Where are Brian Laundrie’s parents? All you need to know about Gabby Petito's fiancé's family

The release of the Netflix documentary American Murder: Gabby Petito has revealed many insights into Brian Laundrie's killing of Gabby Petito. The long-drawn-out investigation that followed when 22-year-old Petito was reported missing in September 2021 was intertwined with Petito’s fiancé, Laundrie, as well as his parents, Roberta and Christopher Laundrie.

Roberta and Christopher Laundrie still reside at the same house in North Point, Florida, which became a center of media attention and protesters’ anger back in 2021 when the Laundries failed to cooperate with the investigation into Petito’s initial disappearance.

The Laundries reportedly moved to Florida in search of the state’s easy-going climate, according to Independent. The Independent report details that the Laundries had opened a company supplying equipment to commercial juicing ventures called Juicer Services. At the time of this article's publishing, the company is not in operation.

So, what was the exact involvement of Brian Laundrie’s parents in Petito’s disappearance and murder? Let’s jump in to recall crucial details of the couple’s life leading up to the murder, the aftermath, and their alleged complicity.

Petito at the Laundries’ family home

Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie had attended the same high school in Bayport. Their relationship began in 2019, a few years after they graduated. The couple’s engagement was announced on Instagram by Petito in a post dated July 3, 2020.

Petito was quite familiar with her fiancé’s parents as she had been staying with them at their residence in North Point. Petito’s time with the Laundries has been well-documented via information provided by Petito’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, and Petito’s friend, Rose Davis.

Time Magazine reports that Davis recalled in American Murder: Gabby Petito that Petito’s stay at the Laundries home was uncomfortable, particularly due to Roberta. According to Cosmopolitan Magazine, Schmidt alleged that Petito had sent her a text message detailing Roberta’s envious demeanor.

Petito and Brian Laundrie’s travel vlog

From the Laundries’ home, Gabby Petito, who was a travel influencer, embarked on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, at the beginning of July 2024. Petito bought a 2012 Ford Transit Connect and fixed it up for long-distance travel, according to the couple’s YouTube channel, Nomadic Statik.

The channel was created to document tips for living in a van, hiking, and finding spots for their viewers.

Petito called the van their “tiny home” in an Instagram post. According to Petito’s Instagram posts and the YouTube vlog, everything seemed to be going well for the happy couple. However, according to US Weekly, the couple were pulled over in Utah one month into the trip due to a 911 call that reported the caller seeing Brian Laundrie allegedly “slapping” Petito.

The body cam footage, a part of the Netflix documentary, shows both Petito and Laundrie talking to the cops. While the two were separated for the night by the police, by morning, the couple had got together and resumed their journey.

The Laundries’ involvement in the cover-up of Petito’s death

After not being able to get in touch with her daughter for close to two weeks, Schmidt filed a missing person’s report for Petito on September 11, 2021.

Meanwhile, Schmidt and Petito’s father, Joe, got in touch with Roberta and other members of the Laundrie family, asking if they knew anything about Petito and Laundrie’s whereabouts. However, attempts of both of Petito’s parents to contact the Laundries failed, as they got no responses.

By September 19, Petito’s body was discovered in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, and an autopsy done by the Teton County Coroner revealed strangulation as the cause of death, according to Cosmopolitan Magazine’s coverage of the coroner’s press conference.

It was revealed that Brian Laundrie had called his parents sometime around the end of August 2021, telling his father that “Gabby’s gone” and that he needed help. This fact was revealed during a deposition for the civil lawsuit filed by Petito’s parents against Laundrie’s parents for their alleged concealment of Petito’s death.

Brian Laundrie had arrived in Florida from Wyoming while investigators were still on the search for Petito. The documentary shows body cam footage of Christopher talking to cops at his door and refusing to give any information apart from the fact that his son had returned. Refusing to divulge further details, Christopher asked cops to get in touch with his lawyer.

Brian Laundrie’s death

Around September 13 or 14, after a camping trip with his family, Laundrie disappeared. Ultimately found by a search party in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20, Brian Laundrie had shot himself.

Cosmopolitan Magazine reproduced the letter found beside Laundrie’s body, which explained that he had taken Petito’s life after she was injured after a fall. The letter said,

“I ended her life. I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock. But from the moment I decided I took away her pain, I knew I couldn't go on without her.”

The Laundries released a statement via their lawyer, reported Independent, which said,

“Chris and Roberta are still mourning the loss of their son and are hopeful that these findings bring closure to both families.”

The wrongful death lawsuit against the Laundries filed by the Petitios was settled outside court for $3 million, according to Time Magazine.

Fox 13 News reported that Nicole Schmidt accused Roberta Laundrie during CrimeCon 2024. While Schmidt admitted that she forgave Laundrie, she said,

“As for you, Roberta, and I call you out individually because you are evidently the mastermind that shattered your family and mine with your evil ways, I see no empathy in your eyes,”

The Laundrie family declined to participate in Netflix’s documentary despite being repeatedly contacted by the filmmakers.