The father of missing Long Island native Gabby Petito criticized her boyfriend Brian Laundrie’s sister over her remarks about “love” in a TV interview about the disappearance.
Cassie Laundrie said in an interview to be broadcast on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Friday that she and her family “obviously” want Petito to be found safe.
“She’s like a sister and my children love her, and all I want is for her to come home safe and found and this to be just a big misunderstanding,” she said amid accusations by the Petitos that her family was withholding valuable information about Gabby’s whereabouts.
Gabby’s father Joe Petito told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield that the Laundries have a twisted sense of love.
“If that’s that family’s version of love, to just ignore and not care that someone’s gone and people are looking for them and entire countries looking for them, I mean, that explains how we got to where we are today. Because I mean, look at their version of what they call love,” Petito said.
Gabby and her boyfriend were on a trip to the western United States in a van together when she went missing. They were scheduled to close out the trip in Portland around Halloween.
The couple had a scuffle in Utah on Aug. 12, the aftermath of which was captured on police bodycam video, but did not lead to any arrests.
On Thursday, the missing woman’s family lawyer expressed anger over the lack of information by the Laundries.
“The family is devastated,” Richard Stafford said at a press briefing. “Every day that this goes on, they get more and more devastated. They’re at the point that that desperation has turned to anger. They know that the Laundries know where their daughter is, and they will not tell them. That’s infuriating.”
Laundrie has retained a lawyer and refused to cooperate with cops, as his parents have also turned detectives away from their home in North Port, Florida, where the young couple lived.
The Laundries have also refused to talk to Petito’s distraught parents.