Thousands sign petition demanding Florida police be investigated for handling of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie case

Petition raises doubts about handling of evidence and calls it ‘highly suspicious’

More than 3,400 people have signed a petition calling for a formal investigation into the North Port police department’s handling of the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie investigation.

The change.org petition, addressed to Florida governor Ron DeSantis, urged him to start an “internal investigation into this case” but added that the “bigger picture is to bring about change”.

“Police deal with citizens on a daily basis and the actions of incompetence can have tremendous, life-altering effects on numerous people in their communities,” the petition said. “What happens when you have a department that’s full of incompetence? Well, Governor DeSantis, this case right here is what happens.”

The petition was started by a user with the name “Gabby’s Safe Haven 2.0,” and has so far collected 3,445 signatures.

The petitioner claimed that the North Port police were incompetent in their handling of both Petito’s and Laundrie’s missing persons cases. The petitioner specifically asked that the “handling of the case by the North Port police department, City of North Port public information officer Josh Taylor, and North Port police chief Todd Garrison” be investigated.

“Millions of taxpayers’ money was spent on this investigation over a month’s time with little to no results. Within a day of the search area being opened back up to the public, the person of interest’s parents were the one’s [sic] to discover belongings of that of their son.”

The petition raised doubts over the “handling of evidence and chain of custody” and said that it was “highly suspicious.”

“Even after the remains of Brian Laundrie were discovered and confirmed, the search area was reopen [sic] to the public once again within 24 hours of discovery,” it added.

Laundrie was a person of interest in the disappearance and death of his fiancée, Gabby Petito. His remains were found in the Carlton Reserve, a protected swamp, on 20 October, more than a month after he went missing. Petito’s remains were found on 19 September. Her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation.

Petito was reported missing by her parents in September when Laundrie returned from their road trip without her. The two had embarked on a cross-country trip earlier in the year.

The North Port police faced criticism after it was revealed that the department’s chief, Todd Garrison, erroneously claimed he knew where Laundrie was located. On 16 September, Mr Garrison told the press he was aware of Laundrie’s whereabouts. However, Laundrie had actually left his home on 12 September.

Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing the Laundrie family, said that he told investigators that Laundrie had not returned from his hike the following day, but a search for him did not begin until 17 September.

A spokesperson for the North Port police claimed that officers mistook Roberta Laundrie, his mother, for him. He claimed the two were similarly “built” and that officers saw the woman, wearing a baseball cap, driving her son’s silver Mustang.

The spokesperson, Josh Taylor, later said that there was a “very good possibility” that Laundrie was dead two days after Petito was reported missing on 11 September.