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On Thursday, Gabby Petito's parents filed a lawsuit for $50 million in Utah. They are claiming that the Moab City Police Department failed in their responsibility to save their daughter’s life.

Attorney James W. McConkie who represents Petito’s parents said that "The purpose of this lawsuit is to honor Gabby's legacy by demanding accountability and working toward systemic changes to protect victims of domestic abuse and violence and prevent such tragedies in the future." 

In a news conference, Schmidt, Petito’s mother said "We feel we need to bring justice because she could have been protected that day. There are laws put in place to protect victims, and those laws were not followed, and we don't want this to happen to anyone else."

Gabby's parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt filed the 35-page lawsuit, accusing officer Pratt, of being "fundamentally biased” in the investigation.  And alleges that the police were negligent when they decided she, rather than her boyfriend, Brian Laundries was an abuser. 

The entire interaction with the police was documented was on several officers’ body cam footage.

Officer accused of abuse

The lawsuit claims a witness has come forward accusing Moab officer Eric Pratt of abuse. “She accused him of being abusive toward her, and that he had sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her with a crowbar if she reported the abuse.” 

Pratt, a former police chief in smaller Utah town later moved to the Moab Police Department. And he was the head officer that responded to the August 12th 911 calls involving Gabby Petito.

$50 million lawsuit for damages

The $50 million lawsuit details the events leading up to her murder.

In 2021, Gabby Petito and her then fiancé Brian Laundrie were taking a cross-country trip which Gabby documented on YouTube.

On August 12th a witness called 911 and reported seeing Laundries hit and slap Gabby. Other bystanders made similar 911 calls of the event.

Police stopped the couple on the highway out of town.

The lawsuit claims Officer Pratt chose to believe Laundrie while ignoring all the evidence that Gabby was the victim.  And he was “intentionally looking for loopholes to get around the requirements of Utah law and his duty to protect Gabby."

The officers made no arrests and split up the couple for the night.

This happened shortly before Laundrie murdered the young woman in a Wyoming wilderness park on August 24th. 

Laundrie showed up at his home in Florida without his fiancée. And a nationwide search started for Gabby, which soon engulfed social media. 

After refusing to cooperate with the FBI and the North Port Florida police Landrie disappeared. And he committed suicide.

Moab denies responsibility

The police department, the police chief, assistant chief, and Officers Eric Pratt and Daniel Robbins are all listed as defendants in the suit.

Petito's parents accused both responding officers of failing to follow procedure by not fully investigating the domestic violence complaint. And of ignoring easy-to-spot signs that their daughter was in distress.

The City of Moab did a report of the interaction with police. 

The report admits that the officers made "several unintentional mistakes," and that it was "very likely" Petito was a "long-term victim of domestic violence."  

Moab continues to deny any responsibility.

"The death of Gabrielle Petito in Wyoming is a terrible tragedy, and we feel profound sympathy for the Petito and Schmidt families and the painful loss they have endured. At the same time, it is clear that Moab City Police Department officers are not responsible for Gabrielle Petito's eventual murder."