Gabby Petito's Mom Doesn't Believe Brian Laundrie Committed Suicide — And Reveals Chilling New Details About His Parents 'Completely Renovating' His Bedroom After Her Murder
Gabby Petito's mother shares why she believes Brian Laundrie did not kill himself.
April 18 2025, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
Gabby Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, has opened up on what she believes actually happened to her daughter's killer, Brian Laundrie – and why she suspects his parents were more involved than what they've led on, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Schmidt recounted her daughter's disappearance while on a cross-country road trip with fiancé Laundrie and how "weird" his parents acted during the investigation.
Petito's mother reported her missing on September 11, 2021 – Her body was discovered on September 19.
During her recent appearance on The Squeeze podcast, Schmidt revealed she knew something had gone terribly wrong before police discovered her daughter's body in a wooded area near Grand Teton National Park on September 19, 2021, a little over a week after she reported Petito missing on September 11.
Schmidt explained while police were still searching for her daughter and Laundrie, a detective went to his family home in Florida and saw the van her daughter purchased outside.
She said: "I want to say that I I forced myself to have hope (Petito would return) but the second that detective told me that Brian was home with the van I I knew in my gut that she was gone."
Schmidt said the case has been 'strange' since 'day one' because of Laundrie's parents.
Two days before Petito's body was found, Laundrie went missing on September 17. On October 21, 2021, Laundrie's skeletal remains were discovered in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
While his death was ruled a suicide, Schmidt revealed she believes one of Laundrie's parents – either father Christopher or mother Roberta – carried out the act.
Schmidt said: "The whole thing has been strange from day one – and all of it's all around those parents.
"It's all around his parents and I will say straightforward: I don't think he killed himself.
"I think either his father did or she did. I have no problem saying that, that's just my opinion."
Schmidt said she believes either Laundrie's mother or father killed him.
When asked why she thought one of Laundrie's parents killed him, Schmidt said because it would have been "better than going to jail or facing what you did."
Schmidt noted Roberta's infamous "burn after reading letter" and "the weirdness" surrounded the family made it plausible that "they did something."
She further explained: "If you read the the stuff (Laundrie) wrote in his notebook, (he) kind of made up excuses. He didn't want to take responsibility for it, so, why then would he take his own life, you know, it was almost like he was a he was a coward.
"It's just a gut feeling that I have, and I mean I just, I can't even believe that they're just walking around like nothing happened."
While discussing the "weirdness" she felt about Laundrie's parents, Schmidt revealed she recently found out new information about the parent's actions in the early days of the investigation.
Schmidt said a person who visited the Laundrie's home revealed his parents had "gutted" his room as police were searching for the missing couple.
She explained: "When Brian was missing – and I would say he was hiding, he wasn't missing but he was actually dead – but his room was completely gutted and renovated, none of his things were there anymore. It was gone.
"So that very same week Gabby was missing and cops were going to their house to try to get I guess a scent from their dogs for to look for Brian, all his things were gone. The room was completely empty. Just gone."
She further noted the person said there's "something wrong with (Roberta)" and she was "clearly not mentally well."
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Petito's mother revealed the Laundries renovated their son's room as police were searching for him and her daughter.
Petito's mother said the Laundrie's decision to renovate their son's room at that time "drives me absolutely insane" and is "the one thing I can't let go of because I'm like trying to figure out what can I do to make them pay for what they did but there is really nothing I can do."
Schmidt also revealed when she texted Roberta to ask if she had "heard from the kids," Laundrie's mother never replied.
She added: "I got nothing back cuz they knew what he did. They helped him. They hired an attorney out in Wyoming – $25,000 they put a retainer down on a very high-profile defense attorney. Which we didn't know obviously till the depositions."
