Peter Jr.’s parents had a history of child abuse. He’d suffered serious injuries as a toddler, and his siblings reported years of abuse, including beatings, being tied up, and even being made to sleep outside. The family was dysfunctional, with both parents having mental health issues and a history of unemployment and domestic violence.

The family didn’t report Peter Jr. missing until 1998. Even then, they were uncooperative with investigators. Police initially treated it as a missing person case but later believed Peter Jr. was dead.

In 2016, both parents were charged with murder. Jaylin pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Peter Sr. also pleaded guilty to manslaughter and admitted to trying to cremate Peter Jr.’s body and disposing of the remains at sea. Although searches yielded nothing, he passed a lie detector test, so police believe his confession.

Jaylin died in 2019. Peter Sr. is serving a prison sentence for manslaughter. Peter Jr.’s surviving siblings are suing the state of Hawaii, claiming authorities mishandled the child abuse cases that led to his death. The case is considered a homicide due to the overwhelming evidence of abuse and the parents’ lack of cooperation.