He said he needed a lawyer and the family went and got him one… you don’t need a lawyer for a break up.

"Gone" alone wouldn't make me suspicious. I would assume she left and didn't plant to come back. It's the "she's gone and I need a lawyer" part that would make me at least ask what kind of "gone" did you mean, son? It could have just been that he hit her and then she left and he expected legal repercussions. Parents don't usually jump to suspecting their kid of murder and I don't think there is a way to know without violating attorney client privilege.

The Petitos allege that Christopher and Roberta Laundrie received “a frantic telephone call” from their son on 29 August 2021 in which he said his betrothed Gabby was “gone” and that he “needed a lawyer”.

That same day, the Petitos allege, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie spoke with a lawyer, Steven Bertolino. The Laundries, from Florida, are accused of telling Bertolino that Petito was “gone” and their son needed an attorney.

Four days later, on 2 September 2021, the Laundries had paid Bertolino to retain his services, and he in turn entered into a fee agreement with a criminal defense law firm in Wyoming, the state where Petito would later be found dead.

Civil Court only has a "more likely than not" burden of proof. This is a pretty good piece of circumstantial evidence. If you can string 2-3 things like this together, it's a strong case.

You’d have to prove they knew she was dead based on the word gone.

I mean, if his parents' response is anything but "gone where?" then it's already proven they know he was talking about killing her.

Gone fishing? Gone to the mall? Gone and left me now I need you guys to get me a lawyer?

Oh what I would give to be on that jury.

Predicted but confirmed this week.

The amended suit does not elaborate on how the Petitos knew about the phone call Laundrie made to his parents about his fiancee being “gone”. But NBC News reported being told by the Petitos’ attorney, Pat Reilly, that the information came from depositions that the Laundries gave in October.

Which story was that?

I actually feel the opposite if they didn’t elaborate at all, unless they really sold it with grief and mania or I previously knew them to be going through a rough patch. Someone’s fiancée leaving is generally a pretty traumatic experience, even if I didn’t think they did it I’d be super concerned about their mental state if they just shrugged it off