Roberta Laundrie: Latest News

VENICE, Fla. - A Sarasota County judge has decided to move forward with the lawsuit against Brian Laundrie's parents, which claims they knew their son murdered Gabby Petito as authorities were searching for her.Thursday, Judge Hunter Carroll denied a motion to dismiss the case, filed by the Laundries' attorney. The decision comes one week after the first hearing in the civil lawsuit filed by Petito's parents, Nichole Schmidt and Joseph Petito.

Both were in attendance that day. Chris and Roberta Laundrie were not.Their lawsuit claims that while a cross-country search was underway for Gabby last fall, Laundrie's parents already knew what happened to the 22-year-old who embarked on a long-term road trip with Brian, but would never return home.Instead of telling authorities what they knew about Gabby's whereabouts, and her death, the lawsuit claims the Laundries hid behind their own legal council, Steven Bertolino, while they tried to shield their son from suspicion and even allow him to flee.MORE: FBI: Brian Laundrie claimed responsibility for Gabby Petito's death in notebook found near his bodyReilly said that Bertolino, who is no longer representing the Laundries, released a false and misleading statement during the time when Gabby's parents still hoped she would be found alive. "When they spoke up, they made that very callous, very terrible statement, giving hope to Joe and Nichole that perhaps Gabby was still alive, with full knowledge that she was not alive," said Patrick Reilly, the lawyer representing Gabby's family.Bertolino is not a defendant in the civil lawsuit because he is not a resident of Florida and operated out of his office in New York during the time of the search for Gabby, Reilly stated.The Laundries'

Gabby Petito Brian Laundrie Steven Bertolino Roberta Laundrie Chris Laundrieа Joseph Petito Nichole Schmidt