Gabby Petito case: Brian Laundrie's mother promised son shovel, garbage bag, jailhouse cake in love letter

EXCLUSIVE: Brian Laundrie's mother Roberta has broken her silence to Fox News Digital after her highly-anticipated "burn after reading" letter has revealed she promised her late son a shovel and garbage bags.

The Florida woman, through her attorney, claims the missive was penned before her son embarked on a June 2021 cross country trip with his 22-year-old fiancee Gabby Petito, who was found dead September 19, 2021 near Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park.

Her 23-year-old beau then returned to his mother's house in North Port, Florida and was declared a "person of interest" before his remains were found on October 21, 2021 in a nearby reserve.

"I just want you to remember I will always love you and I know you will always love me. You are my boy. Nothing can make me stop loving you, nothing can or ever will divide us no matter what we do, or where we go or what we say - we will always love each other. If you're in jail I will bake a cake and put a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body. I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags," she said. "If you fly to the moon, I will be watching the skies for your re-entry. If you say you hate my guts, I'll get new guts. Remember that love is a verb not a noun. It's not a thing it's not words. It is actions. Watch people's actions to know if they love you - not their words."

Roberta Laundrie then appears to quote Romans 8:38 from the Bible to end the letter.

"Therefore I am certain that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor the ruling spirits, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers from above, nor powers from below, nothing in the entire created world can separate our love. Neither hostile powers nor messengers or heaven nor monarchs of earth. Nothing has the power to separate us.' - Romans 8:38 (extended version!)"

The letter was made public after a hearing in the civil lawsuit brought by Petito's parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, against Chris and Roberta Laundrie and their attorney Steve Bertolino.

Through an attorney, Roberta Laundrie told Fox News Digital that she "truly loved" her son.

"The letter to Brian was written prior to Gabby and Brian leaving my home for their trip. Previously, I submitted an affidavit to the court for very limited purposes but that is not the whole story. Now that the letter has been shared, I ask that you read it in its entirety, and understand that the letter contains other phrases besides those highlighted by Pat Reilly for sensationalism and to bolster his case," Laundrie said. "I truly loved my son, and simply wanted to convey to him how much he meant to me and how much I loved him.  I am sure people use phrases all the time to express to their loved ones the depths of their love. Although I chose words that I thought would be impactful with Brian given our relationship, the letter was in no way related to Gabby.  Please read the entire letter before you believe the hype put out by Pat Reilly. "... (Read more)

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