A year ago, Gabby Petito and her fiance, Brian Laundrie, set off on a cross-country road trip. They documented the trip with pictures and videos. They looked happy and in love.

Then Petito stopped posting pictures. She stopped answering calls from her family. Then Laundrie returned to his parents’ home in Florida with the van they had used for the road trip, but Petito wasn’t with him.

A man hunt followed, and Laundrie disappeared. Petito’s body was later found, and it was confirmed that she had been murdered. Eventually Laundrie’s remained were discovered as well. He left a suicide note and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

We can only imagine how difficult this entire ordeal is both families. They thought their children were going to take a road trip and eventually get married and live happily ever after. Instead, their children are gone, and the whole situation is quite tragic.

While the parents aren’t to blame for what happened between the young couple, Petito’s parents feel that Laundrie’s parents are to blame for the emotional stress they were under when Laundrie returned to his parents’ home without Petito. The Laundrie family stopped communicating with the Petito family. The Laundrie family was instructed by their lawyer not to talk to anyone, and to this day they still have not spoken publicly to anyone.

The Petito family thinks the Laundrie family could have helped with the search for their daughter. They think they may have even known what happened to their daughter. Now, the Petito family is taking the Laundrie family to court. Watch the video below to learn more about this court case and why it is crucial even though it is just a pre-trial hearing.

Do you think the Laundrie family knew what happened to Petito before her body was discovered? Do you think the Petito family will be successful in their attempt to get a jury trial?