It is not known what kind of a relationship did Gabby Patito's parents shared with Brian Laundrie but the 22-year-old's father said that he had a mocking nickname for his daughter's boyfriend. Joseph Petito revealed that he had a special nickname to refer to Laundrie, which was his way of mocking him.
Joseph said that he used to call Brian as "Brianne," according an episode of "Dr. Phil" that aired Monday. He also said that he was very possessive about his daughter and never really liked any of his boyfriends. Besides, he also shared the reason behind calling him "Brianne"
His Way of Mocking Laundrie
Joseph Petito, who spoke to TV host Dr. Phil McGraw before his daughter's suspected body was found, said that he had a "gut feeling" something bad had happened to her — as he bashed Laundrie's behavior. He then went on to say how he didn't like Laundrie just like his daughter's other boyfriends.
In fact, that made him often mock Laundrie by referring to him as "Brianne". "I've never actually liked any of Gabby's boyfriends. I've never actually called any of them by their real name, ever," said the dad, who is originally from Long Island.
He also shared that by calling him Brianne, he always wanted to intimidate him. "I always tried to use the female versions of the boyfriends' names, just to intimidate them a little bit," the dad said. However, he also said that none of the men, including Brian, ever felt bad about it. Instead they enjoyed it. "They laughed," Joseph said. "Although as the years progressed, I think [Gabby] prepared them for when they met me.''
Heartbroken Father
Petito's parents had anticipated that something bad may have happened with their daughter and their worst fears came true. Her parents said that they had last spoken to her on August 24, when she told them the pair was leaving Salt Lake City, Utah, for Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
She was reported missing on September 5, after Laundrie returned alone to Florida on September 1. The couple went on a cross-country trek in her white 2012 Ford Transit van in early July. Laundrie returned alone with the van, which police have now seized and is investigating, while Petito was found dead on Sunday.
Joseph Petito now believes that Laundrie, who vanished last week after being named a person of interest in his daughter's disappearance, also stole the van from her. "He stole her car. That's her van. 'So you left, and you left her in the middle of nowhere and didn't tell a soul,'" the dad said, referring to Laundrie. "'And your first call was to an attorney.'
"How would he know to get an attorney? If you did nothing wrong ... 'Mr. Petito, I left your daughter in the Grand Teton. We had an argument. I took her van, and I went home.' Well, all right, I let the authorities handle the theft of the car. I'm gonna go get my daughter, you know, whatever. You make the phone call. That means my daughter would be here right now because I would have picked her up," the dad had said during the interview, without even having the faintest idea that his daughter had died by that time.
