Gabby Petito: Utah Cops Finally Lawyer Up in Family’s $50M Wrongful Death Suit as Two-year Anniversary of Murder Approaches
Aug. 15 2023, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
Police officers in Utah who are being sued for $50 million by the family of murdered influencer Gabby Petito have finally hired legal counsel, RadarOnline.com can report.
In the latest development to come nearly two years after Gabby first disappeared on August 27, 2021, newly filed court documents found that the Utah police officers involved in the case retained a Salt Lake City-based attorney named Mitchell Stephens.
Gabby’s parents – Nichole Schmidt and Joseph Petito – first filed the wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department in November 2022. The pair blamed several officers in the department for failing to protect their daughter.
According to the lawsuit, the family's attorney – Brian Stewart – accused the police department of a series of failures during an encounter with Gabby and her boyfriend-turned-suspected murderer – Brian Laundrie – on August 12, 2021.
The police officers allegedly failed to properly document Gabby's injuries to her face, which were later revealed in a shocking selfie provided by the family's attorney.
The police also concluded that Gabby was the "primary aggressor" after she admitted to hitting Brian during their cross-country trip. However, the officers chose to only separate the couple for the night.
Gabby was then allegedly strangled to death by Brian a few days later. He subsequently fled the scene and returned home to Florida in their van.
Gabby’s body was ultimately found in an undeveloped camping area at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19, 2021, after an exhaustive search.
Recent court records revealed that the Moab Police Department and the officers listed as defendants hired Stephens, a top-rated business litigation attorney, to help fight the case against the Petito family.
The officers have yet to formally respond to the suit, although they released a statement arguing that the police department was not to blame for Gabby’s murder.
"The death of Gabrielle Petito in Wyoming is a terrible tragedy, and we feel profound sympathy for the Petito and Schmidt families and the painful loss they have endured,” the Moab Police Department wrote.
"At the same time, it is clear that Moab City Police Department officers are not responsible for Gabrielle Petito’s eventual murder."
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Gabby’s mother fired back at the Moab Police Department and reiterated her belief that the responding officers could have prevented her 22-year-old daughter’s demise.
"Our daughter, Gabby, died as a result of intimate partner violence that could have and should have been identified by law enforcement using the lethality assessment,” Nichole Schmidt charged.
She continued, "We believe that if the lethality assessment had been properly used in her situation, together with the recommended support and resources, Gabby would still be alive today."
Bertolino said his statement is not responsible for their emotional distress.
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As RadarOnline.com previously reported, this development comes after the Petito family was awarded $3 million from Brian Laundrie's estate following a separate wrongful death lawsuit.
A third lawsuit filed against Laundrie's parents remains ongoing. The pair are accused of not only knowing that their son murdered Gabby but also of knowing the whereabouts of her body despite issuing a public statement on September 14, 2021, asserting otherwise.
That case is currently scheduled for trial in Florida in May 2024. A judge recently denied all motions for the case to be dismissed.
The Petito family is seeking access to all messages exchanged between Brian Laundrie and his parents from August 27, 2021, until his death in November of that same year.
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