It's odd a copy of the wrongful death lawsuit doesn't appear anywhere easy to find. It's not even referenced on the court site, ClerkNet 3.0. But news stories quote from it and say it was filed in Sarasota County. Maybe the P's attorney sent copies to news bureaus?
It looks like NBC is reporting the suit is about possession of Brian's notebook and other papers. The lawyers from both sides
seem to concur. (Link below) Of course, IF anyone was given the notebook by LE there's no reason it would have gone to the P's. I'm not sure though what would have stopped the L's from having previously destroyed it and any other writings of BL's IF the FBI returned them and IF they wanted to.
If the FBI told the P's anything at all in that final conference I'd think they would have been told what the note in the notebook said. After all, the public was told that note said B "took responsibility" for GP's death (Whatever that means.) So it's not clear to me why they want the notebook. But unlike
@Megnut I've seen no evidence the P's just want to talk to the L's either. Maybe I missed it but other than calls and texts that one day in Sept, I've seen no evidence the P's have tried to make contact. I personally think the suits are to punish the L's. And maybe one way to punish the L's is to take away the last known thing their dead son wrote? Especially if the note was written to the L's? Or there were other writings to the L's in the notebook?
In the link below the court-appointed administrator of B's estate seems to say BL's estate appears to be quite small. But the P's lawyer said he was confident the P's would "secure" the notebook and other materials. I admit I don't know how lawsuits work when they "take someone for all he's got." I always thought "everything" meant money or tangible objects of value (with state laws appropriately protecting some property.) But maybe with an estate it means literally everything including the decedent's old socks & underwear, photos, books, and stray scraps of scratch paper with doodles. (I do know though those ordinary items with low or no monetary value are not itemized in required inventories for estate filings in NC.)
Finally I'm confused the wrongful death suit is being brought by NS as GP's administrator yet the damages sought
appear to be for harm to the P's. The above link says the suit says "Nichole Schmidt and Joseph Petito incurred funeral and burial expenses, and they have suffered a loss of care and comfort, and have suffered a loss of probably [
sic] future companionship, society and comfort." I don't see why the P's aren't acting as plaintiffs instead of Gabby's estate. Since they are likely the beneficiaries of anything of Gabby's it may not matter in the end but it seems odd to me. But maybe that's how Florida law works.
Gabby Petito family's lawsuit likely an effort to get Brian Laundrie's notebook, lawyers say
BTW-- Early reports that the L's were asking for $30K appear to be wrong. Reports now seem to say they are asking for "in excess" of $30K.
@Shamrock1 had said not to pay to much attention to the exact figure and that warning appears to have been correct.
JMO