Brian Laundry‘s mother has finally broken her silence – you know, because she has been legally forced, obviously.
In a new affidavit, Robert Laundrie explain in his own words just what the heck he really meant with the shocking note he wrote for his son.
You probably have heard, the family from Gabby Petito sue the killer’s parents. As part of the lawsuit, they are trying to prove that Laundries knew Gabby was dead all the time and kept it to himself – causing him extra emotional stress. A letter found on Brian’s body when it was finally found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park seems to be just what they are trying to prove – if they ask to show it to the jury.
Related: Police Know Brian Laundrie Abusive & ‘Gaslighting’
According to a December legal filing by Petito’s attorney Patrick Reilly, the note was marked “burned after reading.” And inside, Roberta’s words to her son were shocking – because she “offered to bring a shovel to bury the corpse.” Lawyers told the court last month:
“The language in the letter is condemning and the letter has references to carrying shovels and burying dead bodies.”
The Laundries’ legal team tried to keep the jury from seeing the letter by convincing the judge that it was irrelevant. HOW?? Well, he finally asked Roberta herself to explain it in her own words. Writing in an affidavit, the 56-year-old admitted to writing the letter but said it was written a month before Gabby’s murder. She claims that it was written during a difficult period in her relationship with her son, and all the sentiments she expresses are about motherly love.
Roberta said the note “burned after reading” was a reference to a book she loved, and other letters also contained references to children’s books she shared – including The Runaway Bunny and Little Bear. Someone told me that “burying the body” is not from The Runaway Bunny. He wrote in his affidavit that the “weird” part of the letter was in jest:
“There are some other phrases that I used in the letter, which are not in the book that I shared with Brian as a child. However, these phrases are quite common in the circle of friends and family, to describe who you can see in the most difficult time in your life
So just the Laundrie family talking? “We’ll bring a shovel and help you bury the dead”? He maintained that it was only a coincidence that his son actually killed someone this time:
“When I used words that seemed to be related to Brian’s actions and he took Gabby’s life, I would not have known that the events that happened a few months later between Brian and Gabby would reflect the words in my letter.”
He also claimed to have sent the letter in May 2021, three months before Brian killed Gabby:
“The words of the letter cannot be a comment on the tragic situation, because it was written many months before. My words to Brian are intended to express my love and support for my son through a light and strange reminder that my love for him has not diminished, and can’t be shaken by the long distance we are about to face.
Huh. The Laundries’ lawyers have insisted that the letter has nothing to do with Brian’s current condition – and that the fact that he has a body to bury is just a coincidence. It is always a difficult argument. Obviously, there are new t-shirts and other things that talk about good friends who can help you “bury yourself.” But this is a handwritten letter. And the boy actually has a body to bury!
There was no evidence, so we thought the judge should just give the jury what they wanted. What do you think of Roberta’s letter?
[Image via Inside Edition/Nomadic Statik/YouTube.]