Relatives of Gabby Petito, whose fiancé admitted to killing her last year, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Thursday against police in Moab, Utah, alleging the department's alleged negligence led to her death weeks later.
Petito, 22, and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, 23, were intercepted in early September 2021 by agents in Moab while on a road trip across the United States after someone tipped authorities about an alleged physical altercation between the two.
Gabrielle Petito (left) and her fiance, Brian LaundrieVia Instagram
Despite the fact that the young people admitted to having fought and showing clear signs of nerves and anguish, the officers finally decided not to press charges against them for domestic violence.
Weeks later, Laundrie returned home to Florida without Petito, sparking a major police operation to find the young woman.
The case was followed with great anticipation by the public and the media.
The body of the young woman was finally found lifeless on September 19 in the Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming, after being strangled, as confirmed by the forensic report.
[Brian Laundrie admitted he was responsible for Gabby Petito's death in his diary, according to the FBI]
Laundrie was the only person identified by law enforcement as a person of interest in the case of Petito's death, but the young man disappeared amid investigations.
On October 20, he was found dead on Florida's Carlton Reservation after taking his own life from a gunshot to the head as he was wanted for questioning.
The involuntary manslaughter suit claims the Moab Police Department for $50 million in damages.
According to court documents, Petito's family blames police officers for not pressing domestic violence charges, despite the fact that one person raised the alarm with authorities.
The complaint alleges that the officers ignored signs of violence, which they should have been trained to detect.
Cops Who Saw Gabby Petito and Her Boyfriend in Utah Made Mistakes, Investigation Finds
Jan. 14, 202200:37
The lawsuit also alleges that officers “coached Gabby into providing answers that officers used to justify their decision not to enforce Utah law,” which requires action to be taken in response to incidents of domestic violence.
Moab police officer Eric Pratt “was fundamentally biased in his approach to the investigation, choosing to believe Gabby's abuser, ignoring the evidence that Gabby was the victim, and intentionally looking for loopholes to circumvent the requirements of Utah law and his duty to protect Gabby,” the court documents state.
[Gabby Petito's Family Sues Brian Laudrie's Parents: Alleges They Knew About Murder]
“There are laws in place to protect victims.
And those laws were not enforced.
And we don't want this to happen to anyone else," Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt, said during a press conference with other relatives and her attorneys in Salt Lake City, Utah, after filing the complaint.
The city of Moab reacted to the lawsuit by saying that Petito's death was tragic, but that it was not the fault of its Police Department.
"Our officers acted with kindness, respect and empathy toward Ms. Petito," city spokeswoman Lisa Adams said in a statement.
"No one could have predicted the tragedy that would occur weeks later and hundreds of miles away, and the city of Moab will vigorously defend against this lawsuit," she said.
With
AP information