The fiance and killer of the domestic violence murder victim Gabby Petito desperately called his parents and told them that she was “gone” weeks before she was discovered dead – yet they later shared messages expressing hope that search efforts for her would end in success, her family has alleged.

Petito’s parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, made the claim in a lawsuit that they are pursuing against Brian Laundrie’s family and their attorney in the latest chapter to a case that has generated international news headlines.

The Petitos, who amended the lawsuit with the new allegations on 30 November, have accused Laundrie’s parents as well as their lawyer of intentionally withholding information about their daughter’s murder, inflicting on them pain and emotional distress.

  • I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    I anal, but I think defense attorneys are used for assault/DV as well as murder cases? It’s not totally beyond belief to imagine that he wasn’t up front with his parents or his lawyers in the first few days. I’ve never contracted a defense attorney, I don’t know if the attorney would have told his parents the details since they were the ones who hired him or if this guy was freaked out enough that he didn’t tell the lawyers right away and just had a story about getting into a physical altercation with her and her leaving. He died of suicide pretty soon after the time frame in question, he wasn’t in a calm rational state.

    • NoSpiritAnimal@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Defense Attorneys defend you in any criminal proceedings. You may be thinking of Public Defenders, which are Defense Attorneys paid by the state.

      If he wasn’t up front they would have no reason to hire a local firm at the location the murder occured.

      It was a cross country road trip. Any other jurisdiction along the route could’ve been relevant without all the facts.