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Gabby Petito's family slams Roberta Laundrie's claims that 'burn after reading' note was just 'quirky' letter to son Brian

Gabby Petito's family has ripped Roberta Laundrie's comments regarding an infamous note she wrote to her son Brian
PUBLISHED MAR 8, 2023
Gabby Petito's family has rejected Roberta Laundrie's (inset) claim that she wrote a letter to her son Brian Laundrie to fix their relationship (Octavio Jones/Getty Images, @gabspetito/Instagram, Screenshot/Inside Edition)
Gabby Petito's family has rejected Roberta Laundrie's (inset) claim that she wrote a letter to her son Brian Laundrie to fix their relationship (Octavio Jones/Getty Images, @gabspetito/Instagram, Screenshot/Inside Edition)

MOAB, UTAH: Gabby Petitio's family has denied Roberta Laundrie's claim that she wrote her son Brian Laundrie a 'burn after reading' letter. The legal documents can confirm that the letter written by Roberta did not contain details about Petitio's death.

Meanwhile, Pat Reilly, Petito family's attorney, called the document "self-serving and draws attention away" from what Roberta originally said in the letter. The letter was written months before her son and Petito's road trip in 2021, which ended with Brian killing himself after killing Petito.

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Gabby Petito (Instagram @gabspetito)
Gabby Petito's family filed an emotional distress suit against the Laundries (Instagram/ @gabspetito)

What are the responses from Pat Reilly?

"Who writes a letter to their adult son saying I'll help bury a body? It's no surprise she wanted no one else to see it. It's a very self-serving document intending to draw attention away from what it says," said Reilly. "I think it needs to get before a jury to decide what its intent was." Further, she added, "She is offended that Roberta Laundrie would utilize Gabby in defending herself with regard to that particular letter but chose to keep quiet when they were looking for her."

What does Roberta Laundrie's claim in press release? 

The press release sent out by Roberta claims, "I, Roberta Laundrie, am a defendant in the above-styled cause, and I do hereby swear or affirm that: I fully understand the meaning of all of the terms of this affidavit. I wrote the letter requested by Plaintiffs’ Second Request for Production. I wrote the letter to my son, Brian Laundrie, on or about the end of May 2021. Although I do not know the exact date I wrote the letter, I do know that I wrote it and gave it to Brian before Brian and Gabby left Florida for New York which was on June 2, 2021. (Brian and Gabby went from Florida to New York before they went out West)" 

She further added, "The purpose of the letter was to reach out to Brian while he and I were experiencing a difficult period in our relationship. Brian and I always had a very open and communicative relationship and in the months prior to the trip our relationship had become strained. Brian and I shared a love of stories and some of the language in the letter was using similar phrases to describe the depth of a mother’s love. The two books that come to mind are The Runaway Bunny and Little Bear. In addition, Gabby had given Brian a book called Burn After Writing which contains printed questions to which the reader responds by writing their answers on the page. The back of the book instructs the reader to create a secret book and then destroy by “burn after writing.”

It also added, "The bottom of the back cover says: “Write. Burn. Repeat.” Brian, Gabby and I often joked about this book and the importance of being able to express yourself. If you were embarrassed or simply did not want anyone to know your thoughts or feelings then the book offered the perfect solution by telling you to burn it. This is where my message to Brian came from and I wrote on the cover of the letter for Brian to 'Burn After Reading.' In short, I was trying to connect with Brian and repair our relationship as he was planning to leave home – and I had hoped this letter would remind him how much I loved him." 

The statement also claimed, "There were some other phrases that I used in the letter which are not found in the books I shared with Brian as a child. However, these phrases were common enough in our circle of friends and family to describe who you could turn to in the most troubling times of your life. While I used words that seem to have a connection with Brian’s actions and his taking of Gabby’s life, I never would have fathomed the events that unfolded months later between Brian and Gabby would reflect the words in my letter. The words in the letter could never have been a comment on that tragic situation as they were written so many months before. My words to Brian were meant to convey my love and support for my son through a light-hearted and quirky reminder that my love for him was not diminished and could not be shaken by the miles of separation we would soon be faced with." 

"Although a few of the words in the letter are being quoted by others as having a connection to this case, all of the words taken together and in the context of the reason the letter was written show that there is no connection. In addition, there has been some speculation that this letter was in Brian’s possession or in his backpack when he died – insinuating that I gave it to him as he left my home on September 13, 2021 – but that is not true because the FBI had the letter in their possession and questioned members of my family about it prior to October 20, 2021 when my husband and I found Brian’s remains in the reserve," read the statement. 

It concluded stating, "I repeat that the letter I wrote to Brian before he left with Gabby for their fateful trip was nothing more than a private communication between myself and my son and I never expected anyone else would read it. In some way, I did not want anyone else to read it as I know it is not the type of letter a mother writes to her adult son and I did not want to embarrass Brian. That is why I wrote 'Burn After Reading' on the envelope and I knew that Brian would know what that meant. I am now appreciative that he actually kept it."

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