Young couple goes on van tour of US, boy comes back with van - no girl

HoustonSaint68 said

I hate the "prove me wrong" thing, but I think this is one of the very rare cases when there is a single, right answer.

"Son, did you kill that girl?"

"Yes"

"Are you 100% sure that she is dead?"

"Yes"

Find a lawyer and connect him with your son. Then immediately call law enforcement and tell them what you know.

Of course, it's a heartbreaking thing to do. But it's the only right thing in my mind.

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This is where I think the claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress has some traction. One of the elements is that the conduct must be "outrageous" - which is typically defined along the lines of shocking conduct that the general public knows not to do. In Florida, apparently the intent to cause the plaintiff harm also includes reckless conduct, which by definition isn't the same as direct intent.

So if the record shows that this conduct by the Laundrie parents was, in the court's view, outrageous and reckless under the legal standards, this could actually resolve in the Petitos favor. It's not clear if there are any insurers involved.