Gabby Petito's parents have filed a second lawsuit, this time against a Utah police department.
The slain influencer's parents believe that when police encountered their distraught daughter in Moab, Utah, they absolutely missed an opportunity to save her life.
Bodycam footage of the police encounter shows officers questioning Petito's boyfriend Brian Laundrie. They also asked Petito about marks on her arms. The possible domestic abuse situation was just weeks before Laundrie killed Petito.
The lawsuit is seeking at least $50 million in damages. "We feel the need to bring justice because she could have been protected that day," Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, said during a press conference Thursday. "There are laws put in place to protect victims, and those laws were not followed. And we don't want this to happen to anybody else."
The suit alleges that police did not stick to the law and failed to properly pursue the case. According to the suit, there is a Utah law on domestic violence that would've protected Petito, but they did not follow protocol.
If they had, "Gabby would still be alive today," said James McConkie, one of the attorneys representing the family.
