“A confidential resolution has been reached between the parents of Gabby Petito, 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,” an attorney for the Petito family said in a statement.
The parents of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old aspiring travel vlogger who was murdered by her fiancé while on a cross-country “van life” road trip, have reached a civil settlement with the family of Brian Laundrie.
As LegalReader.com has reported before, the Petito family’s lawsuit suggested that Laundrie’s parents—Christopher and Roberta Laundrie—knew that their son had killed Petito in a Wyoming national park, yet intentionally withheld information about Gabby’s fate and Brian’s whereabouts.
Steve Bertolino, an attorney for the Laundrie family listed in the complaint, announced on Wednesday that all involved parties had reached and agreed to a confidential settlement.
“Christopher and Roberta Laundrie and I participated in mediation with the Petito family, and the civil lawsuit has now been resolved,” Bertolino told FOX News Digital. “The terms of the resolution are confidential, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us.”
FOX News notes that the settlement was reached shortly after Reilly dropped efforts to try compelling Bertolino to provide testimony about his private conversations with Brian Laundrie—conversations that Bertolino had argued were protected by attorney-client privilege.
If mediation had failed, the case would have moved to trial on May 13.
A lawyer for Petito’s parents emphasized that the agreement was reached “after a long day of mediation.”
“A confidential resolution has been reached between the parents of Gabby Petito, 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,” attorney Patrick Reilly said in a statement, which was released on behalf of the Petito family.
“Our hope,” the statement said, “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.”
The two families had earlier settled a wrongful death lawsuit against Brian Laundrie’s estate, securing a settlement of $3 million—an amount that Petito’s parents said they would use to help “in their endeavors with the Gabby Petito Foundation.”
“The Gabby Petito Foundation will continue to address the needs of organizations that support locating missing persons and to provide aid to organizations that assist victims of domestic violence situations, through education, awareness, and prevention strategies,” the family said after resolving their wrongful death claim last November. “Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt wish to turn their personal tragedy into a positive. It is their hope that Gabby’s foundation will bring these important issues into the forefront of the public eye to the benefit of all our communities.”
Sources
Families of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie reach settlement in emotional distress suit
Gabby Petito’s, Brian Laundrie’s families settle wrongful death suit for $3M
Gabby Petito’s parents reach deal with parents of Brian Laundrie in civil lawsuit
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