Roberta Laundrie, the mother of Brian Laundrie, is set to be deposed Wednesday as part of a civil lawsuit filed by the parents of Gabby Petito following her death in 2021.
The deposition comes after Petito's parents came face-to-face with Laundrie's parents on Tuesday for the first time since her murder.
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In a courthouse in Venice, Florida, the legal team for Petito’s parents deposed Christopher Laundrie, Brian Laundrie’s father.
The depositions come as part of a civil lawsuit in which Petito's parents suing the Laundries and their attorney Steven Bertolino for intentional infliction of emotional distress based on the claim they were aware of Petito’s murder and chose to do nothing other than issue a statement through Bertolino expressing hope she would be found.
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According to WFLA, who first reported on the story, Petito’s parents, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, described Laundrie’s testimony as “gut-wrenching.”
“It was extremely hurtful to listen to someone that has no remorse and no compassion for the girl they would call their daughter-in-law,” Schmidt said.
In the weeks after Gabby went missing, Petito and Schmidt publicly pleaded for Brian Laundrie and his parents to help locate Gabby, but they say their phone calls, texts and social media messages all went unanswered.
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The closed-door depositions are expected to play a major role in the civil trial between the two families, which is set for May 2024.
For Tuesday’s scheduled meeting, only Christopher Laundrie and his attorney were required to attend, however Roberta Laundrie and Bertolino also chose to be present.
“I have nothing to share other than there were no surprises on our side,” Bertolino told WFLA.com after the 3-hour deposition ended Tuesday.
Roberta will be questioned less than five months after the release of the infamous “burn after reading” letter she wrote to Brian. In the letter, she offered her son a shovel and garbage bags if he needed to dispose of a body.
In May, Judge Danielle Brewer denied a motion of protection against the letter’s inclusion in the discovery process as the two families head to a civil trial next year. The letter was released to WFLA.com soon after.
More depositions are scheduled as both sides prepare for trial in May 2024.
