(CNN)The family of Gabby Petito has submitted a $50 million claim against the Moab, Utah, Police Department, arguing the 22-year-old may not have been killed last year by her fiancé if officers had recognized he was the "true primary aggressor" in a domestic dispute about two weeks before her death.
Petito's parents are seeking $50 million in damages, claiming Moab officers were negligent in failing to investigate Laundrie, 23, and his "self-evidently false claims" and the department was negligent in failing to train officers to investigate domestic violence incidents, according to their notice of claim sent to the department Monday, the first step in initiating a lawsuit against it.
Additionally, Petito's family claims her killing was caused by the wrongful acts or neglect of the police department and its officers.
Moab officers "failed to recognize the serious danger (Petito) was in and failed to investigate fully and properly," Brian Stewart, an attorney for the family said Monday in a news conference, referencing the moment Moab police stopped Petito and Laundrie after a witness said he saw them involved in a domestic incident.
"They did not have the training that they needed to recognize the clear signs that were evident that morning: that Gabby was a victim and that she was in serious need of immediate help," Stewart said.
A Moab city spokesperson declined to comment, saying, "The City does not comment on pending litigation."
Petito, an aspiring travel influencer,...
Athena Construction Group Inc. must pay about $1 million for violating the False Claims Act by making misrepresentations about its eligibility to receive contracts set aside for HUBZone companies,...