BERTOLINO, THE ATTORNEY FOR
BRIAN LAUNDRIE’S FAMILY.
HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
STEVE, FIRST OFF, THANKS FOR
JOINING TOP STORY TONIGHT. SO
OUR VIEWERS UNDERSTAND THE
MAIN REASON YOU ARE
REPRESENTING THE LAUNDRY
FAMILIES BECAUSE YOU HAVE A
LONG PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH THEM. I UNDERSTAND YOU
RECEIVE THAT GRIM NEWS THAT
WE’VE JUST REPORTED. HOW DID
YOU FIND OUT AND WHAT EXACTLY
DID YOU LEARN. WELL, YES, GOOD
EVENING TIME. AND THANKS FOR
HAVING ME. THE FIRST THING IS
YES, I DID ON THE LAUNDRY
FAMILY FOR OVER 25 YEARS. BEEN
FRIENDS WITH CHRIS LAUNDRIE
FOR A LONG TIME. I’VE SEEN
BOTH OF HIS CHILDREN GROW UP
CASSIE AND BRIAN AND I DID
LEARN OF THE UNFORTUNATE NEWS
THAT THE BRYANS REMAINS WERE
CONFIRMED TODAY THROUGH CHRIS
YOU KNOW, CHRIS HAD CALLED ME.
LET ME KNOW THAT THE POLICE
HAD COME TO HIS HOUSE THIS
EVENING TO INFORM THEM. THAT
THE REMAINS WERE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED. HOW WERE BRYAN’S
PARENTS TONIGHT. WELL, TOM, I
DON’T KNOW YOU IF YOU’RE A
PARENT OR NOT. BUT I’M SURE
EVERY PARENT THERE KNOWS
GETTING DONE, GETTING THE NEWS
THAT YOUR CHILD IS NO LONGER,
YOU KNOW, WITH YOU IS SAID
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, THE
FACT THAT THE LAUNDRIES HAVE
BEEN SUBJECTED TO THESE PEOPLE
OUT IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE FOR
THE LIST TO 4 WEEKS AND THEY
CONTINUE OUT THERE TODAY.
SHE’S MAKING ALL THE MORE
DIFFICULT. ANY IDEA OR PHIRI HOW BRIAN MAY HAVE ENDED HIS
LIFE. YOU KNOW, I DON’T WANT
TO SPECULATE I TRY NOT TO DO
THAT. I WOULD HOPE PEOPLE
WOULD STOP DOING THAT AS WELL,
ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO
THIS CASE AND WITH RESPECT YOU
KNOW, THE CAUSE HOW BRINED IS.
CAME TO BE DEAD. I DON’T KNOW.
AND YOU WILL WAIT FOR IF IF
POSSIBLE, SOME TYPE OF CAUSE
OF DEATH FROM THE EXPERTS.
STEVE, I WANT TO GO BACK TO
YESTERDAY AND THAT BIG
DISCOVERY. I KNOW THIS IS NOT
THE FIRST TIME BRIAN’S PARENTS
HAVE AIDED IN THE SEARCH. BUT
THE LAUNDRIES DID DECIDE TO GO
AND HELP INVESTIGATORS
YESTERDAY BOTH PARENTS EXPLAIN
TO OUR VIEWERS WHAT EXACTLY
PROMPTED THAT YESTERDAY. WELL,
I THINK THE PROMPT WAS THAT
THE TALK? WHAT WOULD THE
MYAKKA ENVIRONMENTAL CREEK
PARK WAS FINALLY OPEN TO THE
PUBLIC. MY UNDERSTANDING WAS
HE TOLD TO THE PUBLIC ON
TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY AND CHRIS
AND ROBERTA DECIDED THAT SINCE
IT WAS OPEN AND, YOU KNOW,
AVAILABLE TO THEM. THEY WANTED
TO GO AND LOOK FOR BRIAN BY
THEMSELVES SPEAKING WITH ME, I
TOLD HIM THAT I WANTED TO
NOTIFY LAW ENFORCEMENT SO THAT
WE WOULD HAVE NO ISSUE. AND
YOU KNOW, I DID TEXT MY
CONTACT AT THE NORTH PORT
POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE
RESPONSE I GOT WAS. THANK YOU
FOR THE HEADS UP. AND THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT DID SHOW UP AT
07:00AM AT THE PARK ENTRANCE
TO ME, CHRIS AND WHAT DO YOU
SAY TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE OUT
THERE WHO SAY THIS IS REALLY A
STRANGE COINCIDENCE. BOTH
PARENTS GO OUT MOTHER AND
FATHER AND THEN SUDDENLY THESE
BIG CLUES TURN UP, INCLUDING WHAT WE NOW KNOW ARE THE
REMAINS OF BRIAN LAUNDRIE. YOU
HAS A SET TO MOMENT AGO. YOU
KNOW, I I’VE KNOWN BRIAN,
SINCE HE WAS A SMALL CHILD. SO
THIS IS HITTING ME TODAY A
LITTLE BIT ANGRY THAT THAT
PEOPLE EVEN SPECULATING THIS
WAY AND PRIMARILY BECAUSE. YOU
KNOW, IT’S NOT JUST THE
LAUNDRIES. IT’S IT’S LOCAL PD.
IT’S THE FBI. IT WAS AN
INDEPENDENT NEWS PERSON WHO
HAPPENED TO BE THERE FILMING
AND THAT’S ALL FORTUNATE THAT
POLICE WERE THERE AND THE FILM
CREW WAS THERE. THE FBI PUT
OUT A STATEMENT. I THINK IT
THE GENTLEMAN’S NAME. HE SAID,
LISTEN, WE SEARCHED THIS AREA
SEVERAL WEEKS AGO IT WAS ON
THE WATER. THERE HAVE BEEN
NUMEROUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAID
THIS AREA WAS WAIST DEEP IN
WATER. I THINK EVERY SEARCHER
WHO WAS OUT THERE WILL ATTEST
TO THAT. SO PEOPLE WITH
FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE
CONDITIONS OF THAT POFF HAVE
SAID THAT THIS WAS ON THE 2 TO
3 FEET OF WATER. AND YET STILL
JOHN Q PUBLIC CAN’T GET IN
THEIR HEAD. THAT THE SERIES
WERE INACCESSIBLE AND THE
ITEMS THAT WERE LOCATED TODAY
OR I SHOULD SAY YESTERDAY.
PERHAPS COULDN’T BE SEEN.
>> WE’RE NOT JUST SAYING IT.
I’M NOT JUST SAYING IT. THE
FBI IS SAYING IT. EVERYONE IS
SAYING IT AND YET THESE
PLATFORMS STILL RUNNING A MARK
WITH THESE NEW LUDACRIS. AND I
HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW,
NONSENSICAL SERIES OF THE
PARENTS PLANTING THINGS THERE.
I MEAN, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
>> STEVE. YOU KNOW, WE ARE ITS
2 PEOPLE. YEAH. WE ARE HERE
TODAY, THOUGH, BECAUSE OF THE
DISAPPEARANCE OF GABBY PETITO
AND ULTIMATELY HER DEATH. YOU
KNOW, THE PETITO FAMILY HAS
BEEN VERY CRITICAL OF THE
LAUNDRIES. I WANT TO PLAY YOU
A SHORT CLIP OF THE PETITO
FAMILY. WANT TO GET YOUR
REACTION ON THE OTHER END. I
BELIEVE THEY KNOW.
>> PROBABLY IF NOT EVERYTHING
THEY KNOW. MOST OF THE INFORMATION. WOULD LOVE TO
JUST. FACE TO FACE ASK. WHY
ARE YOU DOING THIS. JUST TELL
ME THE TRUTH.
>> THIS FAMILY YOU’RE
REPRESENTING THEM. HOW WOULD
YOU DESCRIBE THE LAUNDRIES
INTERACTION WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
>> SO AS I COUPLE OF TIMES
TODAY TO TO OTHER NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS. TODAY’S NOT THE
DAY TO DISCUSS TO GABBY PETITO
CASE. I UNDERSTAND THAT. THAT
WAS THE IMPETUS, THAT THAT IS
THE REASON WHY ALL THIS IS
IT’S HAPPENING. BUT THAT
DOESN’T EXPLAIN WHY PEOPLE
COME UP WITH THESE NONSENSICAL
THEORIES AS TO YESTERDAY’S
EVENTS AND SOME OTHER EVENT.
IT DOESN’T EXPLAIN TIME. WHAT
MAJOR NEWS ORGANIZATIONS JUST
YESTERDAY ON FOX NEWS. AN
ANKLE WAS ACCUSING ME OF
COMMUNICATING WITH BRIAN WITH
A BURNER PHONE UNTIL HIS SOLAR
POWER RAN OUT AND I CAN ONLY
COMMUNICATE THAT WAS FROM AN
ANCHOR. YOU HAD PUNDITS ON CNN
JUST LAST NIGHT WITH ALL KINDS
OF THEORIES. SO MY ANGER, MY
FRUSTRATION WHEN I SAY WHEN
DOES IT STOP WHAT I’M SAYING
IS WHEN DOES IT STOP THAT THAT
THESE CONJECTURE US, THE
SERIOUS PEOPLE WHO HAD NO
FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE AND
SPECIFICALLY WITH YESTERDAY’S
EVENTS. YOU HAVE PEOPLE WITH
FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE TELLING
YOU HOW THIS PLAYED OUT AND YET PEOPLE STILL DON’T BELIEVE
IT. I’M GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT
I’M NOT GOING HEAR YOU OUT TO
PETITO FAMILY THEY SAY THEY
SUFFERED NO TIME. LET ME THEY
SUFFERED A GRAVE LOSS. AND ON
SEPTEMBER 14TH. WHEN I FIRST
WENT ON VIDEO, I SAID THERE
WERE 2 FAMILIES HERE THAT HAVE
A GREAT TRAGEDY TO YOUNG
PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOW LOST
THEIR LIVES THERE ARE PARENTS
SUFFERING NOW, I UNDERSTAND
THAT WHATEVER HAPPENED,
WHATEVER DIDN’T HAPPEN,
WHATEVER PEOPLE KNOW. THIS IS
TRAGIC. FOR 2 FAMILIES AND
ANYBODY WITH A CHILD AND
ANYBODY WITH A SENSE OF
HUMANITY. CAN UNDERSTAND THE
FRUSTRATION THAT BOTH FAMILIES
FEEL ON THAT POINT, ON THAT
POINT HEAR I HEAR YOU ON THAT
POINT, THOUGH. YOU MENTIONED A
DAY.
>> IF YOU COULD GO BACK DO YOU
WISH YOU WOULD HAVE HELPED
POLICE OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE
EARLY ON IN THE INVESTIGATION
BECAUSE NORTH PORT POLICE TO
BE COMPLETELY FAIR HAD TO
TWEET AT YOU ON SEPTEMBER 15
DAYS AFTER GABBY PETITO WAS
ALREADY REPORTED MISSING. DO
YOU WISH YOU’D HAVE MAYBE WORK
WITH POLICE A LITTLE EARLIER
IN THIS INVESTIGATION.
>> SO TOM, I HAVE TO TELL YOU
ONCE AGAIN. I REPRESENT THE
LAUNDRY FAMILY. I’M AN
ATTORNEY COMMUNICATIONS I HAVE
WITH BRIAN COMMUNICATIONS I
HAD AND HAVE WITH THE WITH
CHRIS AND ROBERTA, A
CONFIDENTIAL. WHAT I WISH
REALLY DOESN’T PLAY INTO IT.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS. AT
SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, THEN
MAYBE CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD
DID MAYBE INFORMATION TO BE
DISCUSSED TONIGHT IS NOT THAT
TIME. YOU KNOW, THIS. THIS
CASE IS NOT OVER. I HAVE YET
TO SPEAK FBI PERSONNEL. I’VE
YET TO SPEAK TO NORTH PORT
POLICE. I HAVE YET TO SPEAK TO
THE ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
ISRO MY NOT AND WILL AND
WYOMING. THERE ARE CERTAIN
THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
AND AND I SHOULD SAY WRAPPED
UP BEFORE WE CAN HAVE FURTHER
CONVERSATIONS OF WHAT MAY OR
MAY
>> HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY.
STEVE, YOU THINK YOUR CLIENTS,
THE LAUNDRIES BRIAN’S PARENTS
WILL EVENTUALLY BE CHARGED
WITH CRIMES. I HAVE NO REASON
TO BELIEVE THAT. THERE’S BEEN
SOME SPECULATION OUT THERE AND
AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND GOING TO
TALK ABOUT SPECULATION THAT
MAYBE SOME TYPE OF DEAL WAS
CUT THAT THAT THEY PROMISED TO
COOPERATE WITH INVESTIGATORS FOR TO GET SOME TYPE OF
IMMUNITY. ANY TRUTH TO THAT.
>> I CAN TELL, YOU KNOW,
THERE’S NO TRUTH TO THAT. WHAT
I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT
CONVERSATIONS WERE HAD SEVERAL
WEEKS AGO WITH THE FBI WITH
RESPECT TO CERTAIN CHARGES
WHEN WHEN QUESTIONED AND WHEN
COMMUNICATIONS WERE HAD
BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE FBI. I
THINK IT WAS REALIZED THAT THE
CHARGES WERE NOT APPROPRIATE.
THERE WAS NEVER A THREAT.
THERE WAS NEVER A COERCION.
THERE WAS NEVER A DEAL CUT,
BUT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
MISDEMEANOR CHARGES WOULD NOT
HAVE BEEN STEVE MISDEMEANOR OR
FELONY CHARGES. I DON’T KNOW
WHAT WHAT LEVEL OF CRIME WOULD
WAS IN THE MIX. WHAT I CAN
TELL YOU IS THERE WERE
CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE HAD
AND I DEFINITELY WANT TO BE
CLEAR. THERE WAS NO THREAT.
THERE WAS NO COERCION ON ON
BEHALF OF THE FBI. THERE WAS
NO DEALS. THERE WAS CERTAINLY
CONVERSATIONS AS ONE WOULD
EXPECT HAPPENS IN EVERY
CRIMINAL CASE YOU ALWAYS HAVE
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
PROSECUTORS ABOUT HOW THE CASE
MAY PLAY OUT AS TO WHAT MAY BE
ON THE TABLE, SO TO SPEAK.
YES, THOSE CONVERSATIONS WERE
HAD, BUT NO DEAL WAS CUT. THE
LAUNDRIES HAVE BEEN
COOPERATING WITH WITH A LAW
ENFORCEMENT, BOTH LOCALLY AND
FEDERALLY SINCE DAY ONE WITH
RESPECT TO BRIAN AND EXPLAIN
TO OUR VIEWERS IN YOUR CASE
YET IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO OUR
VIEWERS BECAUSE WE’VE HEARD
FROM SO MANY PEOPLE OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL WEEKS ON THIS
CASE. BUT WE’VE NEVER HEARD FROM THE LAUNDRIES AND THERE’S
A REASON FOR THAT. CORRECT.
>> ABSOLUTELY. AND I SAID
SEVERAL TIMES THAT I SET IT
OVER A MONTH AGO. THE REASON
YOU HAVEN’T HEARD FROM THE
LAUNDRIES AND BECAUSE I TOLD
NOT TO TALK TO ANYBODY. I’VE
TAKEN THE HEAT ON THAT EXCEPT
THE HEAT ON THAT AND AS I SAID
EVEN LAST NIGHT, AS YOU KNOW,
ANY ATTORNEY ANY DEFENSE
ATTORNEY AND ANYBODY WHO WENT
TO LAW SCHOOL WILL TELL YOU
THE SAME THING. YOU DO NOT
TALK UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES,
ANY PUNDIT WHO GOES ON TV AND
SAYS, OH, I HAVE A LAW DEGREE
AND THIS IS IMMORAL AND
UNETHICAL. YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU
ARE WRONG. THIS IS THE JOB IN
THE ROLE OF THE DEFENSE
ATTORNEY. YOU TELL YOUR CLIENT
DO NOT TALK TO LAW
ENFORCEMENT, PERIOD, END OF
STORY.
>> DID YOUR DID YOUR CLIENTS
KNOW THEIR SON BRIAN LAUNDRIE
WAS GOING TO DISAPPEAR WHEN HE
LEFT THE HOUSE THAT DAY.
>> NO, THEY DID NOT. WHAT I
CAN TELL YOU IS THAT BRIAN WAS
VERY UPSET WHEN HE LEFT. AND
CHRIS CONVEY TO ME SEVERAL
TIMES THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WISH
HE DIDN’T LET HIM GO. BUT HE
COULDN’T STOP THEM. SO THIS
HAS BEEN A PAINFUL SAGA FOR
THEM SINCE SEPTEMBER 13TH.
IT’S BEEN A LONG HAUL. BUT
BRIAN IS A GROWN MAN, YOUNG
MAN, 22 YEARS OLD. HE WANTED
TO WALK OUT THE DOOR. HE WAS
ENTITLED TO WALK OUT THE DOOR.
>> YOU KNOW, THE LAUNDRIES
PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW THEM FOR
SEVERAL YEARS. YOU SAID THAT
TONIGHT HERE ON TOP STORY. I
WANT TO ASK YOU, WHAT DO YOU
WANT AMERICA TO KNOW ABOUT THE
LAUNDRIES AS OR SOMETHING THEY
SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THEM AS
PARENTS.
>> I WOULD LIKE AMERICA TO
KNOW THAT EXACTLY WHAT YOU
SAID, CHRIS AND ROBERTA
LAUNDRIE ALL PARENTS. THEY ARE
JUST PEOPLE THEY HAVE
FEELINGS. THEY HAVE CHILDREN.
ONE OF THEIR CHILD CHILDREN
HAVE JUST BEEN. CONFIRMED AS
DEAD. IT SAID UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES. GABBY PETITO
DONE. NOT WITHSTANDING FOR ANY
FAMILY FOR ANY PARENT OUT
THERE. THIS IS A LOSS OF A
LOVED ONE. THE GRIEVING I
WOULD JUST RESPECTFULLY ASK
PEOPLE OUTSIDE THEIR HOME, GO
HOME. GIVE IT A BREAK. GET A
GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP LEAVE THE
LAUNDRIES ALONE EVEN FOR ONE
NIGHT, PLEASE. AND THANK YOU.
>> DO YOU SEE ANY SCENARIO
WHERE THE LAUNDRIES EVENTUALLY
REACH OUT TO THE POTATOES. TO
GABBY’S FAMILY.
>> AS I SAID TO A MOMENT AGO
TIME THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS
THAT NEED TO USE. THE TERM
WRAPPED UP THEIR CONVERSATIONS
THAT NEED TO BE HAD WHEN THOSE
CONVERSATIONS AHEAD PERHAPS AT
SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE. YOU
KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE NO
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE 2
FAMILIES. I’VE COMMUNICATED
WITH MISTER STAFFORD IN THE
PAST. THE THAT PETITO FAMILY
ATTORNEY. I’M SURE HE AND I
WILL BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS
COMING FORWARD. AND YOU KNOW
WHAT? WHAT COMES OF THOSE
CONVERSATIONS WILL REMAIN TO
BE SEEN.
>> STEVE, WE THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME. I THANK YOU FOR
ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS
TONIGHT HERE ON TOP STORY.
>> TOM, I THANK YOU FOR HAVING