(HorizonPost.com) – Gabby Petito’s father blasted the Moab Police Department in Utah for accusing the family of filing a lawsuit to cash in on her death.
In a motion to dismiss the $50 million wrongful death lawsuit filed in November 2022 by the Petito family, attorneys for the Moab Police Department argued that Petito was murdered by her then-boyfriend Brian Laundrie more than two weeks after they both left Moab.
The police department said in the motion filed in April that during that time, Petito was in contact with her family and continued to have the keys to her van. But rather than leave her abusive boyfriend, she drove with him to Wyoming, 400 miles away from Moab, Utah, the filing said.
Petito was found dead on September 19, 2021, eight days after her family reported her missing.
On August 12, police body cam footage showed that Petito and Laundrie were near Moab, Utah, where officers were called to a domestic dispute between the couple. Neither Laundrie nor Petito were arrested.
Police determined that Petito was the aggressor in the dispute and took Laundrie to a motel used to house domestic abuse victims while Petito remained in the couple’s van. However, a witness claimed that Laundrie had slapped Petito during the altercation.
In its motion to dismiss, the Moab Police Department conceded that Petito’s death was “an undeniable sorrow” and that Laundrie’s actions were “undisputedly depraved” but argued that the justice system should not be used as “a substitute for a GoFundMe campaign.”
Joseph Petito, the victim’s father, blasted the police department’s description of the lawsuit, telling the New York Post in a statement that the department still didn’t “get it.”
He said the lawsuit was never about the money but was “always” about “seeking accountability” and making changes that could “save lives.”
Petito said when police departments fail to “follow the law,” protect citizens, or “learn from its mistakes,” it puts everyone at risk.
Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound not far from his parents’ Florida home in September 2021. His remains were not discovered until October 20, 2021.
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