MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Only Laundrie family knows who killed Gabby Petitio, and here's why they may never reveal it

Laundrie family lawyer says the family may continue to keep their silence about the dramatic case, says he advised them not to ever speak up

After over a month of frantic searching, it seems the manhunt for Brian Laundrie is over. On October 20, Brian's parents Chris and Roberta Laundrie found their son's backpack, leading to the discovery of human remains at the Carlton Reserve in North Port, Florida. It brings to an end one of the biggest missing person cases in recent memory, but it appears we may never fully know the truth.

Speaking to CNN, the Laundrie's attorney Steven Bertolino said the family may never speak up about the case. The news shouldn't come as a major shock, given that the family has firmly refused to speak to the press, despite them being camped out at their residence for weeks. The only person to directly offer a comment so far has been Brian's sister Cassie. Otherwise, attorney Bertolino has been the only one to address the public.

RELATED ARTICLES

What does Brian Laundrie's notebook say? Diary near body may solve Gabby Petito case

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

With very few statements, there's not much we know about the Laundrie family and their exact role in the disappearance of Brian. There are still so many questions that are unanswered, but as Bertolino indicated they may remain unanswered for a very long time. The attorney spoke to CNN's Chris Cuomo late on October 20, after the human remains were found. Here's what he had to say.

'It may come out, it may not'

Cuomo asked Bertolino why the Laundrie family never spoke directly to the authorities or Gabby Petito's family. To that, he replied, "I can tell you the reason. I told them not to." Cuomo then noted, "who doesn't talk unless they have something to hide?" To that, Bertolino said, "these days you hear a lot of talk about individual rights... the first amendment rights and the second amendment rights. Conveniently, the public seems to forget about the fourth, fifth, and sixth amendment rights."

Bertolino noted "everybody has the right to remain silent" and that's what he advised the family. Cuomo hit back, noting "having the right, and being the right thing to do are often different." Nonetheless, Bertolino was clear that Chris and Roberta wouldn't open up. "It may come out in the future, it may not," he said when asked if they would ever "explain the situation." For now, at least, the family will keep its silence.

Bertolino did hint, however, that there was a distant possibility that the Laundries would speak up. He added that the family would not say anything until the forensic investigation on the human remains was done and the results released. He added, "We may come back on that subject sometime in the future." The lawyer also accepted that the family was aware of the weight of expectations on them, and how their silence was perceived. Nonetheless, Bertolino stood behind his advice. 

You can see the full exchange here as uploaded on Twitter by Cuomo's show.

Reportedly, the family is "heartbroken" about the discovery and fully acknowledged that the remains could be that of Brian. The alleged remains, along with Brian's bag and notebook, were found in an area that was previously submerged, which is why the FBI missed it during their earlier search of the area.