Brian Laundrie’s dad RETURNS to scene where son’s remains found after parents told they’ll face jury over Gabby’s death
BRIAN Laundrie's dad returned to the scene where his son's skeletal remains were found last October - just a day after a judge ruled the family will face a jury over Gabby Petito's death.
Exclusive photos obtained by The Sun show Christopher Laundrie, 62, with a hiking stick in hand as he wandered around Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Friday morning.
The 62-year-old was spotted wearing a gray t-shirt, khaki shorts, sunglasses, and a green baseball cap during his morning hike as he mounted onto his red Dodge pick-up truck and drove off.
The location is where Chris and Roberta found a white bag filled with their son's belongings last October after joining police in the search for their son.
After handing the bag to police, Chris led the two men into the brush on the left side of a trail.
Moments later, footage captured Chris and Roberta talking with the officer when Brian's dad appeared to shed a tear after being told, "I think we found something."
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PETITOS WIN IN COURT
Friday's rare public sighting of the elder Laundrie came a day after a Florida judge ruled in favor of Gabby's parents, Nichole and Joe, civil suit.
The court's ruling was based on Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino's statement during the search for Gabby, which Judge Hunter W Carroll called "objectively outrageous".
Bertolino said at the time, "On behalf of the Laundrie family, it is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is reunited with her family."
The family's silence and Bertolino's comment - while allegedly knowing Gabby was dead - provided false hope and invoked emotional distress, Petito's lawyer, Patrick Reilly, argued in court.
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"Because the Laundries' statement by their attorney in the context of the unique faces of this case is objectively outrageous, the Court concludes that Plaintiffs [Petitos] have stated causes of actions for intentional infliction of emotional distress against the Laundries," Judge Hunter wrote.
"If the facts of this case truly were about silence with no affirmative act by the Laundries, the Court would have resolved this case in the Laundries’ favor on the concept of legal duty.
"But they did not stay silent," the judge continued.
After the ruling, Gabby's parents released a joint statement through their lawyer saying they're "appreciative of the thorough and well-reasoned" decision of Judge Carroll.
"This gives them an opportunity to proceed with their claim for the emotional distress caused by the conduct of the Laundries," the family said.
"Joe and Nichole look forward to discovering the information the Laundries knew about Gabby's death and her whereabouts, and in particular, getting a copy of any correspondence, emails and texts exchanged during the difficult period when Gabby's whereabouts were unknown."
Joe tweeted the hashtag "The truth will be revealed," as well as the hashtag "Justice for Gabby".
Gabby's parents, who divorced and are both remarried, held their spouses' hands as they walked to the courtroom together on June 22.
Nichole clutched her necklace locket that holds Gabby's ashes, and they all wore "Justice for Gabby" bracelets meant to represent Gabby's life, not her death, her parents said.
After the hearing, Nichole held out a small prayer card that their lawyer said was made by a well-wisher from Australia who drew an image of Gabby as an angel.
No one from the Laundrie family appeared in court.
BRIAN'S 'MURDER CONFESSION'
The elder Laundrie was snapped outside his home in North Port, Florida, on June 25 but remained silent 24 hours after his son's notebook, believed to contain his murder confession, was revealed to the public.
's notebook, which was released to the public by his family's attorney, was recovered by the from the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20, 2021, along with his skeletal remains.
In the notebook, he admitted to "ending" Gabby's life, calling it a "merciful murder".
Brian claimed Gabby was dealing with some sort of injury and would "wake in pain".
He wrote that he "ended her life, mercifully" because that was "what she wanted."
"She would wake in pain, start her whole painful cycle again, while furious that I was the one waking her," the 23-year-old wrote.
"She wouldn't let me try to cross the creek, thought like me that the fire would go out in her sleep, and she'd freeze.
"I don't know the extent of 's injuries, only that she was in extreme pain.
"I ended her life. I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock."
"From the moment I decided, took away her pain, I knew I couldn't go on without her," Brian concluded.
He also alluded to seeing his family after killing the young vlogger, and asked the public not to "make life harder for his family."
"I am sorry to my family. This is a shock to them as well as a terrible grief. They loved as much, if not more than me.
"A new daughter to my mother, an aunt to my nephews (sic).
Please do not make this harder for them. this occurred as an unexpected tragedy," Brian is believed to have written.
'CAN'T LIVE ANOTHER DAY WITHOUT HER'
He added: "I rushed home to spend any time I had with my family. I wanted to drive north and let James or TJ kill me but I wouldn't want them to spend time in jail over my mistake, even though I'm sure they would have liked to.
"I am ending my life, not because of a fear of punishment but rather because I can't stand to live another day without her.
"I've lost out whole future together, every moment we could have cherished. I'm sorry for everyone's loss. Please do not make life harder for my family, they lost a son and a daughter. The most wonderful girl in the world. Gabby I'm sorry."
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Brian continued: "I have killed myself by this creek in the hopes that animal may tear me apart. That it may make some of her family happy.
"Please pick up all of my things. Gabby hated people who litter."