Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, parents of Brian Laundrie, have become pariahs in their North Port, Florida neighborhood following the murder of Gabby Petito.
Local residents in the quiet community are excluding the couple from block gatherings, refusing to speak to them on the street, and deliberately allowing dogs to relieve themselves on their front lawn as revenge for their silence during the search for Petito.
One neighbor walking her dog outside the Laundrie home confirmed she regularly allows her pet to defecate on their lawn. She stated that she usually cleans up after her dog but makes an exception for the Laundries, saying, "I let the dog s*** speak for itself." She described the act as "my little way of remembering Gabby," adding, "That's what they deserve."
The single-story home in North Port served as the center of the nationwide 2021 search for Petito. During a visit to the middle-class neighborhood, lights were on inside the house and cars were parked in the driveway, but nobody answered the door. Residents noted that no one drops by the property except for the occasional news reporter or protester.
Surrounding streets remained quiet, with neighbors exchanging smiles with each other while avoiding eye contact and refusing to wave at the Laundries. The property is also routinely targeted by vandals who throw eggs, shaving cream, and garbage onto the grass.
Donna Hawley, a resident who lives around the corner, stated she has seen dirty diapers and fast food bags from McDonald's tossed onto the lawn. "Oh I've seen a lot of stuff thrown on their lawn," Hawley said. "I know it's petty and immature, but I've seen dirty diapers and McDonald's bags just tossed on their lawn. I don't even know if they know that it's intentional or not. They must know. No one else has that problem."
Hostility and Silence in North Port
Neither Christopher nor Roberta Laundrie has shown any interest in discussing the ongoing hostility from their neighbors. Silence has remained their primary approach since 2021, when their refusal to speak during the frantic search for Petito turned them into objects of national fury.
Brian Laundrie, who was 23 years old, returned alone to his parents' Florida home on September 1, 2021, following a cross-country road trip with his 22-year-old fiancée, Gabby Petito. He was driving her van and using her credit card, but Petito was missing.
As Petito's family desperately sought information, the Laundries stayed silent. Depositions later revealed that Brian Laundrie made frantic phone calls to his parents after Petito's death, telling them that she was "gone" and that he needed a lawyer. Christopher Laundrie subsequently contacted family attorney Steven Bertolino.
The Laundries have maintained they did not know Brian had killed Petito and did not understand his use of the word "gone" to mean she was dead. They stated they were merely following the advice of Bertolino when they refused to give any insight into Petito's whereabouts. Neither Bertolino nor the Laundries responded to requests for comment regarding the neighborhood hostility.
Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, desperately tried to contact Roberta Laundrie while searching for her daughter, but Laundrie refused to respond to her messages.
Days after Brian Laundrie returned home without Petito, the family went on a camping trip to Fort De Soto Park near St. Petersburg alongside other relatives. The optics of Brian camping with his parents while his fiancée was missing caused widespread public anger.
The 2021 Search and Investigation
Neighbor Chuck Malina, who lives near the family home, expressed outrage over the camping trip. "That's where they lost me," Malina said. "I get trying to protect your son, really I do. I'd do anything for my kids. But not at the expense of someone else's kid. That's just sociopathic." Malina added, "If I see them, I usually just look away. I think they're a**holes for what they did. I don't need to be their friend. Let's just say they're not coming to any block parties anytime soon."
Neither Christopher nor Roberta Laundrie has faced criminal charges in connection with Petito's death or the law enforcement investigation. The Laundries have never publicly explained why they went camping with their son during the search.
Petito was officially reported missing on September 11, 2021. Days later, Brian Laundrie disappeared from his parents' home in North Port.
On September 19, 2021, search teams discovered Petito's remains in Wyoming, where a medical examiner determined she had been strangled. Police body camera footage later emerged from Moab, Utah, showing the aftermath of a domestic incident where officers determined the couple had engaged in a physical altercation.
Brian Laundrie became the prime suspect in Petito's murder, but he never faced trial. His remains were discovered the following month in a wilderness area near North Port, where investigators determined he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators recovered a notebook near his body in which he admitted responsibility for Petito's death. Among his belongings was an extraordinary handwritten note from his mother inside an envelope marked with the instruction: "Burn after reading."
Legal Battles and Community Fallout
Inside the letter, Roberta Laundrie wrote about the lengths she would go to for her son, including bringing a shovel and garbage bags if he needed help disposing of a body, as well as helping him escape from prison.
Petito's parents subsequently filed a lawsuit against Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, accusing them of knowing their son had killed Petito while her family was searching for her and withholding that information.
The Laundries denied the allegations. Roberta Laundrie insisted the letter was written before the couple left on their trip and had nothing to do with the killing, describing it as a "jokey, stupid letter" filled with humor that looked appalling when viewed through the lens of subsequent events.
The lawsuit was settled in February 2024 for an undisclosed sum of money before it could go to trial. Because the court case was sealed, it remains unclear whether any legal wrongdoing was admitted by the Laundries.
Speaking at CrimeCon in 2024, Nichole Schmidt stated she had forgiven Brian Laundrie but had not forgiven his mother. "You do not deserve forgiveness," Schmidt said, addressing Roberta Laundrie. "You deserve to be forgotten." Schmidt accused Roberta of lacking empathy and remorse, calling her the "mastermind" whose actions compounded the devastation suffered by both families.
Christopher and Roberta Laundrie have largely retreated from public view since the settlement. Neighbors in North Port say the house remains a daily reminder of the tragedy. "I think about Gabby every time I walk past the house," Hawley said. "I get angry all over again. This is a nice neighborhood, full of good people. They just don't fit in."
