Gabby Petito's mom slams Laundrie lawyer's version of cause of death as ‘garbage’
Gabby Petito’s mother has slammed Brian Laundrie's attorney after he released a statement following the young woman’s cause of death being revealed. Nicole Schmidt called lawyer Steven Bertolino’s remark “garbage” in a text message to a reporter.
Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue declared Tuesday, October 12, that Gabby died due to strangulation and the manner of death was a homicide. He also stated that the 22-year-old may have died three to four weeks before her remains were found inside a national park in Wyoming on September 19.
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“I cannot make any comment about any suspects as we are not involved in that part of the investigation. So who committed the homicide is really to be confirmed by law enforcement,” Blue mentioned, before adding, “It was quite the media circus and continues to be. Unfortunately, this is one of many deaths around the country of people who are involved in domestic violence. It's unfortunate that other deaths do not get as much coverage as this one.”
On September 21, the official identification was done as the Denver office of the FBI said, “Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999. Coroner Blue’s initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results.”
After Blue’s announcement, Bertolino released a statement while expressing his sorrow. He stated, “Gabby Petito’s death at such a young age is a tragedy,” before adding, “While Brian Laundrie is currently charged with the unauthorized use of a debit card belonging to Gabby, Brian is only considered a person of interest in relation to Gabby Petito's demise. At this time Brian is still missing and when he is located we will address the pending fraud charge against him.”
In response to that, Gabby's mother sent a message to the reporter from WFLA in Tampa Bay that read, “His words are garbage. Keep talking.” The cause of death was announced as Gabby’s boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, continues to be missing for almost a month. He was reported missing by his family on September 17 -- two days before the YouTuber’s remains were discovered in the wilderness. His parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, informed authorities that they last saw their son on September 14 when he went for a hike.
However, later the Laundrie family changed their statement and claimed Brian was last seen on September 13 before he vanished. Their lawyer added: “The Laundries were basing the date Brian left on their recollection of certain events.”
Meanwhile, Dog the Bounty Hunter has also released a statement after Blue’s declaration. He said, “The coroner's statement has established a timeline that looks worse for Brian Laundrie. His continued evasion of law enforcement makes him look guilty. His best decision now would be to turn himself in. I can't fathom how Brian's parents can live with themselves after how they've stonewalled the Petito family. They need to be doing more to signal Brian to stop running.”