Will Brian Laundrie's Parents Face Charges?

Richard Stafford, an attorney for the Petito family, issued a rather interesting statement on Tuesday evening, as reported by Fox News.

"The Schmidt and Petito family has been aware of the circumstances surrounding the suicide of the sole suspect in Gabby’s murder," Stafford said.

"Gabby’s family will not be making a statement at this time due to the request of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Teton County Prosecutor’s Office," he added.

But it is the second part of Stafford's statement that attracted the media's attention. Read it below.

Stafford also said that the Petito family "was asked to not comment and let the FBI continue their investigation and allow the United States Attorney’s Office make a determination on whether any additional individuals will be charged."

But who could these "additional individuals" be?

According to Fox News, it is highly likely that Stafford was referring to Brian's parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie.

It has long been speculated that Chris and Roberta deliberately withheld information from authorities, allowing their son to gain an advantage over law enforcement and escape.

As former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained, Chris and Roberta could be charge with several crimes.

"Their son returned without his fiancée, and they didn’t report Gabby missing. If they helped Brian escape law enforcement by giving him a head start, they can be charged with being accessories after the fact to murder," Rahmani said.

"Their eventually leading agents to Brian’s remains makes charges less likely, but what the Laundrie parents told law enforcement, and when, is key to any prosecution decision," the expert explained.

Gabby Petito's parents have made it clear they believe Chris and Roberta had something to do with their son's escape, as previously reported by The Inquisitr.

In an interview with Dr. Phil last month, Gabby's mom Nicole Schmidt said that Brian's parents are hiding something.

"Somebody needs to start talking. I do believe (his parents) know a lot more information than they’re putting out there," she argued.

Gabby's father Joseph Petito, meanwhile, noted that Chris and Roberta never responded to his phone calls and texts, which he found strange.