Though Brian Laundrie isn’t here to answer for killing his girlfriend Gabby Petito, his parents are. A judge denied Laundrie’s parents’ request to toss Petito’s parents’ lawsuit against them Thursday, calling Laundrie’s parents’ actions “callous and cruel.” Petito’s parents are seeking at least $30,000 in damages for mental stress caused by the Laundries. The lawsuit alleges that Christopher and Roberta Laundrie helped Brian cover up Gabby’s murder and were scheming to help him flee the country. The Petitos also claim the Laundries went on vacation with Brian instead of helping them find their then-missing daughter. If the lawsuit’s claims are true, a statement the Laundries made on Sept. 14, 2021, in support of the search for Gabby was issued when they already knew she was dead. While the Laundries argued that they had no obligation to divulge information, the judge said their actions went far beyond simply choosing to stay silent. “Had the Laundries truly stayed silent, the court would have granted the motion to dismiss in the Laundries favor,” the judge said. “But they did not stay silent.”
