Gabby Petito's parents reach settlement with Laundrie family and attorney Steve Bertolino in Florida lawsuit
NORTH PORT, Fla. - The parents of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old travel blogger whose fiancé Brian Laundrie killed her in Wyoming on a cross-country "van life" road trip, have reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit against his parents and their attorney, Steve Bertolino.
"Christopher and Roberta Laundrie and I participated in mediation with the Petito family and the civil lawsuit has now been resolved," he told Fox News Digital on Wednesday evening, after the parties met with a third-party mediator for much of the day. "The terms of the resolution are confidential, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us."
Nothing had been officially filed Wednesday evening, but both sides acknowledged the settlement had been reached after an exhausting session.
Petito's parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmit, sued Christopher and Roberta Laundrie and later added Bertolino to the case, accusing the trio of inflicting emotional distress by misleading them about the missing woman's whereabouts before her remains were found north of Jackson, Wyoming.
Previous coverage: Petito family wins small victory in ongoing civil case
The legal dispute between the families of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie was back to court Wednesday in Sarasota. At the center of the civil case is whether Laundrie's family secretly knew Petito was dead while posturing publicly as though she could still be alive.
The undisclosed settlement brings an emotional proceeding that has dragged on for over a year to a close.
In a series of depositions unsealed this month, the Laundries acknowledged they had concerns for Petito's well-being when their son showed up on their Florida doorstep in her van without her, but they denied having any knowledge of her fate before an FBI-led search uncovered her remains on Sept. 19, 2021.
In his own deposition, Joseph Petito was audibly frustrated with the process and lashed out at attorneys for the Laundries and Bertolino.
The lawsuit alleged his parents knew about the murder and tried to conceal it and help him evade justice.
Full hearing: Laundries denied motion to limit testimony in Gabby Petito trial
Chris and Roberta Laundrie wanted to avoid the "emotional distress and embarrassment" of testifying in a civil trial, where they would face the parents of the young woman their son is believed to have killed. A judge ruled Tuesday they won’t get their wish.
Days before search teams found Petito, Laundrie slipped away into the night and killed himself, leaving behind a suicide note and confession in a waterproof bag found weeks later.
PREVIOUS: Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie's families headed to mediation in Florida lawsuit
Petito and Schmidt previously rejected a settlement offer, but their attorney had said they would be open to one under different terms.
Reilly recently asked Bertolino to turn over insurance information that could play a role in any civil judgment or come up in mediation.
The scheduled talks came shortly after Reilly dropped efforts to have the court force Bertolino to testify about his private conversations with Brian Laundrie, which he argued are protected by attorney-client privilege.
MORE: Brian Laundrie told parents Gabby Petito was 'gone' weeks before she was reported missing: Attorney
If the negotiations had failed, trial would have commenced on May 13.
Reilly at the time called the sum "an arbitrary number," but "whatever monies they do receive will help Gabby’s family in their endeavors with the Gabby Petito Foundation."
The foundation is dedicated to combating domestic violence.
If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 (SAFE).
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