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Andra Griffin: Woman sues Brian Laundrie's dad over $40 lawn sign to drive family 'nuts'

Chris Laundrie reportedly stepped out of his home to remove a sign that protesters left on his lawn

A Florida woman has sued Brian Laundrie's father for $40 after he removed a Gabby Petito sign that she had placed on the family's lawn. Andra Griffin, of Bradenton, filed the lawsuit Monday in the small claims division of a Sarasota County court in order to irritate the family enough to "break their silence" on Petito's death which has rocked the nation and given the internet sleuths a full-time job for the past month. 

Brian Laundrie, Petito's boyfriend, has reportedly not been seen since September 14 and was confirmed 'missing' on September 17. This led police to search the nearby Carlton Reserve for Laundrie, but with zero luck so far. Laundrie, who allegedly hit and slapped his girlfriend last month according to a 911 call, returned home to Florida on September 1 without her after a cross-country road trip. Since then, Petito's body has been discovered in a Wyoming park by the authorities. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the vlogger's death was a homicide and Laundrie has been named the person of interest in the case and an arrest warrant is out for him on the suspicion of using a debit card and PIN for accounts that do not belong to him for charges of more than $1,000 sometime between August 30 and September 1. 

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Chris Laundrie removes 'What if this happened to Cassie?' sign

Laundrie’s father Chris Laundrie, 62, reportedly stepped out of his home on Saturday, October 16, to remove a sign that protesters left on his lawn next to a large photo of the deceased 22-year-old. He was seen ripping down a yellow sign reading “What if this happened to Cassie?” a reference to his daughter and Laundrie's sister. Cassie is the only Laundrie family member who has spoken about her brother and Petito’s death openly with the media. According to the lawsuit, which was viewed by Insider, Griffin says that she "contributed funds" to create the sign as a part of a peaceful protest. 

A photo attached to the lawsuit shows Chris removing the sign and walking back towards his North Port, Florida, home. "On or about the morning of October 16th, 2021, the Defendant, Christopher Laundrie, came out of his home, walked up to the sign, stole it, and walked back onto his property," the lawsuit alleges. The Laundrie family is aware of the lawsuit as the family's lawyer Steven Bertolino told Insider on Tuesday that the family was being "harassed with lawsuits for a $40 sign that was more than likely on their property and should be considered litter."

Protesters yell 'Come on, Dirty Laundries'

Ever since Gabby Petito's case went viral, the Laundrie family home has been surrounded by protestors and interested in Brian Laundrie's connection to the death of Petito including a couple of protesters who were caught on camera showing up at the home in the middle of the night and banging on the door of Laundrie's home and yelling "Come on, Dirty Laundries." Griffin admitted during an interview with Inside that she was one of the activists who demonstrated outside the home of the Laundries. She was also someone who repeatedly referred to as the "Dirty Laundries" 

Griffin said that the lawsuit was filed as a strategy to push the Laundries to speak out about their son's connection to Petito's death. "I'm not invested in the lawsuit. It's something that's going to keep this relevant," she said. "It's something that's going to drive the Laundries a little nuts." She and other activists also created a memorial for people to show their respect for Petito.

To make sure that Chris did not have the right to destroy the memorial, Griffin said that she first went to city hall to look at a map of the Laundries' property to ensure he didn't own the piece of land where they would place it. "We truly believe that they are wholly involved in their son escaping law enforcement," she said of the Laundries, adding: "We're losing faith in law enforcement. Even though we back the blue, they've botched this so royally."

According to court documents, Griffin spent $65 to file the small claims suit against Laundrie. She asked the court to order Laundrie to reimburse her $40 and the court fees.