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SALT LAKE CITY — The father of Gabby Petito has spoken out following the Moab Police Department's actions to dismiss the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Petito family in November 2022.
"As a matter of established Utah law" is how the Moab police department is defending its motion to seek dismissal, according to the document obtained by Deseret News. The dismissal was filed on April 26, in the 7th Judicial District Court in Grand County.
"In this case, Brian Laundrie murdered Petito 15 days after they left Moab together," the filing read.
"During that 15-day interval, Petito had her van, keys, and contact with her family. Instead of leaving Laundrie, she drove with her fiancé to Wyoming — 400 miles away from Moab."
Petito was reported missing by her family on Sept. 11, 2021. Human remains were found on Sept. 19 and later identified as Petito.
Nearly two weeks before Petito was allegedly strangled by Laundrie near Grand Teton National Park, police bodycam footage on Aug. 12, 2021, shows her near Moab, where police officers were summoned to a domestic dispute call regarding the couple.
Neither Petito nor Laundrie were arrested. The two were separated for the night, with Petito in the couple's travel van and Laundrie taken to a motel designated for domestic abuse survivors. The cops even deemed Petito as the "primary aggressor" even though a witness account said they saw Laundrie being physically aggressive with his fiance by slapping her.
"Petito's murder is an undeniable sorrow. Laundrie's crime was undisputedly depraved. But the judicial system is not a substitute for a GoFundMe campaign; heartbreak is not enough." the department filing added.
In response, Petito's father, Joseph Petito, rebuffed the department's accusation that his family was using the lawsuit to gain money.
"Moab still doesn't get it. This case has never been about money," he told the New York Post in a statement.
"It has always been about seeking accountability and fighting for change that will save lives," Petito said. "When law enforcement fails to follow the law, fails to protect and refuses to learn from its mistakes, like the Moab Police Department, it puts us all at risk."
Brian Laundrie died by gunshot wound to the head in September 2021, according to Florida police documents. His remains were found on Oct. 20, 2021.
The Deseret News reached out to the Moab Police Department for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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