A Florida woman is suing Brian Laundrie's dad for $40. She says it's an effort to 'break their silence' around Gabby Petito's death.
A Florida woman is suing Brian Laundrie's dad after she claims he removed a lawn sign near his home.
The woman said she contributed funds to make the protest sign, which she placed on an easement near his home.
She asked the court to order Laundrie to reimburse her $40 and any related court fees.
A Florida woman who claims Brian Laundrie's father removed a Gabby Petito lawn sign that she placed told Insider she is suing him for $40 in an attempt to irritate the family enough to "break their silence" on the case.
Andra Griffin, of Bradenton, filed the lawsuit Monday in the small claims division of a Sarasota County court. In the lawsuit, which was viewed by Insider, Griffin says that she "contributed funds" to create the sign as a part of a peaceful protest.
The sign read, "What if it was Cassie?" in reference to Christopher Laundrie's daughter. A photo attached to the lawsuit shows Christopher Laundrie removing the sign and walking back towards his North Port, Florida, home.
"On or about the morning of October 16th, 2021, the Defendant, Christopher Laundrie, came out of his home, walked up to the sign, stole it and walked back onto his property," the lawsuit alleges.
Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told Insider on Tuesday that the family was being "harassed with lawsuits for a $40 sign that was more than likely on their property and should be considered litter."
The lawsuit comes as the Laundrie family home has been surrounded by protestors and gawkers interested in Brian Laundrie's connection to the death of Petito, who was his fianceé. Fox News recently caught two protesters on camera showing up at the home in the middle of the night, banging on the door, and yelling "Come on, Dirty Laundries."
In a phone interview with Insider on Tuesday, Griffin said that she is one of two community activists who demonstrate outside the home of the Laundries - who she repeatedly referred to as the "Dirty Laundries" - throughout the week. On the weekends, she said the crowd grows to about a dozen.
Griffin said she filed the lawsuit as a strategy to push the Laundries to speak out about their son's connection to Petito's death.
"I'm not invested in the lawsuit. It's something that's going to keep this relevant," she said. "It's something that's going to drive the Laundries a little nuts."
Griffin said she and other activists created a memorial for people to show their respects for Petito, and first went to city hall to look at a map of the Laundries' property and ensure he didn't own the piece of land where they would place it.
"We truly believe that they are wholly involved in their son escaping law enforcement," she said of the Laundries, adding: "We're losing faith in law enforcement. Even though we back the blue, they've botched this so royally."
Bertolino previously told Insider that the Laundries don't know where their son is, and any "speculation" that they assisted in his disappearance "is just wrong."
Petito was reported missing by her family in New York on September 11, 10 days after Brian Laundrie returned home to Florida alone in the converted van he and Petito used to road trip across the country. Laundrie's family then reported him missing on September 17, and authorities are still searching for the man, who's wanted on a federal warrant for bank card fraud.
Petito's body was found days later in a camping area near Grand Teton National Forest in Wyoming. A Wyoming coroner determined she had been strangled to death, and deemed her death a homicide.
Griffin spent $65 to file the small claims suit against Laundrie, according to court documents. She asked the court to order Laundrie to reimburse her $40 and the court fees.
Read the original article on Insider
