A handwritten note that Roberta Laundrie reportedly wrote her son, Brian Laundrie, has been publicly shared this week during a lawsuit.
On Wednesday, Gabby Petito’s parents received a copy of the letter Roberta Laundrie wrote her son during a lawsuit between the two families in Sarasota County, Florida. According to CNN, the Petitos have sued the Laundries for “emotional distress” following Gabby Petito’s death.
Part of the concern of the letter was whether it was written before or after Gabby Petito was killed, according to The Associated Press.
[ Gabby Petito’s family awarded $3M in wrongful death suit against Brian Laundrie’s estate ]
The letter was released after a Florida judge ruled that the letter could be used as evidence in the lawsuit case on Wednesday.
On the envelope of the letter, it reads, “burn after reading,” according to the AP.
“We will always love each other. If you’re in jail, I will 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,” the letter reads, per the AP.
Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie were engaged and traveling the western part of the United States. Brian Laundrie returned home without her and then reportedly disappeared soon after, CNN reported. Gabby Petito’s remains were found in September 2021 at Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest. The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide by strangulation.
The letter was found in Brian Laundrie’s backpack when his remains were found in October 2021, according to CNN. Brian Laundrie took his own life and his remains were found in North Port, Florida.
Briand Laundrie’s parents did not want to turn over the letter because they believed it was irrelevant to the lawsuit, CNN reported.
In a sworn statement, Roberta Laundrie claimed that she gave Brian Laundrie the letter before her son and Gabby Petito went on their trip in June 2021, according to\ the AP. Roberta Laundrie said in the statement that was filed by the court that she and her son were going through a rough patch leading up to their trip and wanted to remind Brian Laundrie how much she loved him.
[ Coroner: Gabby Petito died of strangulation ]
“I was trying to connect with Brian and repair our relationship as he was planning to leave home,” the statement said, according to the AP. “I had hoped this letter would remind him how much I loved him.”
The Petitos believed that the timing didn’t make sense and the letter was written after Gabby Petito was killed, the AP reported.
The Laundries’ attorney, Matthew Luka, claimed in a motion in March that the letter was “unfortunately worded.” The AP said that the motion was put together to try to get the judge to not allow the letter.