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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — One of the lawyers representing the parents of Gabby Petito told WFLA.com on Friday that there is more evidence they would like to see released from the Laundrie family.
The Laundrie family’s attorney, Steve Bertolino, released eight pages of Brian Laundrie’s notebook on Friday that included what appeared to be a confession that he killed his fiancée.
Pat Reilly, the attorney who represents Gabby’s parents – Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt – sent a statement to WFLA.com after, expressing shock that the notebook contents were revealed. He later joined WFLA Now live, however, questioning why more wasn’t released.
Alleged letter to Brian
“I find it ironic that Mr. Bertolino says he was, in full transparency, releasing this. Well, someone should ask him why he doesn’t release the entire notebook – but more importantly, ask him why he doesn’t release Roberta Laundrie’s letter to her son,” Reilly said.
Reilly claims the letter appears to be written by Brian’s mother, Roberta Laundrie, to her son after Gabby Petito was killed. Bertolino has that letter, according to Reilly, who said he doesn’t have a copy.
“There’s some pretty extreme things she said in there that, without having the letter here to quote it I don’t want to say, but I will simply tell you that there’s some pretty extreme things that were contained within that letter,” Reilly said.
According to Reilly, the letter is undated so it’s not entirely clear when it was written. However, Reilly claims it was “certainly, based on what’s contained within the letter, it would appear as though the letter were written after Gabby was killed and before Brian took his life.”
“I will tell you, by the way, that on the envelope that contained the letter, the words ‘burn after you read this’ were written,” Reilly said.
Reilly told WFLA.com the letter is one of the items that was revealed Friday during a meeting between him and Bertolino at the FBI Tampa offices.
“I don’t know if that letter was written before or after he came back to North Port but — the most I want to say is there was an offer to assist Brian with some things in that letter,” Reilly said.
A lawsuit filed by Petito’s family claims the Laundries knew about Gabby’s murder and were planning to help Brian leave the country. Reilly has previously alluded to the existence of evidence to back that claim.
“That’s not a part of the note, not to my recollection,” Reilly noted.
According to Reilly, the letter was found in the Laundrie family’s home but was taken out of the van that Brian and Gabby had been traveling the country in.
“I’m led to believe he received that before he came back to North Port but I don’t know that for certain,” Reilly said.
Bertolino confirmed the existence of a letter Friday in a message to WFLA Now’s JB Biunno:
“I do know it’s a movie and what she wrote on the cover of a letter to Brian many months before the trip had the title of the movie on there.”
A second confession?
During the exclusive call with WFLA.com, Reilly also spoke about the confession and explanation of Gabby’s death that was released from Brian Laundrie’s notebook on Friday.
“That’s a version,” he said.” There’s another version – I don’t have a copy of the other version yet – but I’ve been advised there’s another version that he authored that we will be getting, hopefully through the Freedom of Information request, that does not entirely match up this particular version.”
According to Reilly, the alleged second confession is “on a device.”
“Is it a typed-out note?” WFLA Now’s JB Biunno asked. Reilly responded, “to the best of my knowledge, yes.”
When asked about the confession released Friday from Brian Laundrie’s notebook, Reilly said he does not believe the story.