothing but issue a statement through Bertolino expressing false hope that she would be found safe.
"It was extremely hurtful to listen to someone that has no remorse and no compassion for the girl they would call their daughter-in-law," she told WFLA.com after the deposition.
"[Wednesday] will be worse," Schmidt said after the deposition.
Petito family attorney Pat Reily said it was tough to be in the room with Joe and Nichole on Zoom asking these questions "knowing how difficult it would be for them to relive it all."
Nichole said she had even more trepidation going into Wednesday when Roberta will be questioned.
Back in May, it was revealed that Brian's mother offered her son a shovel and garbage bags if he needed to dispose of a body, according to a "burn after reading" letter that proclaimed her unconditional love no matter the circumstances they faced.
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Gabby's cause of death was ruled to be strangulation.
During today's deposition, Roberta and Bertolino opted to be there but were not required.
Gabby documented her "van life" when she and Brian were on a cross-country road trip together two summers ago before things took a turn, and he strangled her to death.
She was reported missing on September 11, and it would take investigators eight days to find her. The cause of death was ruled to be strangulation.
Roberta's deposition is set to happen months after "burn after reading" letter was exposed.
Her remains were tragically discovered in Wyoming's Teton National Forest on September 19, just days after Brian had returned home to Florida, but soon vanished.
Authorities launched a massive search for Brian before he was discovered dead in the swamps of a Florida park on October 20. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
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Brian's journal was found near his body with a suicide note where he confirmed that he killed Gabby. A letter he wrote claimed that Gabby's death was a mercy killing after she suffered a head injury in a fall.
"I ended her life, I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock," Brian wrote. "But from the moment I decided, took away her pain, I knew I couldn't go on without her."
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