Families of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie reach settlement in emotional distress suit

The parents of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie have reached a settlement on a civil suit filed by the Petito family following the death of their daughter.

The emotional distress case, filed by the Petitos after Gabby's body was found in Florida on Oct. 20 of last year, accused Laundrie's parents and their lawyer, Steven Bertolino, of knowing Gabby was dead after she went missing on Sept. 19 and failing to disclose the information to searching parties.

Laundrie, who was Petito's fiance at the time of her disappearance, admitted responsibility for her death in writings found after his apparent death by suicide. The Petitos later filed the suit on the grounds of intentional reckless infliction of emotional distress.

However, the families have since met to reach an agreement before the suit made its way to court. A statement released by lawyer Patrick Reilly on behalf of Petito's parents Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt said the agreement was reached "after a long day of mediation."

"A confidential resolution has been reached between the parents of Gabby Petitio, the parents of Brian Laundrie and Attorney Steven Bertolino to which all parties reluctantly agreed in order to avoid further legal expenses and prolonged personal conflict," the statement read.

"Our hope is to close this chapter of our lives to allow us to move on and continue to honor the legacy of our beautiful daughter, Gabby."

Bertolino did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

What happened to Gabby Petito?

The case of Gabby Petito gained national attention during the summer of 2021, sparking widespread speculation about her disappearance and whether Brian Laundrie had killed her. She went missing during a cross-country road trip with Laundrie, who returned from the trip without her.

After Petito's family reported her missing, her body was found in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in September 2021. Laundrie later was also reported missing and was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a nature reserve in southern Sarasota County, Florida, in October 2021.

Gabby Petito murder:Brian Laundrie wrote in notebook that he killed fiancee Gabby Petito, FBI says

Authorities said Laundrie admitted to killing Petito in a note found with his body. Her death was ruled a homicide by strangulation.

Since 2022, Petito’s family has been involved in a legal battle against Laundrie’s parents and his estate. In November 2022, the families reached a $3 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit which claimed Laundrie was liable for damages because he caused Petito's death.