Lawsuit against Gabby Petito: Petito’s parents settle wrongful death lawsuit against laundries for $3 million

SARASOTA, Florida– Gabby Petito’s family have settled their wrongful death lawsuit against the estate of Brian Laundrie for $3 million.

Note: The video above is from a previous report of Petito’s death.

A Sarasota County district judge in Florida has awarded Petito’s family a total of $3 million in the lawsuit the family filed against Laundrie’s estate in May.

Petito’s family filed their original lawsuit against Laundrie’s estate on May 6, seeking more than $30,000 in damages they incurred for funeral and burial expenses.

The complaint also alleged that Petito’s family had “suffered a loss of care and comfort and suffered a loss of likely future companionship, companionship and comfort.”

Laundrie’s parents, Roberta and Christopher Laundrie, were executors of their son’s estate.

Attorney Patrick Reilly said no amount of money is enough but whatever the family gets goes to the Gabby Petitio Foundation.

In early November, the Petitos filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department, alleging its officers were negligent with the 22-year-old and her two weeks before her death last summer fiance handled.

“The purpose of this lawsuit is to honor Gabby’s legacy by holding accountability and working toward systemic change to protect victims of domestic abuse and violence and prevent such tragedies in the future,” attorney James W. McConkie said in a statement .

The lawsuit alleges the department and its officers failed to obey the law and protect Petito during an investigation into a domestic disturbance in August – just weeks before Laundrie killed her.

The lawsuit alleges that officers wrongly identified Petito as the primary aggressor in the interaction and misapplied Utah laws regarding domestic violence. She also accuses the police of not having adequately trained their officers on these issues.

The city of Moab issued a statement Thursday, denying responsibility for her death and saying it will defend itself against the lawsuit.

“The death of Gabrielle Petito in Wyoming is a terrible tragedy and we extend our deepest sympathy to the Petito and Schmidt families and the grievous loss they have suffered. At the same time, it is clear that Moab City Police Department officials are not responsible for the eventual murder of Gabrielle Petito,” the city said.

Petito was 22 when she and fiancée Laundrie, 23, embarked on a road trip across the American West last summer and documented their #VanLife experiences online in idyllic, sun-kissed posts.

Despite their online appearance, their relationship has been rocky and at times violent. Petito was reported missing after Laundrie returned to his parents’ Florida home on September 1 and their parents were unable to reach them, sparking a nationwide hunt that became a fascination for online detectives.

Her body was found in Grand Teton National Forest a few weeks later, and a coroner ruled that she had died from strangulation. Laundrie subsequently went missing from a Florida wildlife sanctuary, and his body was found in mid-October next to a notebook in which he admitted to killing her.

A review of the Moab Police Department’s handling of the incident by an independent investigator — a police department captain in Price, Utah, about 115 miles away — recommended that the two officers who responded be placed on probation, saying they had ” several unintentional mistakes” – namely not bringing anyone up for domestic violence when there appeared to be only enough evidence to charge Petito.

The investigative report released in January recommended new policies for the department, including additional domestic violence training and legal training for officers.

The city didn’t address possible disciplinary action for the two officers at the time, but said it intends to “implement the report’s recommendations” on new policies for the police department, including additional domestic violence training and legal training for officers.

CNN contributed to this report.