Brian Laundrie’s mother is defending a letter addressed to her son in which she expressly offered assistance if he ever needed to “dispose of a body,” telling Fox News the lawyer representing Gabby Petito’s parents is misconstruing her original intentions.
In a letter made public Wednesday during a civil case between Petito’s parents and Laundrie’s parents, Roberta Laundrie expressed her undying loyalty and love for her son, going so far as to promise “criminal acts” in an effort to support him, CNN reported, citing Petito family attorney Patrick Reilly’s statement in court.
EXCLUSIVE: Brian Laundrie’s mother promised son shovel, garbage bag, jailhouse cake in love letter https://t.co/07GArraiXF
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 25, 2023
“If you’re in jail I will bake a cake and put a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body. I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags,” she wrote in the letter, Fox News reported. “Remember that love is a verb not a noun. It’s not a thing it’s not words. It is actions. Watch people’s actions to know if they love you – not their words.”
Authorities found the so-called “burn after reading” letter when they identified Laundrie’s remains in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in October 2021, according to CNN. Petito family lawyer, Pat Reilly, argued the letter’s existence proves Laundrie’s parents knew he had murdered Gabby and were willing to help him cover it up, Fox reported. (RELATED: Judge Awards Gabby Petito’s Family $3 Million In Lawsuit Against Brian Laundrie’s Parents)
“As we all know the letter references burying a body bringing a shovel and burying a body,” Reilly said in court May 24, according to CNN. “Those are criminal acts, by the way, that Roberta Laundrie has said she would commit.”
Roberta Laundrie has claimed the letter was written prior to the cross-country road trip her son and Petito took together, telling Fox News it “was in no way related to Gabby.”
“I truly loved my son, and simply wanted to convey to him how much he meant to me and how much I loved him. I am sure people use phrases all the time to express to their loved ones the depths of their love. Although I chose words that I thought would be impactful with Brian given our relationship, the letter was in no way related to Gabby. Please read the entire letter before you believe the hype put out by Pat Reilly,” she urged.
Authorities found Petito’s remains in Bridger-Teton National Forest in September 2021, almost a month after her disappearance in August. An autopsy revealed she had been strangled to death. Laundrie’s remains were found in a Florida reserve after a month-long manhunt. Authorities determined he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In a diary entry found near Laundrie’s remains, he reportedly admitted to killing Petito, claiming it was “merciful” and “what she wanted.”
“I never would have fathomed the events that unfolded months later between Brian and Gabby would reflect the words in my letter,” Roberta Laundrie said of the “burn after reading” letter, according to an affidavit cited by Fox.