Brian Laundrie’s parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, found themselves thrust into the national spotlight in the fall of 2021 when their son returned home alone from a cross-country road trip he had been on with his fiancée, Gabby Petito. What should have been an exciting journey chronicled on social media turned into a tragic true crime saga that left the world watching their every move.
Brian returned to their home in North Port, Florida, on September 1, 2021, in Gabby’s van, but without Gabby herself. For days, her family attempted to reach her, only to be met with silence. On September 11, her parents officially reported her missing, and when police arrived at the Laundrie household, Christopher and Roberta refused to speak about Gabby’s whereabouts. Instead, they directed law enforcement to their attorney, Steven Bertolino.
What Happened to Brian Laundrie’s Parents? Did They Get Charged? Where Are They Today?
As the case unfolded, Gabby’s body was discovered on September 19 in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest. The coroner later confirmed she had died from strangulation. By this point, Brian Laundrie was nowhere to be found. His parents claimed he had left their house on September 13, heading into the Carlton Reserve for a solo hike. They waited four days before reporting him missing, a delay that immediately raised eyebrows.
Law enforcement launched an extensive search, but the terrain was difficult, and flooding complicated efforts. On October 20, over a month after Brian vanished, his skeletal remains were located in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, along with his backpack, notebook, and a revolver. He had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The notebook contained a written confession to Gabby’s murder.
The public’s focus quickly turned to Christopher and Roberta, with many questioning whether they had helped Brian evade authorities. It later emerged that Brian Laundrie had called his parents on August 29, two days after Gabby was last seen, and told them that she was “gone.” Rather than alert the police, they lawyered up.
On September 6, the family went camping at Fort De Soto Park, a trip that raised suspicions that they were possibly assisting Brian in a getaway plan. In a civil lawsuit filed by Gabby’s parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, they accused the Laundries of knowing Gabby was dead while they were ignoring her family’s frantic calls and even vacationing. The lawsuit further alleged that Roberta blocked Nichole’s phone number and Facebook profile to avoid contact.
Adding to the intrigue was a letter written by Roberta to Brian, found among his possessions. The envelope chillingly read, “Burn after reading.” Inside, Roberta wrote that she would “bring a shovel and garbage bags” if Brian ever needed to dispose of a body. She later claimed it was an old note from before his trip, written in a “jokey” manner. The explanation did little to satisfy the court of public opinion, which had already branded the Laundries as complicit in their son’s actions.
In November 2022, a Florida judge ruled in favor of Gabby Petito’s parents in a wrongful death lawsuit, awarding them $3 million from Brian Laundrie’s estate. In February 2024, another civil lawsuit against the Laundries was settled in mediation, with the details kept confidential. Despite these legal conclusions, the anger toward Christopher and Roberta persisted. They had remained silent throughout the ordeal, refusing to provide any real insight into Brian’s actions, even as Gabby’s family suffered immeasurable loss.
The only member of the Laundrie family who spoke out publicly was Brian’s sister, Cassie Laundrie. She initially stated that she did not know of Brian’s whereabouts and that she would have turned him in had she been aware. However, leaked documents later suggested she had seen Brian on September 6, during the family’s camping trip.
Since the lawsuits were settled, Christopher and Roberta have lived a largely reclusive life in their Florida home. They did not participate in Netflix’s 2025 docuseries, American Murder: Gabby Petito, despite filmmakers reaching out to them. They also refused to make any public comments about the case beyond statements from their attorney. In June 2024, they were photographed outside their home, where Brian Laundrie’s old Mustang was still parked in the driveway, suggesting they had not relocated despite the backlash they faced.
In 2021, Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie went on a four month road trip across the United States documenting their van life on social media. Only one of them returned.
American Murder: Gabby Petito premieres February 17. pic.twitter.com/n5HR9XjB58
— Netflix (@netflix) January 27, 2025
The case of Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito continues to haunt those involved, especially the Petito family, who have worked tirelessly to keep Gabby’s memory alive through advocacy and legal efforts. In contrast, the Laundries have chosen to remain in the shadows, their actions forever questioned by the public. Their reluctance to speak openly, the cryptic letter, and the suspicious timing of their decisions only fueled theories that they played a role—if not in Gabby’s murder, then at least in obstructing justice.
Whether they truly knew the extent of Brian Laundrie’s actions or were merely trying to protect their son, their silence has spoken volumes, leaving the world to judge them in the court of public opinion.
