West
Brian Laundrie-Gabby Petito docuseries highlights payment to lawyer connected to bin Laden
Gabby Petito’s parents cast shade on Brian Laundrie’s family in a new docuseries that reveals additional details about the timing of their daughter’s murder at her fiancé’s hands in the wilderness of Wyoming, especially the allegation that they shelled out $25,000 to a prominent attorney while professing their ignorance of the crime.
“You’re going to throw $25,000 of your hard-earned cash out on a lawyer from f—ing Wyoming, and you’re telling me you didn’t ask where she was?” Joseph Petito says in Netflix’s “American Murder: Gabby Petito.”
The payment came three days after Laundrie called his parents and less than a week after Petito was last seen alive.
“That’s some bulls—,” he added, “I’ll tell you that right now.”
BRIAN LAUNDRIE’S SISTER ESTRANGED FROM FAMILY AMID EXPLOSIVE NEW DOCUSERIES
Joe Petito and Tara Petito in “American Murder: Gabby Petito” (Netflix)
Her stepfather, Jim Schmidt, echoed his concerns.
“I don’t think the amount of money they paid their attorney would be for anything less than to represent somebody for murder,” he told the documentarians.
The lawyer in question is Tom Fleener, an Army veteran and former JAG lawyer whose clients included the Guantánamo Bay detainee Ali al Bahlul, a former bodyguard to the 9/11 terrorist Usama bin Laden, who Navy SEALs killed in 2011.
Fleener has previously declined to discuss the Laundrie case with Fox News Digital. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.
GABBY PETITO TOLD HER EX SHE WAS SCARED TO LEAVE BRIAN LAUNDRIE BUT WANTED TO JUST BEFORE MURDER: NEW DOC
Jim Schmidt and Nichole Schmidt in “American Murder: Gabby Petito” (Netflix)
The Laundrie family attorney, Steve Bertolino, collected $25,000 from his clients and used it to retain Fleener’s law firm. He said he has not collected any payment from the Laundries for his own legal role in the saga, which landed him in the middle of a now-settled lawsuit brought by Petito’s parents.
GABBY PETITO URGED BRIAN LAUNDRIE TO ‘STOP CRYING’ IN LOVE LETTER TO HER KILLER RELEASED BY FBI
- 8/27: Gabby Petito last seen alive in Jackson, Wyoming
- 8/29: Brian Laundrie tells his parents Petito is “gone” in “frantic” phone call
- 8/30: Laundrie sends phony texts from Petito’s phone to himself and to her mother
- 9/1: Laundrie arrives at his parents’ Florida house, driving Petito’s van
- 9/2: Bertolino enters a fee agreement with Wyoming law firm on Laundrie’s behalf
- 9/6-7: Laundrie family goes camping at Fort DeSoto Park
- 9/11: Petito reported missing
- 9/13: Laundrie evades FBI surveillance, leaves his parents’ home and takes his own life
- 9/19: Petito’s remains are discovered near their campsite outside Jackson
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While their social media told one story, there was a dark side to the cross-country road trip of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie, pictured here in “American Murder: Gabby Petito.” (Netflix)
Bertolino arranged for a local defense attorney after Brian Laundrie made a panicked phone call to his father from Wyoming, repeatedly saying “Gabby’s gone,” according to court documents.
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Christopher Laundrie denied knowledge of Petito’s death at the time, and he said through his lawyer that his son hung up before sharing further details.
“Brian hung up on Chris. I said, ‘When Brian calls you back, give him my number, and you tell him to call me. You do not talk to him,’” Bertolino told Fox News Digital when depositions in the civil suit became public.
Chris and Roberta Laundrie are shown in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on the morning when police found their son’s skeletal remains. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
CASSIE LAUNDRIE UNLEASHES AFTER GABBY PETITO HOMICIDE
Both Christopher and Roberta Laundrie conceded that they had concerns for Petito’s welfare after the call but denied having knowledge of the murder. Brian Laundrie invoked his right to remain silent but ultimately left behind a suicide note and confession.
Brian’s sister, Cassie Laundrie, had also been expected to testify in the case, but her interview was canceled before the sides reached a settlement.
Pat Reilly, an attorney for Petito’s parents, said he called it off “because she had no information related to the issues of the litigation.”
Gabby Petito, 22, vanished in August 2021 and was later found dead near a campsite she shared with fiancé Brian Laundrie. (Steve Petito)
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Cassie Laundrie has denied knowledge of her parents’ conversations with her brother and recently alleged that a police detective, whose voice can be overheard on bodycam video, mischaracterized their conversation.
Since the case grabbed national headlines in 2021, Petito’s parents have become advocates for missing persons and domestic violence victims.
If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 (SAFE).
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Oregon
Missing, endangered 2-year-old last seen in Portland area
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Oregon Department of Human Services is asking for help finding a 2-year-old boy who is believed to be in danger.
Armani Andrews disappeared on June 17 and is thought to be with someone in the Portland area, officials said.
He’s about two feet tall with brown hair and brown eyes and African American/mixed race, ODHS said.
Locations around Portland that the child may have frequented include the Rose Haven shelter on Northwest Glisan Street, the Multnomah County Central Library on Southwest 10th Avenue and Southeast Portland between 82nd and 103rd avenues.
People who have any information about Andrews’ whereabouts are asked to call 911.
Utah
Sculptor to build $55 million monument depicting American history in Utah
SALT LAKE CITY — A first-of-its-kind monument that could become one of the largest bronze sculptures in the western United States is under construction in Utah.
Surrounded by sculptures lining his home, sculptor Sabin Howard refines his model for what will become the Grand Liberty Arch, a 60-foot-long, 36-foot-tall bronze monument depicting American history.
“It’s based upon geometric solids and how they move in and out of space,” Howard said.
The Grand Liberty Arch tells the story of America through a series of bronze reliefs.
“It is an arch to honor what we can be and is built to celebrate our nation’s 250th year with pride for the original American virtues and ideals,” Howard wrote in the monument’s proposal.
The front of the monument depicts the birth of America, including the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence. Visitors walking through the arch will see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution displayed on the interior walls alongside an eternal flame.
The opposite side portrays westward expansion and the 20th century, from World War I through space exploration. The two ends depict emancipation and the Civil War.
Each figurine is deeply symbolic. One recurring figure throughout the monument is Lady Liberty.
“Because that liberty is here. It’s a symbol,” Howard said.
Another figure carries a shield, representing the protection of freedom.
The monument features 56 sculpted figures, some standing up to 12 feet tall.
One of those figures, carrying an American flag, is modeled after a Texas veteran. Howard said the veteran served in two wars and, shortly before returning from Afghanistan, stepped on an explosive device that resulted in the loss of his leg.
“He has a tremendous amount of strength and courage,” Howard said. “He’s still going forward, so we’ve been wounded, we’ve been injured, yet we still have the courage to proceed forward.”
Many of the models Howard found in the Beehive State were at local CrossFit. Howard wanted bodybuilders and athletes for his artistic style, something he described as putting a movie on a monument.
“It’s a superhero’s version of American history,” Howard said.
The $55 million monument has been approved by the Capitol Preservation Board and Gov. Spencer Cox for a site above the Capitol. A circular plaza will surround the arch, symbolizing unity and a beacon of guiding light.
Partnering with the American Preparatory Academy, Howard hopes it will design lessons and programs that allow students to recite founding texts and perform at the monument.
Howard will work alongside three or four sculptors, including two from the Beehive State. He has most of the project funded, but is still seeking donors.
“This will show the world what’s going on in Utah,” Howard said.
At 62, decades of dedication have led Howard to this moment.
“It took 42 years to get here,” Howard said.
Howard couldn’t even draw when he was 19 years old, yet he was determined to try.
“I decided one afternoon, I’m going to make art like Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael,” Howard said.
Becoming a sculptor for Howard is about more than mastering technique.
“You’re not only developing your skills, you’re also developing your ability to tell a story through visual narrative,” Howard said.
The story Howard is telling, he said, has never been presented on this scale before.
“What I’m basically doing is I’m manifesting a universe,” Howard said.
A universe that was inspired by his previous creations, and most recently, a monument for the nation.
After more than 75,000 hours of sculpting and after roughly four decades, Howard was commissioned to create the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., featuring 38 figures.
The WWI model took six months to complete. Although the Grand Liberty Arch will be a larger monument, Howard said the current model took only three weeks, not because it’s less complicated, quite the opposite.
Howard attributes his successes to his belief in God.
“I operate with the assumption that someone has my back and Christ and God and light and truth are what drives things forward,” Howard said. “You cannot accomplish things of such magnitude if you do not have faith in something larger than yourself.”
That faith ultimately brought Howard to Utah.
“I was told, ‘Go make a monument for your country. Go make a monument to represent who we are and what our history is,’” Howard said. “There is no human commissioner here. It’s my maker.”
Howard was encouraged by Sen. Mike Lee to make Utah home to his monument, and Howard agreed that the faith-based communities would appreciate the monument more than any other location.
“I don’t think there’s another place in the country that could manage a sculpture of this magnitude or meaning except Utah,” Howard said. “Nothing like this has ever happened.”
The monument’s magnitude in size alone makes the project significant, and Howard called it akin to the Sistine Chapel with how many figurines and symbols will be portrayed.
“When they go look at a monument like that, they’re hit in the gut in a very visceral, alchemical way,” Howard said.
Howard’s six-foot model of the Grand Liberty Arch will be displayed during Independence Day weekend in the Capitol Rotunda.
He will begin sculpting the full-sized monument in July, hoping to install a new panel every 15 months. Howard plans to complete the monument in time for Utah to host the 2034 Winter Olympics.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
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