The mother of Gabby Petito has revealed she has forgiven her daughter’s murderer boyfriend Brian Laundrie, before aiming her anger at his ‘mastermind’ mom.
Nichole Schmidt shocked a packed auditorium on Friday while speaking at CrimeCon2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, when she forgave Laundrie.
According to Fox News, Schmidt told the audience: ‘I speak for myself here when I say Brian, I forgive you.
‘I needed to release myself from the chains of anger and bitterness, and I refuse to let your despicable act define the rest of my life.’
Schmidt never had the chance to face her daughter’s killer who strangled her during a cross-country trip in 2021 and then killed himself, leaving a note confessing.
During her talk, Schmidt also accused Laundrie’s mother Roberta of being ‘the mastermind’ that ‘shattered her family.
Nichole Schmidt shocked a packed auditorium on Friday while speaking at CrimeCon2024 in Nashville, Tennessee , when she forgave Laundrie
Petito, 22, was strangled by Laundrie in Wyoming during a road trip around August 28, 2021. Her remains were found in Bridger-Teton National Forest on September 19
During her talk, Schmidt also accused Laundrie’s mother Roberta, seen here with husband Christopher, of being ‘the mastermind’ that ‘shattered her family
She added: ‘As for you, Roberta, and I call you out individually because you are evidently the mastermind that shattered your family and mine with your evil ways, I see no empathy in your eyes.
‘No remorse in your heart and no willingness to take responsibility for your actions.’
The Petitos sued the parents of Laundrie and accused them of knowing that their son had murdered Gabby, and helping him with the coverup of her death.
The Petito family was seeking damages of at least $100,000 and hoped to hold Christopher and Roberta Laundrie accountable for their actions and choices.
Petito’s remains were found at Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest in September 2021 and her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation.
On October 20 2021, Brian Laundrie’s remains were found and he was later concluded to have shot himself.
The FBI was subsequently able to find that he had written in a notebook that he was responsible for the death of Ms. Petito.
An undated letter from Roberta with ‘burn after reading’ written on the envelope was released after a judge ruled the letter could be used as evidence in the suit.
The letter said that she would ‘dispose of a body’ if needed because she loved him so much.
The FBI was subsequently able to find that he had written in a notebook he was responsible for the death of Ms. Petito
Roberta offered to help her son dispose of a corpse as evidence of her love for him in the letter
It reads in part: ‘We will always love each other. If you’re in jail, I will bake a cake with a file in it.
‘If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.’
Whether the letter was written before or after Brian Laundrie strangled Petito was in dispute between the parents.
Roberta Laundrie claimed in a sworn statement in the Florida case that she gave it to her son just before he and Petito left on a cross-country van trip in early June 2021.
In February of this year, the two families reached a confidential settlement before the case went to a civil trial.
According to the Laundries’ attorney, Steve Bertolino, the settlement concluded a much-anticipated mediation between the two families.
‘Christopher and Roberta Laundrie and I participated in mediation with the Petito family and the civil lawsuit has now been resolved,’ the lawyer said in a statement.
‘The terms of the resolution are confidential, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us.’