Are Brian Laundrie’s parents guilty? Legal expert weighs in on American Murder case

If you’ve watched the Netflix documentary series American Murder: Gabby Petito, chances are you’ll be asking the same question: are Brian Laundrie’s parents, Christopher and Roberta, guilty?

The new true crime title is the third American Murder series, following on from deep dives into the Chris Watts case and the murder of Laci Peterson. This time, it’s tackling the 2021 murder of Gabby Petito, the van life vlogger who was killed by her partner, Brian Laundrie. 

After the police and the FBI got involved, Brian went on the run before dying by suicide two months after Gabby’s disappearance. Although there are no definite answers, the Netflix doc sets out the timeline of events while speaking with Gabby’s friends and family to get a clearer picture of what happened. 

One of the key focuses is on Brian’s parents. As explained by FBI agent Kyle, on August 28 – the day after Gabby was last seen – Brian called his mom Roberta for 55 minutes. Just hours later, his father Christopher contacted an attorney. Warning: some may find this content distressing.

Are Brian Laundrie’s parents guilty? 

Netflix

Their contact with an attorney and the secrecy surrounding Gabby’s disappearance have fueled speculation that they may have helped their son evade law enforcement. However, proving criminal liability is far more complicated.

Dexerto spoke with Ben Michael, Attorney, M & A Criminal Defense Attorneys, to learn more about why this is the case, and why Christopher and Roberta Laundrie were never arrested. 

“While there is a possibility that they could at some point face criminal charges, I think that’s highly unlikely,” he told us. 

“They were never charged to begin with because the evidence of their cause or involvement in the death of Petito was not strong enough.”

Michael went on to highlight the ‘burn after reading’ letter Roberta wrote to Brian, which was uncovered during a house search. In it, she told her son, “If you’re in jail, I will bake a cake with a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.”

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However, even when there’s evidence that appears concrete on the outside, it’s hard to prove guilt in the court of law. 

“With that letter, for example, where Roberta Laundrie wrote to her son statements like ‘if you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags’, the date in which that letter was written couldn’t be proven,” Michael continued. 

“Their lawyers stated it was written before Petito’s death and was unrelated, and there simply was not enough evidence to prove otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Roberta and Christopher Laundrie did face lawsuits

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Although they weren’t arrested or charged with any crimes, the Laundries faced two separate legal actions from Gabby’s parents, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, both of which have since concluded. 

The first, filed in March 2022, accused Christopher and Roberta of intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging they knew Gabby was dead when they shared messages of hopes she’d be found.

The second was a wrongful death lawsuit filed in May 2022, which targeted the Laundrie estate for damages. This was settled first in November that year, when a Florida judge awarded Gabby’s family $3 million.

The emotional distress lawsuit was settled in February 2024, although the details and conditions remain confidential. 

Where are Christopher and Roberta now?

Netflix

The Laundrie parents were last photographed in June 2024 outside of their Northport, Florida home, suggesting they haven’t left the state since the case unfolded. 

They continue to live life out of the public eye, having faced swarms of protesters when Gabby’s murder made news across the world. 

Netflix did reach out for a comment from Christopher and Roberta, but text at the end of American Murder: Gabby Petito reads, “The Laundrie family, through their lawyer, declined to provide a comment.”

At last year’s CrimeCon, a true crime convention in Nashville, Nichole announced that she had forgiven Brian but couldn’t extend the same for Roberta, who she described as “pure evil.”

“I speak for myself here when I say Brian, I forgive you. I needed to release myself from the chains of anger and bitterness, that I refuse to let your despicable act define the rest of my life,” she said (via CNN). 

“Your atrocious decision to take a life, my daughter’s life, has ignited a fire within me, a fierce determination to protect the innocent from falling victim to monsters like you.”

Gabby’s mother continued, “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, no remorse in your heart, and no willingness to take responsibility for your actions.”

American Murder: Gabby Petito is streaming on Netflix now. For more true crime news, read about whether Jon and Carie Hallford went to jail, where Mary Day is now, and Hulu’s upcoming Ruby Franke documentary.