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Killer’s family allegedly knew Gabby Petito was dead weeks before discovery
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2023
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This is a tough sell in civil court imo. You'd have to prove they knew she was dead based on the word gone. Maybe there's enough context there recorded but if your kid left with his gf on a trip and came back saying she was gone and they had split up I wouldn't necessarily think anything of it. Especially since they had been patchy b4 and also this was weeks later after she had supposedly split. I'm not convinced the parents knew or were told.
He said he needed a lawyer and the family went and got him one… you don’t need a lawyer for a break up.
I don't think getting a lawyer should be seen as an admission of guilt. Its dangerous for even 100% innocent people to talk to the police without a lawyer.
Preponderance of evidence is required in civil cases. In the same conversation, he both told his parents she was gone and also said he needed a lawyer.
Getting a lawyer is never going to be usable evidence I would bet though.
I mean, that doesn't have to stop the jury from including it in their verdict.
The legal system is way more flimsy than a lot of you people realize.
Here's a case of a bootlegger that killed his wife after he got out of jail because she left him and sold all his stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Remus
He was found not guilty even though he admitted to doing it. Apparently the courtroom cheered (I don't blame them, tbh.)
"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.
Did you read that last paragraph?
How would the defense know to contract with a local firm where Gabby was murdered unless the defense were informed of the crime by their clients?
I anal, but I think defense attorneys are used for assault/DV as well as murder cases? It's not totally beyond belief to imagine that he wasn't up front with his parents or his lawyers in the first few days. I've never contracted a defense attorney, I don't know if the attorney would have told his parents the details since they were the ones who hired him or if this guy was freaked out enough that he didn't tell the lawyers right away and just had a story about getting into a physical altercation with her and her leaving. He died of suicide pretty soon after the time frame in question, he wasn't in a calm rational state.
Defense Attorneys defend you in any criminal proceedings. You may be thinking of Public Defenders, which are Defense Attorneys paid by the state.
If he wasn't up front they would have no reason to hire a local firm at the location the murder occured.
It was a cross country road trip. Any other jurisdiction along the route could've been relevant without all the facts.
Wouldn't assault that didn't involve murder need to have a firm local to the incident?
An assault where the victim disappeared and is not heard from again?
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.
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.