The mother of Gabby Petito is seeking justice for her daughter.
On May 6, Nichole Schmidt filed a new wrongful death lawsuit in Florida against the curator of the estate of deceased Brian Laundrie. The lawsuit, obtained by Fox News, seeks damages of at least $30,000. The complaint, obtained by E! News, alleges that Laundrie murdered Petito, and as a direct result, Schmidt and Gabby’s father, Joseph Petito, “incurred funeral and burial expenses, and they have suffered a loss of care and comfort, and suffered a loss of probable future companionship, society and comfort.”
The filing also requests a trial by jury and judgment for compensatory damages.
Laundrie’s attorney Steven Bertolino told E! News that the lawsuit does not come as a surprise.
“The filing of the wrongful death lawsuit by the Petito family was fully expected,” Bertolino said in a statement E! News on May 6. “This lawsuit will most likely not be defended and the Petitos will have gained nothing more than a piece of paper that tells them what everyone already knows—which is that Brian was responsible for Gabby’s death as indicated by the FBI.”