Gabby Petito's Parents Gearing Up For 'Crime Con' After Being Called A 'Publicity Stunt'

Gabby Petito’s parents are continuing to fight the good fight in honor of their late daughter.

The former YouTube “Van Life” vlogger was killed by her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, in August 2021. Gabby and Brian were on a cross-country National Parks road trip when the unthinkable happened.

Along their National Parks tour, the couple were stopped by police in Moab, Utah after a civilian reported a domestic violence incident.

The incident took place in August 12, 2021, and their interactions with the Moab City Police Department was caught on police body camera.

An outside investigation found the two responding officers in Moab, UT. made several mistakes.

In the wake of her murder, Gabby’s parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, filed a $50-million wrongful death lawsuit against the MCPD in 2022.

One of the family’s lawyer, James W. McConkie, also announced that new information was found by Gabby’s family that one of the officers, Eric Pratt, who spoke to their daughter during the traffic is accused of having a history of domestic abuse.

“[Pratt] was a domestic abuser, who has used authority and threats of physical violence to control and intimidate sexual partners," according to another Petito family attorney, Brian Stewart.

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He believes the officer was “fundamentally biased and likely ignored Gabby.”

Her parents have amended the lawsuit and claim Officer Pratt said Laundrie “seemed like a mental and emotional bully,” but treated him like the victim instead of the aggressor.

Now, the lawyer representing the Utah cops named in the lawsuit is hitting back at the Petito-Schmidt family.

According to a US Sun interview, lawyer Mitchell Stephen called the lawsuit a “publicity stunt” and overreach.

Stephen is a high-profile business attorney in Salt Lake City, UT.

He’s claiming the police officers “did not cause Brian Laundrie to murder Gabrielle Petito.”

Stephens also added that the officers who responded to the domestic dispute acted with “kindness and respect.”

Neither Joseph nor Nichole have spoken publicly about Stephen’s comments, because they are gearing up for “CrimeCon.”

According to The Gabby Petito Foundation’s official Twitter account, #CrimeCon has invited us to speak about our story, foundation & the issues around domestic violence & missing persons. We are proud to be a guest at this years event so we can continue to honor Gabby's legacy.”

Gabby’s mother wrote on Twitter, “We are proud to be able to have important conversations at this years #CrimeCon2023 event!”

The Gabby Petito Foundation “is rooted in the belief that we all have an inherent responsibility to make a difference in our communities. We are honored to be assisting organizations that provide immediate, tangible help to survivors of domestic violence, and we are honored to work with organizations that assist with locating missing persons. With a variety of big ideas and goals, it is our hope to be at the forefront of positive and proactive change with awareness, prevention strategies, and education.”

The event will take place in Orlando on September 22nd through the 24th.