SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — The family of Gabby Petito is accusing the Laundries of knowing about Gabby Petito's murder by Brian Laundrie, according to a new lawsuit. Not only that, the lawsuit alleges Brian's parents were trying to help him flee the United States.

The FBI previously said Brian Laundrie claimed responsibility for the death of Gabby Petito in a journal entry found on his remains. The FBI did not, however, indicate that Laundrie's family may have known about the murder before it was public.

This lawsuit claims Brian's parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, were told of the murder by Brian on August 28, 2021—one day after the murder is believed to have happened—and later sent a retainer to Attorney Steve Bertolino on September 2, 2021.

Petito was not reported missing until September 11, 2021. Brian Laundrie was not named a person of interest until September 14.

This lawsuit also claims Laundrie tried to "hide the fact that she was deceased" by using Petito's phone to text his own phone after the murder as if she was alive. One text in particular alarmed Gabby Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, because the text referred to her grandfather by his name, Stan. Her mother claims Gabby Petito "never called her grandfather by his name."

In the early days of the investigation to locate Gabby Petito, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, Brian's parents, refused to cooperate with authorities. 

The lawsuit alleges the Laundries were hiding Brian Laundrie's locations and were "making arrangements for him to leave the country."

Authorities were aware that Brian Laundrie saw his sister at her home on September 1 and at Fort DeSoto park on September 6. The lawsuit points to a trip to Fort DeSoto park by the Laundrie family "while Gabrielle Petito's family was suffering."

Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt seek damages of at least $100,000, per the lawsuit, for acting "with malice or great indifference to the rights of Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt."

Petito is believed to have been murdered by Laundrie on August 27, 2021. The FBI found Gabby Petito's remains in September at a campsite in Wyoming after she had been reported missing. It was determined that she had been strangled.

However, the lawsuit filed by Petito's family also alleges there were injuries to the head and neck.

Laundrie drove back to Florida alone and did not report her disappearance to authorities, leading some to speculate his involvement in her disappearance. Laundrie was found dead at Myakkahatchee Creek Park the following month.