Gabby Petito’s mother has shared her thoughts on the circumstances surrounding the death of her daughter’s killer, suggesting that someone else may have been involved in Brian Laundrie’s death.
In July 2021, Gabby and Brian embarked on a dream cross-country journey in their remodeled Ford Transit van. Originally appearing as a picturesque couple on social media, their relationship became entangled in a complex criminal case.
Gabby’s cause of death was determined to be from ‘blunt-force injuries’ to her head and neck and ‘manual strangulation,’ occurring on August 27 or 28, 2021.
Brian Laundrie was found dead nearly a month later, with suicide as the cause, occurring around September 21. His remains were discovered the following month, and it was determined that he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Nichole Schmidt, Gabby’s mother, recently discussed her daughter’s tragic case on The Squeeze podcast, hosted by Twilight star Taylor Lautner and his wife, Taylor Dome.
Nichole expressed her doubts: “I will say straightforward, I don’t think he killed himself. I think either his father or [his mother] did. That’s just my opinion, it’s not a fact, it’s an opinion.”
Elaborating on her theory, she told the hosts: “I don’t understand how the parents were able to come and all of a sudden he was found, I know it’s weird, it’s definitely weird, and I do have questions about certain things like the bag being found so easily and stuff.
“But I’ve let it go because I’m like he’s gone, I need to move forward. I don’t need to worry about stuff like that but yeah it was definitely strange – strange situation that happened.
“The whole thing has been strange from day one and it’s all around those parents, it’s all around his parents.”
When asked by Lautner why she suspected Laundrie’s parents might have been involved, Nichole speculated that they might have thought it was preferable for him to die than face incarceration.
“That’s the only thing I could come up with in my mind, the way if, you know, read her ‘burn after reading’ letter and just the weirdness that they are.
“I don’t find it implausible, I think that it’s very possible that they did something.”
Lautner further questioned if her theory was based on Laundrie’s potential inability to carry out the act himself.
She responded, referencing Laundrie’s writings: “Well you know if you read the the stuff he wrote in his notebook, he kind of made up excuses, he didn’t want to take responsibility for it. So, why then would he take his own life, you know? He was a coward so, it’s just a gut feeling that I have.
“And I mean I just I can’t even believe that they’re just walking around like nothing happened – she [Laundrie’s mom] didn’t even cry during the depositions talking about her son, calling my daughter Gabrielle saying that they they did love her and stuff – like no that’s not love.
“So yeah a lot of anger, a lot of anger still towards them but I try not to think about them because I have so much good work to do.”
The legal representative for the Laundrie family, Steven Bertolino, was contacted by LADbible Group but did not provide a comment.