NEW YORK – For the first time, the parents of Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito’s fiancé, have published writings from his personal notebook.
And it contains what appears to be Laundrie’s confession of having killed Petito.
One of the pages says in part, she quotes, “I ended her life. I thought it was mercy, which is what she wanted, but now I see all the mistakes I made.”
The FBI recovered the notebook near his remains in 2021 in Florida.
The Laundrie family’s attorney, Steve Bertolino, issued the following statement along with the documents.
Today the Petito family’s attorney, Patrick Reilly, and I met with the FBI in Tampa to settle and take possession of the personal belongings that belonged to Gabby and Brian. It was a previously agreed exchange to allow both the Little Ones and the Laundries to receive what belonged to their respective children. As part of this return of the property in FBI custody, I was given Brian’s notebook. I would like to share with the public the note to which the FBI alluded when it said on January 21, 2022 that Brian claimed responsibility for the death of Gabby Petito. Although I have decided to publish this letter for transparency, I will not comment further, as there are still proceedings pending in Court. These are Brian’s words:
a newspaper transcript provided by ABC News
PAGE 1
Gabby,
I would like to be by your side. I wish I could be talking to you right now. I would go through all the memories we have made, getting even more excited about the future. But we have lost our future. I can not live without you. I missed every day we could have spent together. Every morning. I will never play with (unreadable) again. Never go hiking with TJ. I loved you more than anything. I can’t stand looking at our photos, remembering great moments because that’s why I can’t continue. When I close my eyes, I will think of lying on the roof of the van, falling asleep at the sight of one (illegible) in the crystal geyser. I will Always Love You.
PAGE 2
If you were reading Gab’s diary, looking at photos of our lives together, flipping through old cards, you wouldn’t want to live a day without her. Knowing that every day you will wake up without her, you would not want to wake up. I’m sorry for everyone that this affects. Gabby was the love of my life, but I know it (illegible) for many. I’m so sorry for your family, because I love them. I would consider his little brothers my best friends. Sorry for my family, this is a shock to them as well as a terrible pain.
PAGE 3
They loved me, if not more, than I did. A new daughter for my mother, an aunt for my nephews. Please don’t make them harder. This (unreadable) as an unexpected tragedy. Quickly returning to our car trying to cross the (illegible) fumes before it got too dark to see it, too cold. I hear a splash and a scream. I could barely see. I didn’t find her for a moment, she called her name. I found it breathing (unreadable) panting (two lines here too smudged to read) the burning national parks …
PAGE 4
… in Utah. The temperature had dropped to freezing and she was very humid. I drove her as far as I could to the car, stumbling, exhausted, in shock, when mine (illegible) and I knew I couldn’t carry her safely. I lit the fire and made it a spoon so close to the heat, it was one thing, it had already frozen too long. At that moment I didn’t realize I should have started a fire first, but I wanted to get her out of the cold and back into the car. From where I started the fire, I had no idea how far the car could be. Not more…
PAGE 5
… he knew he was on the other side of the stream. When I pulled Gabby out of the water, she didn’t know what hurt me. He had a small lump on his forehead that eventually got bigger. Her feet, her wrist hurt, but she was frozen, shaking violently. As he carried her, he made sounds of pain continuously. Lying beside her, she said little, passing between violent jolts, panting in pain, begging for her pain to end. She fell asleep and I woke her up for fear she would close her eyes if she had a concussion.
PAGE 6
She woke up in pain, she started her whole painful cycle again while she was furious because it was me who woke her up. He wouldn’t let me try to cross the creek, he thought like me that the fire would go out in his sleep and freeze. I don’t know the extent of Gabby’s wounds, only that she had extreme pain. I ended his life. I thought she was merciful, which is what she wanted, but now I see all the mistakes I made. I (illegible)., Was in shock. But from the moment I decided, I took out her pain, I couldn’t go on without her.
PAGE 7
I ran home to spend the time I had with my family. I wanted to drive north and let James or TJ kill me, but I wouldn’t want them to spend time in jail for my mistake, though I’m sure they would have liked it. Amending my life not out of fear of punishment but because I can’t stand living another day without it. I have lost all of our future together, every moment we could have loved. I am sorry for the loss of all. Please don’t make life harder for my family, they lost a son and a daughter. The most beautiful girl in the world, Gabby, I’m sorry.
PAGE 8
I killed myself next to this stream in the hope that the animals would break me. That can make you happy apart from your family.
Please take all my stuff. Gabby hated people who left trash.
On Wednesday, lawyers for both families clashed in a Florida courtroom over a civil lawsuit filed three months ago by the Petito family against laundry.
Copyright © 2022 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.