Brian Laundrie Lawyer, Steven Bertolino, Denies Having Contact With Laundrie Before Leaving Wyoming

Brian Laundrie lawyer, Steven Bertolino, has denied claims that he did have direct contact with Laundrie before he left Wyoming, where Gabby Petito's body was found after being reported missing.

Bertolino made the comments after Petito's family filed a civil lawsuit against Laundrie's parents, Christopher and Roberta, according to a Crime Online report.

Petito family's attorney, Rick Stafford, alleged that the Laundries and Bertolino had several conversations with their sons after Petito's death on August 27 last year and his departure from Wyoming on August 30.

The lawsuit claims that Laundrie told his parents that he had killed Petito and immediately placed Betolino on retainer.

Laundrie then returned to his parents' home in Florida with the van he and Petito had been traveling but without his girlfriend.

In addition, the lawsuit claims that Laundrie told his parents that he killed Petito on August 28, and the Laundries immediately sent Bertolino a retainer on September 2.

Gabby Petito's Family's Lawsuit

The Petito family filed a lawsuit against the parents of Laundrie this week, accusing the Laundrie family of having knowledge about Petito's murder.

They also alleged that the Laundries were trying to help their son leave the country, according to a WFLA News report.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said last month that Laundrie claimed responsibility for Petito's death in a written journal entry that was found with his remains in Sarasota County last year.

Nicole Schmidt, Petito's mother, said that she had last communication with her daughter on August 27.

The lawsuit said that Christopher and Roberta knew of the mental suffering and anguish the Petito family were experiencing.

The suit added that the Laundrie family refused to disclose what they knew about the well-being and location of the remains of their daughter.

The lawsuit continued to state that Christopher and Roberta acted with malice or great indifference to the rights of Petito's parents.

Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie Case

On September 1, Laundrie returned to his parents' home, and on September 11, Petito was reported missing by her family.

Schmidt filed a missing person's report with the Suffolk County, New York, Police Department after not hearing from her daughter since late August.

On September 13, Laundrie's parents told police that their son left the family home for a hike in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota, Florida.

Laundrie then became a person of interest in the case two days after he left his parents' home. In addition, North Port Police noted that Laundrie was refusing to cooperate.

The search for Laundrie started on September 18, with his parents saying that that was where he was headed the last time they saw their son.

The remains of Petito were then found on September 19 near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

The coroner in Teton County said that Petito died by manual strangulation, with the manner of death still considered as a homicide.

On October 21, Laundrie's remains were identified. The following month, Bertolino announced that Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, with the manner of death being suicide.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Gabby Petito's parents allege Brian Laundrie told parents of Gabby's murder | #HeyJB on WFLA Now - from WFLA News Channel 8