The chilling ‘burn after reading’ letter that Brian Laundrie’s mother wrote has been laid bare in the gripping new Gabby Petito documentary.
Petito was a 22-year-old aspiring travel influencer who made headlines worldwide following her disappearance in 2021.
She vanished during a cross-country trip with her fiancé, Laundrie, who she had been documenting her ‘van life’ journey with.
Amid concerns about Petito’s whereabouts, Laundrie returned to his family home in Florida and refused to speak to law enforcement.
Days before his fiancée’s body would be found in a national park, the 23-year-old would also be reported missing.
Laundrie’s remains were then discovered in an environmental park, alongside a note confessing to Petito’s murder.
In a brand new true crime series on Netflix, what happened to Petito in her final days is revealed, as well as the exploration of a disturbing find from the FBI.
Petito set off on the road trip with Laundrie in July 2021, having gotten engaged the year prior.
On August 12, police in the southern Utah town of Moab received a report of a possible domestic violence incident involving the couple.
As shown in the Netflix documentary, bodycam footage shows Petito crying and discussing her mental health as she speaks to officers.
A police report into the incident said Laundrie claimed his fiancée had hit him following an argument. No charges were filed.
Later that month, social media updates from Petito and Laundrie abruptly ended.
The couple’s journey was intended to last for four months, however, Laundrie returned to his family home alone on September 1. 10 days later, Petito’s family reported her missing.
Laundrie himself would be reported missing on September 17. Prior to his disappearance, he had eluded authorities and shared no information regarding Petito’s whereabouts with police.
Two days later, Petito’s body was found and in his preliminary findings, the coroner ruled the aspiring travel influencer’s death a homicide.
Laundrie’s remains were discovered after teams spent weeks scouring the Carlton Reserve, a 24,000-acre park.
His family’s lawyer disclosed that he had taken his own life.
The Laundries were not accused of any crime in connection with Petito’s death, however, they did find themself the subject of legal action from her parents.
The two sides reached a reported $3 million lawsuit in a wrongful death lawsuit in 2023, which claimed Brian Laundrie was liable for damages, per the BBC.
In a separate case, the Petitos claimed the Laundries had inflicted emotional distress with their actions. This was settled in 2024.
At the time, they accused the family of knowing Petito was dead although they were publically saying they hoped she’d be found, which the Laundries denied.
In the new Netflix documentary, a note Laundrie’s mother, Roberta Laundrie, had penned is laid bare.
It was uncovered while FBI agents searched the Laundrie home. She has since maintained it was written before her son killed Petito during their road trip.
FBI special agent Loretta Bush says in the Netflix doc: “We searched Brian’s house and collected potential evidence.
“Among his belongings, there was a note that Brian’s mother had written to Brian, and it was titled ‘burn after reading.’
“It said: ‘You are my boy. Nothing can make me stop loving you. Nothing will or could ever divide us, no matter what we do.
“‘If you’re in jail, I’ll bake a cake with a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.’”
Petito’s family shared their reactions to the letter in the documentary.
Petito’s stepmother, Tara Petito, recalled: “The first time we saw that letter we were just so in shock and angry, how could she write this letter? It’s just disgusting.
While Petito’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, said it made her ‘sick to my stomach.’
Rose David, Petito’s friend, added: “I think the burn after reading letter from Roberta is disgusting.
“I personally love my mother, but I’d be very concerned if she sent me a letter like that.”
Roberta’s note was made public following a hearing in the civil suit brought by the Petitos against the Laundries.
In a statement, Laundrie’s mother’s attorney said it was ‘in no way related to Gabby.’
“The letter to Brian was written prior to Gabby and Brian leaving my home for their trip,” the statement read (per the Daily Mail).
“Previously, I submitted an affidavit to the court for very limited purposes but that is not the whole story.
“Now that the letter has been shared, I ask that you read it in its entirety and understand that the letter contains other phrases besides those highlighted by Pat Reilly (the Petitos’ attorney) for sensationalism and to bolster his case.”
In Roberta’s statement to the court, she acknowledged her note did contain references that some could believe were about Laundrie and Petito, however, she maintains that there is ‘no connection’ between her letter and the deaths.
“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,” Laundrie’s mother stated.
“I truly loved my son, and simply wanted to convey to him how much he meant to me and how much I loved him. I am sure people use phrases all the time to express to their loved ones the depths of their love.
“Although I chose words that I thought would be impactful with Brian given our relationship, the letter was in no way related to Gabby.”
The post Chilling Letter Brian Laundrie’s Mom Wrote After He Killed Gabby Petito Revealed appeared first on It’s Gone Viral.
Tags: #Chilling #Letter #Brian #Laundries #Mom #Wrote #Killed #Gabby #Petito #Revealed
