BRIAN Laundrie’s dad has broken his cover for the first time since a new series investigated his son’s murder of his fiancée Gabby Petito.
Christopher Laundrie, 65, was seen out and about in Florida in exclusive photos obtained by The U.S. Sun one day after American Murder: Gabby Petito premiered on Netflix.
Romain Maurice for The U.S. SunChristopher Laundrie looking stoic in the driveway of his home in North Port, Florida, on February 18, 2025[/caption]
Romain Maurice for The U.S. SunChristopher Laundrie at his Florida home on February 18, 2025[/caption]
InstagramGabby Petito and Brian Laundrie at Zion National Park in Utah in July 2021[/caption]
Romain Maurice for The U.S. SunThe Florida home where Roberta and Chris Laundrie live[/caption]
The three-part series dives into Brian’s relationship with Gabby, 22, before he strangled the vlogger to death on their cross-country road trip in August 2021.
Just one day after the docuseries premiered, Brian’s dad was seen outside his home in North Port, which is about 88 miles south of Tampa, Florida.
Christopher looked stoic as he walked up his driveway in the exclusive photos.
Hours before the new pictures were taken, Christopher and his wife Roberta Laundrie’s family lawyer lashed out at the new series and slammed it as “inaccurate” in a statement.
The project, which features previously unseen texts, diary entries, and footage from Gabby’s family and friends, features damning scenes about the Laundries, who refused to help Gabby’s family search for her when she went missing.
Brian’s family has stayed out of the public eye since the case and declined to participate in the new series.
The doc has reignited public interest in the case, which garnered nationwide attention when Gabby was first reported missing after Brian, 23, returned home from their trip without his fiancée.
He refused to speak about Gabby’s whereabouts, which prompted her family to publicly beg for her return, even pleading with Brian’s family to help them find their daughter.
RESURFACED FOOTAGE
However, Brian wasn’t the only one who stayed quiet about Gabby’s disappearance – his family stuck by his side when they were confronted by cops.
Christopher and Roberta became on edge and defensive when cops knocked on their door on September 11, 2021, the day Gabby was reported missing, according to resurfaced body camera footage.
The video, obtained by Fox News at the time, showed Brian’s dad answering the door barefoot and immediately saying, “I’m not talking to anybody.”
The officer then told Christopher he was on the phone with a New York detective who was looking for Gabby.
When the officer asked Christopher about the last time he saw his son and Gabby, the dad responded, “Well, Brian is here.”
When the cop tried to confirm Brian was present at the home, Christopher quickly shut down the conversation.
Brian Laundrie’s family blasts docuseries
Brian Laundrie’s family has spoken out about the new docuseries examining their son and Gabby Petito’s troubled relationship. They told The U.S. Sun through their lawyer:
“The documentary was what we expected. One perspective depicted as the ‘truth’ as seen through their lens. Similar to Republicans and Democrats fighting it out lately. Each side believes their perspective is correct. Hard to see through the lens of the other with all the noise and distrust.
“To be clear though, there were no contradictions by my clients Chris and Roberta Laundrie. The documentary contained many inaccuracies, incorrect juxtapositions of timelines, and misstatements and omissions of fact – perhaps deliberate to capture their ‘truth,’ perhaps due to simple error.
“We all know Brian took Gabby’s life and Brian then took his own as well. Let the parents of both Gabby and Brian mourn them in peace.”
“Yeah, and that’s all I’m going to say,” he fired back.
He then gave the officer his attorney’s contact information.
‘WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING’
After returning to the cop car for a moment, the officer then returned to the front door for a second round of questioning.
“I hate to bother you. I know you said already you don’t want to speak or don’t want to help us,” the cop told Christopher and Roberta.
“I’m trying to figure out something for [Gabby’s] parents, you guys as parents, and all they want is to know that their daughter is safe.
“So, I don’t know where it all started before, I don’t know what has transpired. I don’t know anything about that.
“I’m here to know if you guys know anything. It would put the family at ease, and it will go from there.”
But Christopher remained defiant and said, “We don’t know anything.”
North Port Police DepartmentRoberta and Christopher Laundrie being questioned at their home by North Port Police on September 11, 2021[/caption]
momandpaparazzi.com for The US SunChristopher and Roberta Laundrie walking through their neighborhood in North Port, Florida, on May 10, 2023[/caption]
momandpaparazzi.com for The US SunChristopher Laundrie walking in his neighborhood on May 10, 2023[/caption]
When the cop tried to speak with Brian, his dad quickly interrupted and said, “He’s not going to talk to you. He’s not going to talk to anybody.”
The police officer then told the family he was going to seize Gabby’s van, which her family recently revealed has been destroyed, after Brian brought it home from the trip.
The conversation concluded with a cold response from Christopher.
“Goodnight. Don’t knock on my door anymore,” the dad said before shutting his front door.
When Brian and his family wouldn’t speak about Gabby’s whereabouts, online investigators scoured Gabby’s social media posts and her YouTube video looking for clues in the disappearance.
Weeks after Gabby first went missing, a horrifying piece of the puzzle fell into place when cops released disturbing bodycam footage showing cops responding to a domestic abuse call involving Gabby and Brian in Moab, Utah, weeks before her death.
Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito’s disappearance:
June 2021 – Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
July 4 – Gabby posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
July 8 – Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
July 18 – Gabby and Brian post photos of themselves at Utah’s Zion National Park.
August 12 – Body camera footage was released in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
August 17 – Brian flies home to Florida to visit his parents, stock up on supplies, and close a storage unit.
August 19 – Gabby and Brian post a video on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip.
August 22 – Gabby texts her ex-boyfriend, Jackson.
August 23 – Brian returns to meet Gabby in Salt Lake City.
August 24 – Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
August 25 – Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed “more and more tension” between her and Brian.
August 25 – Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
August 27 – Gabby messages Jackson for the final time.
August 27 – Gabby is seen for the final time at a Whole Foods. Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
August 27 – Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple’s van “abandoned” on a dirt road.
September 1 – Brian returns home to Florida without Gabby.
September 11 – Gabby’s parents report her missing to Suffolk County police.
September 14 – Brian’s family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
September 14 – Brian is allegedly last seen by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
September 15 – Florida’s North Port police announce Brian is a person of interest in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
September 16 – Utah police release body camera footage of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
September 17 – Brian’s parents say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
September 18 – Police announce they were searching Carlton Reserve in Florida for Brian. Police announce they have not found anything.
September 19 – Authorities in Wyoming say they found a body in Grand Teton National Park. The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby’s but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
September 20 – Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie’s home, seizing his silver Mustang and a hard drive that may contain “evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed.”
September 21 – Officials announce they will be conducting an autopsy on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
September 21 – The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby’s. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
September 21 – The Teton County Coroner’s office said Gabby’s official cause of death was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
September 22 – Police continue to scour Carlton Reserve for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
September 23 – Officials announced a federal arrest warrant for Brian was issued.
September 26 – Gabby’s funeral was held on Long Island, New York.
October 12: Gabby’s autopsy results were made public. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed Gabby died by strangulation.
October 20: Laundrie’s personal items were found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. A medical examiner was called to the scene.
October 21: The FBI confirmed the remains found have been identified as Laundrie’s.
November 23: Laundrie’s autopsy reveals he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
January 21, 2022: The FBI released its final investigative statement on Gabby’s case. The statement said, “The investigation did not identify any other individuals other than Brian Laundrie directly involved in the tragic death of Gabby Petito.”
October 1, 2022: The Gabby Petito Story premieres on Lifetime without the family’s approval.
February 17, 2025 – American Murder: Gabby Petito premieres on Netflix.
Gabby’s body was found in Grand Teton National Forest on September 19, 2021. She had been strangled to death.
After her body was found, the FBI issued an arrest warrant for Brian for illegally using Gabby’s debit card after her death.
The manhunt for Brian ended when they found his body at a Florida park near his parent’s house on October 21, 2021. He died by suicide.
Brian took responsibility for Gabby’s death in a note in his journal, which was found near his body in a bag.
The bag also included a letter stating, “Please do not make life harder for my family, they lost a son and a daughter.”
Gabby’s family sued Brian’s family for her wrongful death in 2022 and was awarded $3 million.
SUSPICIOUS PHONE CALL
In 2023, Gabby’s parents sued the Laundries and their attorney, Steven Bertolino, for intentional infliction of emotional stress for their behavior after their daughter disappeared.
During the deposition for the case, the Laundries admitted what they knew about Gabby’s disappearance after they received a “frantic” phone call from their son two days after she disappeared.
Chris and Roberta said Brian called them on August 29, 2021 and told them Gabby was “gone” and he needed a lawyer.
Brian’s parents didn’t admit they knew Gabby was dead and only said Brian reported she was “gone,” Petito family attorney Pat Reilly told local NBC affiliate WFLA at the time.
Gabby and Brian’s families eventually reached a confidential agreement to their civil lawsuit weeks before the case was set to be tried.
The Laundries have stayed silent about the case over the years, only speaking through Bertolino.
Docuseries filmmakers Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro told Us Weekly the family refused to partake in the new project.
“We did reach out to his family,” Nason said.
“It’s hard to open up about this [topic] for that side of the family. So we made best efforts to reach out to them.
Gasparro added, “We reached out to the family, to their lawyer and to Brian’s sister. But we respected the fact that they didn’t want to participate and that’s it.”
American Murder: Gabby Petito is available for streaming now on Netflix.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org.
YouTube/ Nomadic StatikGabby Petito and Brian Laundrie in a YouTube video about their life on the road[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
