In a shocking development in the high-profile case of Gabby Petito's disappearance, new court filings have emerged, alleging that Brian Laundrie informed his parents about her being "gone" and his need for a lawyer nearly two weeks before she was reported missing. Petito and Laundrie were on a cross-country road trip when she vanished, capturing global attention.

These revelations were made in an amended complaint filed on November 30 as part of the Petito family's lawsuit against Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, as well as their attorney Steven Bertolino. The amended complaint contends that Brian Laundrie made a frantic telephone call to his parents on August 29, 2021, informing them of Petito's disappearance and explicitly stating his need for legal representation.

This call occurred 13 days before Petito's mother reported her missing on September 11, 2021. According to the complaint, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie then contacted their attorney, Steven Bertolino, on August 29, who subsequently received a retainer on September 2, 2021.

Furthermore, it is alleged that Bertolino entered into a fee agreement with criminal defense law firm Fleener Peterson LLC in Laramie, Wyoming, to represent Laundrie on September 2, 2021. The attorney also purportedly reached out to other Wyoming attorneys, including a public defender's office in the same county where Petito's body was eventually discovered.

These startling details were revealed during depositions of the Laundries in October, as stated by Pat Reilly, an attorney for the Petito family. In response to these allegations, Steven Bertolino offered a brief statement, saying, "We have no comment to the filed allegations. We will be filing our answers in the next few days."

The amended complaint also points out an alleged text message sent by Laundrie from Petito's phone on August 30, 2021, claiming that there was no service in Yosemite Park, in what the complaint describes as an attempt to deceive Petito's mother into believing she was still alive.

Brian Laundrie returned to his parents' home in Florida in Petito's van on September 1, 2021, and soon after became a person of interest in her disappearance. Tragically, Petito's body was later found in a national forest in Wyoming, and Laundrie was discovered dead in Florida one month later. Officials stated that he had left a note taking responsibility for her death.

The amended complaint also criticizes the actions of Bertolino and the Laundrie family, highlighting a statement released on September 14, 2021, where they expressed support for the search for Petito and voiced hope for her safe reunion with her family. The complaint describes their statements as "intentional or reckless" and accuses them of causing emotional distress to the Petito family.

The amended complaint comes after the deposition of the Laundries and Bertolino in October, ahead of the civil trial scheduled for May. According to the Petito family's attorney, the depositions were emotionally challenging, revealing pertinent information that had been withheld from the family while they tirelessly searched for answers. The attorney described Bertolino's conduct as "shocking but not unexpected."

As the case continues to unfold, the revelations from these court filings add another layer of complexity to the tragic story of Gabby Petito's disappearance and subsequent death, leaving many questions unanswered about the actions and knowledge of Brian Laundrie and his parents.