I will say this (and then duck) when NH went missing Joran was 17. Apparently he was someone NH was attracted to as she went with him. I in no way blame her. We all need to remember when we were 18. I personally think Joran was a cute guy at that time and in any other scenario he would be an attractive man. (I don't see any frontal lobe damage that some have pointed out). Having said that I don't have any idea what happened in Aruba. I honestly think something did happen with NH and he panicked. What 17 year old wouldn't. But, the way it was handled by dad, authorities, whatever, it escalated way out of control. It made him think he was invinsible and cheapened the life of another person.
He never went to prison, not a conventional prison. But, he was sent away by his parents. He was 17 or 18 on his own in another country. And when he returned to his home country he was ridiculed he had no friends anymore, and according to his friend RL 5 years later he was still having insults hurled at him from his own people. He was almost a man without a country. We think he got away with murder and yet he was a total outcast. He was estranged from his family and home land and left to his own devices for survival.
To an already fragile psychic this can be devastating. Is that an excuse for murder, absolutely not, but it could explain it a little. All the persecution he had felt for 5 years, all the lies, memories of that night with NH came to the surface in that little hotel room. I don't think he was murdering SF, I think he was killing mom, dad, and himself. He had to know this was the end of the road.
There is no good reason for him doing what he did, but there are reasons that led to it. He is a tormented person and I am sure he is glad this game has ended. I don't believe that he does not need to be punished but I do understand how this has come to this conclusin. I don' know how it could have ended any other way. I believe if he had been treated 5 years ago this never would have happened. And I hope it does not end tragically in that prison. I am a firm believer in forgiveness and second chances.JMO