Gabby Petito, 22, was a Vlogger who went on a cross-country journey with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie last fall. Gabby vanished while on the cross-country trip and was later discovered murdered. Before Gabby’s murder, she and Brian were stopped by the Moab, Utah police who failed to see the danger Gabby was in and allowed her to leave with Landrie. Gabby’s parents have filed a $50 million lawsuit claiming the police could have saved the young woman’s life.
Gabby Petito’s – Parents Blame The Police
Petito’s parents filed the complaint on Thursday, November 3, 2022. The complaint claims that Gabby would have been alive today if Moab police had complied with the Utah domestic violence statutes. Instead of seperating Gabby and Brian the police allowed them both to leave together. Gabby may have survived if the situation had been calmed down.
According to the Petito family’s lawsuit, officers who stopped Gabby from Brian did not notice signs of domestic abuse. Despite Gabby’s obvious trouble, Moab officers identified Brian as Brian’s victim. TheTwo officers are accused in a lawsuit were negligent in their duties which lead to Gabby’s death.
Did One Of The Officers Get Biased?
Petitos attorney alleges one of the officers was “fundamentally biased”The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Eric Pratt had threatened to kill the woman after their breakup. The woman who made the accusations against Pratt never filed a formal complaint and she is not named in the suit.
To avoid non-discretionary Utah laws that could have led to separation, the officers allegedly searched for loopholes in Utah laws. Their lawyer claims that the officers did not receive adequate training in domestic violence issues. It is the responsibility of the police department to ensure that officers are properly trained.
The Lawsuit Against The Laundries
This lawsuit follows a suit filed against Brian Laundrie’s parents, Chris Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie. The lawsuit was filed against the Laundries for emotional suffering. They also claim that Brian killed their daughter and that they covered for him. The Petito family believes the Laundries deliberately obstructed the police investigation.
Schmidt says, “We feel we need to bring justice because she could have been protected that day. There are laws put in place to protect victims, and those laws were not followed, and we don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
Do You Think The Police Should Have Helped More?
Moab police defend their actions, claiming they couldn’t see into the future. The city promises to “ardently defend against this lawsuit.”Moab police responded to a domestic abuse report on August 12, 2021. Petito was being harmed by Laundrie. The police pulled the couple over and identified Petito the instigator. They told them to spend the night apart. They didn’t physically seperate them.
Petito was reported missing on September 11, 2021 by her parents. This occurred ten days after Laundrie had returned home alone. Petito’s parents last spoke to her on August 25, however, the family believes the Laundrie sent messages for five days afterward. Petito’s body was found on September 18 in Wyoming. Laundrie disappeared on September 14, and she was reported missing three days later. Laundrie’s remains were found in October with a note confessing to her murder.
Could the police have saved Gabby’s life? The Petitos will get justice for Gabby if they are proven right in their belief that Gabby was the victim of negligent police work.
Keep checking back for news and updates on the Petito’s case.