Utah Supreme Court Reschedules Petito and Mayne Wrongful Death Cases
News related to:Parker & McConkie · 2 min read
SALT LAKE CITY, UT, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The Utah Supreme Court has rescheduled oral arguments for two significant wrongful death lawsuits, both of which will be heard on December 9th at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City. The cases, which challenge the Utah Governmental Immunity Act, will be heard in the morning, with the Petito v. Moab City Police Dept. case starting at 10 a.m. and the Mayne v. SLC Police Dept. case following at 11 a.m.
In the Petito case, (Supreme Court Case No. 20241368-SC), the Petito family is seeking $50 million in damages from the Moab City Police Department. They argue that the department failed to enforce Utah domestic violence laws and provided improper training when they questioned Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie over an apparent domestic violence incident on August 12th, 2021. Petito was found dead about a month later, and Laundrie admitted in his journal that he had killed her before taking his own life.
The Mayne case, (Supreme Court Case No. 20250388-SC), involves the family of Amanda Mayne, the cousin of Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson. They are seeking to hold the Salt Lake City Police Department accountable for allegedly failing to take necessary actions leading up to her killing at the hands of her husband in 2022.
Both cases will be heard in person at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse, located at 450 South State Street, 5th Floor, in Salt Lake City. The Utah Supreme Court rescheduled the hearings from March following the court’s expansion to seven justices. Lower courts had previously dismissed both cases, citing the Governmental Immunity Act, which protects governments and law enforcement from wrongful death suits where the death occurred as a result of the actions of a third party.
Parker & McConkie, a personal injury and wrongful death law firm based in Utah, is handling both cases. The firm has a long-standing commitment to accountability, justice, and systemic improvements in law and public policy, as evidenced by their handling of matters of national significance, including those involving Gabby Petito (Case No. 220700046) and Afa Ah Loo (Case No. 251915142).