Gabby Petito court battle could decide whether Charlie Kirk family can prevail in Utah wrongful death lawsuit

PROVO, Utah — A Utah Supreme Court battle stemming from Gabby Petito's 2021 murder could "pave the way" for Charlie Kirk's family to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit over alleged security failures surrounding his assassination at a Turning Point USA event last year, according to an attorney involved in the appeal.

"Right now, Kirk's claims, if filed, would likely be dismissed, like Gabby Petito's claims were dismissed on that basis," said Brian Stewart, an attorney for the family of Gabby Petito who is working on the appeal involving their own wrongful death claim in the Beehive State. "We would need the Utah Supreme Court to overturn Tiede to pave the way for Charlie Kirk's family to proceed."

Tiede refers to a 1996 Utah Supreme Court decision upholding the dismissal of a lawsuit over the 1990 murders of Kay Tiede and her mother Beth Potts, two Texas women killed by a pair of men on parole who attacked their family after walking away from a halfway house, Deseret News reported at the time.

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The decision upheld the constitutionality of the state's governmental immunity law as applied to wrongful death claims, which Stewart said are barred against governmental entities when the injury arises from a third-party assault or battery.

Central to the Petito appeal is the argument that Utah's Constitution prohibits lawmakers from limiting or eliminating the right to recover for wrongful death.

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Her family's lawsuit against the Moab Police Department alleged that officers were negligent in their response to a traffic stop involving Brian Laundrie two weeks before he killed her. A judge dismissed the case on governmental immunity grounds.

In September, Kirk's family filed a notice of claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit. Their attorneys alleged that Utah Valley University, the state of Utah and key officials failed to properly secure the event even after acknowledging responsibility for rooftop security, leading to his wrongful death on Sept. 10, 2025.

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Among the claims in the filing, UVU Police Chief Jeffrey Long allegedly told "I got you covered" when they raised concerns about rooftop access around the campus courtyard.

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Prosecutors say a sniper perched on a rooftop on the other side of the courtyard shot and killed Kirk.

But that text message may not be enough to overcome Utah's expansive governmental immunity protection