The Petito family claim that the Utah police could have potentially saved their daughter (Image via gabspetito/Instagram)

Gabby Petito murder case: YouTuber’s family files $50 million lawsuit against Utah police

By Aurko Maitra

Modified Aug 09, 2022 06:43 GMT

On Monday, August 8, 2022, the family of deceased YouTuber Gabby Petito announced that they had filed a $50 million lawsuit against the Utah Police for allegedly mishandling their daughters' case.

Brian Entin

@BrianEntin

Gabby Petito’s family is suing the Moab Police Department.
“…if the officers had been properly trained and followed the law, Gabby would still be alive today,” James McConkie, one of the attorneys on the case said.
Moab is where the recorded traffic stop happened.

The body of Gabby Petito, who is suspected to have been murdered by her fiance Brian Laundrie, was discovered on September 19, 2021 along the fringes of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

According to ABC, Petito and Laundrie were stopped during their roadtrip by Moab Police authorities on August 12, 2021, due to a heated argument between the two. However, no charges were pressed at the time and Utah police simply recommended that the pair separate for a temporary period to avoid further escalation.

Karma

@Missbitch1969

One year ago sometime toward the end of this month date unknown exactly. The world lost this beautiful angel. We will never forget Gabby Petito another example of how DV ends.

Now, James McConkie, the attorney representing the Petito family, is accusing the Utah police of negligence, as camera footage from August 12 revealed a distressed Gabby talking to police officers after being stopped on the road following a 911 call.

How was the Gabby Petito case mishandled?

According to the New York Post, the Petito family has accused the Utah police of not recognizing visible signs that their daughter may have been a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Brian Laundrie.

Happy Canadian, not so happy these days. 💙💛

@macarthur54

Gabby Petito's family suing police. Who can our First Nation's people sue for all the missing and murdered indigenous women so many of whom were not even reported on the news. Wondering. Does is only matter if you're white, blue eyed and blond?

Attorney James McConkie said that it was clear that Petito had suffered some form of physical abuse and that Utah authorities should have taken greater measures to keep her safe. He said:

"They did not have the training that they needed to recognise the clear signs that were evident that morning, that Gabby was a victim and that she was in serious need of immediate help."

He further added that if they had been more vigilant and effective, Gabby Petito's death could have been avoided.

Gabby Petito Foundation

@gabbsfoundation

Honored to be part of this campaign #TogetherWeCan twitter.com/ndvh/status/15…

National Domestic Violence Hotline

@ndvh

Today, we announced a $100,000 donation from @gabbsfoundation for our $2 million Hope Can’t Wait emergency campaign to expand The Hotline’s capacity to support survivors. Read more here: bit.ly/Petitopartner

In January this year, an investigative report by the police in Price, Utah, deduced that the Moab City Police Department made "unintentional mistakes" and should have monitored Gabby Petito further as a potential domestic violence victim.

This was in response to an initial 911 call made on August 12, 2021, which informed authorities about an argument between Petito and her husband. The caller accused Laundrie of having slapped Gabby Petito.

The report revealed that upon arriving at the scene, authorities were told by Petito that she instigated the attack. However, the report also stated that despite the fact that she may have potentially begun the altercation, signs pointed towards her being a victim of long-term abuse.

clockoutwars

@clockoutwars

Gabby Petito was like millions of women every day that cops ignore the warning signs, fall for the charms of violent men, fail to take seriously until that same violent partner who often has a long history of domestic violence and access to a weapon kills them.

The 100-page report also stated that while there may have been signs that Brian was "the long-term predominant aggressor" in the relationship, authorities could only take action based on the information that the couple gave them.

However, the report did note that:

"(It was) very likely Gabby was a long-term victim of domestic violence"

Utah authorities are yet to respond to the lawsuit put forth by the Petito family.

Edited by
Upasya Bhowal