A settlement has been reached between the family of Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito and her fiance Brian Laundrie in a civil lawsuit for emotional distress filed by Petit’s parents against Laundrie’s parents.
According to CNN, the settlement was reached during mediation between Joe Petit and Nichole Schmidt (Gabby’s parents) and Chris and Roberta Laundrie (Brian’s parents) on Wednesday. The case would have gone to trial in May if a settlement had not been reached.
Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino confirmed the news in a statement to Fox News and other media outlets.
“Christopher and Roberta Laundrie and I participated in mediation with the Petito family and the civil action has now been resolved. The terms of the settlement are confidential and we look forward to putting this matter behind us,” his statement read.
PEOPLE has reached out to Bertolini for comment.
The Petito family also released their own statement through their attorney to WFLA-TV, expressing that “all parties have reluctantly agreed to avoid further legal costs and prolonged personal conflict.”
Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie. North Port Police Department/Facebook Timeline of Gabby Petito’s Tragedy One Year After Brian Laundrie’s Killer Body Was Found
“We hope to close this chapter in our lives so that we can move on and continue to honor the legacy of our beautiful daughter, Gabby,” the statement continued.
The settlement is in response to an emotional distress lawsuit filed by Petit’s parents against Laundrie’s parents. They claimed the laundromats knew Gabby had died and discovered the location of her deceased body after a national search for her whereabouts began after she went missing during a cross-country trip with their son in the summer of 2021, which was recorded on YouTube.
Laundrie returned to her parents’ home without Petit on September 1, 2021, and she was reported missing on September 11, 2021.
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Gabby Petito. Gabby Petito Instagram Brian Laundrie told his parents on the phone ‘Gabby is gone’. His father claims that he did not know what his son was talking about
Her remains were found in Grand Teton National Park on September 19, 2021, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Laundrie became a person of interest in the case and police said he refused to cooperate with their investigation. He was reported missing on September 13, 2021, and his human remains, along with a backpack and a notebook (in which he confessed to killing Gabby), were found at Myakkahatchee Creek Ecological Park on October 20, 2021. His death was ruled suicide.
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Brian Laundrie. Instagram
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Petit’s parents were awarded $3 million in a November 2022 wrongful-death lawsuit against Laundrie’s estate.
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Source: HIS Education