NEWSGabby Petito $50 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit: Utah Police Officers Sued by Her Parents Obtain Lawyer
Gabby Petito's parents amended their lawsuit against the Moab PD.
The Moab, Utah, police officers who investigated a domestic violence incident between Gabby Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, have finally obtained a lawyer.
New court documents show that the policeman will be represented by Mitchell Stephens.
Petito's parents, Nichole Schmidt and Joseph Petito, filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the cops, claiming they failed to protect their daughter, whom they met with in 2021 days before she was murdered by Laundrie.
At the time, an onlooker called in to report a domestic violence incident that appeared to be going down between the couple.
According to the late social media star's parents, the officers didn't properly document the injuries Petito had when they met with her, and they also claimed she was the aggressor in the situation.
The cops appeared to brush off the ordeal and merely told the two to separate for just one evening before they went on their way.
"Our daughter, Gabby, died as a result of intimate partner violence that could have and should have been identified by law enforcement using the lethality assessment," Schmidt stated. "We believe that if the lethality assessment had been properly used in her situation, together with the recommended support and resources, Gabby would still be alive today."
- Gabby Petito's Family Files 2nd Amendment to Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Moab Police: 'We Will Never Stop Seeking Justice'
- Cops Label Gabby Petito Family's $50M Lawsuit as a 'Publicity Stunt' and Vow to Fight Case
- Gabby Petito's Parents File $50 Million Lawsuit Against Police, Claim Daughter 'Would Be Alive' If Authorities 'Were Properly Trained'
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The Moab Police Department claimed they have nothing to do with Gabby's death.
"The death of Gabrielle Petito in Wyoming is a terrible tragedy, and we feel profound sympathy for the Petito and Schmidt families and the painful loss they have endured," they wrote in response after news of the lawsuit was revealed. "At the same time, it is clear that Moab City Police Department officers are not responsible for Gabrielle Petito’s eventual murder."
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As OK! reported, Gabby and Laundrie were on a long road trip when things turned violent. It's believed she was strangled in August by Laundrie, and he raised suspicions when he returned home to Florida without her and refused to comment on her whereabouts.
He then went on the run, though her body was discovered on September 19. On October 20, Laundrie was founded dead via a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He confessed to murdering her via a journal entry, a belonging the authorities uncovered near his body.
