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The parents of Gabby Petito have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the police department in Moab, Utah, where the slain travel blogger & her boyfriend Brian Laundrie were questioned about a possible domestic dispute weeks before she was reported missing.

The lawsuit is seeking at least $50 million in damages.

The suit alleges that if the Moab police had followed a Utah law on domestic violence, "Gabby would still be alive today," James McConkie, one of the attorneys representing the family, said.

Moab police questioned Petito & Laundrie on Aug. 12, 2021, during their cross-country road trip after a 911 caller reported seeing a "gentleman slapping the girl."

Petito told police, "I definitely hit him first," & that he grabbed her face, scratching her.

Police labeled the incident as a "mental/emotional break" rather than a domestic assault.

Petito was reported her missing on Sept. 11, 2021. Her body was found about a week later in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest, with a coroner ruling that she had died of "blunt-force injuries to the head & neck, with manual strangulation."

Laundrie, who was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Florida's Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, wrote in a notebook that he killed Petito.

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Source: ABC News

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Video After The Jump

(WBAL) The jury has ruled in favor of the family of Korryn Gaines in their wrongful death civil trial in Baltimore County.

After deliberating for about three hours, jurors ruled that Baltimore County police Officer Royce Ruby did not act reasonably in the fatal shooting of Gaines and the wounding of her son, Kodi, in August 2016.

The jury awarded the family more than $36 million, including actual medical and funeral expenses and non-economic damages (pain and suffering). No punitive damages were awarded.

The jury awarded $32 million to Kodi, $300,000 to Korryn Gaines' father, $300,000 to Korryn Gaines' mother, $300,000 to Korryn Gaines' estate, and $4.5 million to Karsyn Courtney, Korryn Gaines' daughter.

Gaines' family was crying and hugging in the courtroom after the jury verdict was read. Ruby did not flinch as the verdict and damages were read.

"I don't know how anyone can just extinguish a life, then hide behind a badge," Korryn Gaines' mother, Rhanda Dormeus, said. "I can't even get out of bed to do my activities of daily life. I was a registered nurse, a psychiatric nurse. This has ripped me apart. I am not mad with Officer Ruby. I don't have any space to be mad because my heart is too broken."

"For Kodi, it means a lot. Now he's going to be able to get the help he needs. It's a sad situation what happened, and I'm very glad the jury came back and saw what was going on in that courtroom was't right, and what happened Aug. 1 wasn't right either," Korryn Gaines' father, Corey Cunningham, said.

"This is a great day. This is a great statement on behalf of many who have been victimized by police officers -- too many in our community. This is a great day," said Ken Ravenell, attorney for Kodi Gaines.

"Korryn is smiling today. She got her day in court," said J. Wyndal Gordon, the attorney for the Gaines family.

Baltimore County Attorney Mike Field issued a statement, saying, "A mother died, a child was unintentionally injured, and police officers were placed in mortal danger. By any account, this was a tragic situation. The county is disappointed with the verdict and is reviewing all of its options, including an appeal."

In September 2016, Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said no criminal charges would be filed against the officers involved. Ruby was promoted after the shooting.

"I hope that Shellenberger is now second-guessing his decision. I have no degree of faith that he would reconsider it," Gordon said.

"This guy knowingly assassinated my daughter and injured my grandson to, I believe, beyond repair with post-traumatic stress," Dormeus said. "This win is for all of my sisters in the movement who have lost their children to police violence. Some of them have never received justice, either criminally or civil. I just want to tell them that this win is for them."

"He needs to pay for it more than just out of pocket because, actually the citizens are going to pay for this, he's not even going to pay. He's going home to his family. My family has been destroyed," said Kareem Courtney, Karsyn's father.

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