A recently disclosed letter written by Roberta Laundrie, the mother of Brian Laundrie, has emerged, containing unsettling statements and promises of assistance to her son, leading to further complications in the ongoing emotional distress lawsuit brought by Gabby Petito's parents. The letter, described as "burn after reading," was made public following a ruling by Florida Judge Danielle Brewer, raising significant questions about Roberta's knowledge and support for Brian's actions.
"Will Show Up With a Shovel and Garbage Bags"
In the letter, Roberta Laundrie expressed unwavering love for her son, Brian, who had confessed to the killing of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito, before tragically taking his own life in 2021. While the letter conveyed affectionate sentiments, it also included disturbing passages, such as promises to bring Brian a shovel and garbage bags to dispose of a body, as well as baking a file into a cake if he found himself in jail.
"If you're in jail I will bake a cake and put a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body. I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags," Roberta Laundrie wrote in the letter to her son.
"I just want you to remember I will always love you and I know you will always love me. You are my boy. Nothing can make me stop loving you, nothing can or ever will divide us no matter what we do, or where we go, or what we say – we will always love each other," she wrote in the note according to Fox News.
"If you fly to the moon, I will be watching the skies for your re-entry," she continued. "If you say you hate my guts, I'll get new guts. Remember that love is a verb, not a noun. It's not a thing it's not words. It is actions. Watch people's actions to know if they love you – not their words." Roberta then went on to add quotes from the Bible with a verse from Romans 8:38.
Roberta Claims Letter Was Written a Long Ago
According to the outlet, Roberta clarified that the letter was written before Brian and Gabby embarked on their ill-fated cross-country road trip in June 2021, several months prior to Gabby's tragic discovery in September. In an affidavit, she explained that the "burn after reading" label was inspired by a book titled "Burn After Writing," which encouraged self-expression through letter-writing and subsequent burning.
Roberta further stated that the references to shovels, burying bodies, and baking files into cakes were drawn from Brian's favorite childhood books, "Little Bear" and "The Runaway Bunny," as well as phrases commonly used within their circle of friends and family to denote support during challenging times.
During the hearing, Matthew Lukda, the Laundries' attorney, argued that the letter's references to murder and imprisonment were coincidental and should not be considered relevant. However, Pat Reilly, the attorney representing Schmidt and Nichole Petito, presented the bear and bunny books in court, asserting that no references to bodies or shovels were found within them.
Lukda, in defense of the Laundries, asserted during the hearing that the undated letter was written before the fateful road trip and requested that its contents be kept private to prevent misinterpretation as incriminating. He argued that the letter itself did not cause emotional distress to Petito and Schmidt and should not be admissible in the trial.
