What would you do if you found out that your son was kidnapped and sexually abused by his karate instructor? How far would you go to get justice for your child? This is the dilemma that faced Gary Plauché, a Louisiana man who took the law into his own hands and killed his son’s abuser on live TV.
In this paper, we are going to delve into the background of the case including events leading to shooting, also covering the after trial occurrences, and how and what Jody Plauché, the victim, is doing now.
The Background of the Case
Leon Gary Plauche Video
The Background of the Case
Gary Plauché was a father of four children who lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At the time of the shooting, he and his wife June were not together. One of his sons, Jody, was 11 years old and had a passion for karate.
He enrolled in a karate class taught by Jeffrey Doucet, a 25-year-old instructor who seemed friendly and trustworthy. But Doucet had a bad side too.
He was a pedophile who hurt young boys. He spent a long time gaining Jody’s trust, and then began to sexually abuse him. He told Jody to keep it a secret.
On February 14, 1984, Doucet kidnapped Jody and took him to a motel in Anaheim, California where he kept molesting him. Jody was reported missing and became the subject of a nationwide search.
After two weeks, Doucet allowed Jody to call his mother from the motel, hoping to convince her to let him keep Jody. The police traced the call and rescued Jody, arresting Doucet without incident.
Jody was reunited with his family on March 1, 1984, but he had to face the trauma of what he had endured.
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The Shooting of Doucet by Plauché
On March 16, 1984, Jeff Doucet was flown back to Louisiana to face trial for kidnapping and molesting Jody Plauché. He was escorted by police officers in handcuffs and arrived at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport around 9:30 p.m.
A local news crew from WBRZ-TV was waiting for him, ready to record his arrival. But they were not the only ones. Gary Plauché, Jody’s father, was also there, hiding behind a bank of payphones.
He wore a baseball cap and sunglasses to disguise himself. He had a revolver in his boot, given to him by a friend. He had been tipped off by a WBRZ employee about Doucet’s arrival time.
As Doucet walked past the news cameras, he glanced at Plauché, who stepped out of the phone booth and fired a single shot at Doucet’s head. The bullet entered Doucet’s right ear and killed him instantly.
The shocking scene was captured on video by the WBRZ crew. Plauché calmly put down the phone and was restrained by a police officer, who took the gun from his hand. Another officer tried to revive Doucet, but it was too late.
The Trial of Gary Plauché
Plauché was initially charged with second-degree murder, but agreed to a plea bargain in which he pleaded no contest to manslaughter.
He was sentenced to seven years’ suspended sentence, with five years’ probation and 300 hours of community service, which he completed in 1989.
Judge Frank Saia called the shooting a sad event and did not enforce a seven-year prison term for Leon Gary Plauche, who admitted on May 16, 1985 that he killed Jeffrey Doucet without planning to do so.
The case received wide publicity because some people questioned whether Plauché should have been charged with murder.
Plauché contended that he was in the right, and that any parent in a similar position would have taken the same action.
Plauché’s lawyer argued that Plauché was suffering from a mental disorder called “diminished capacity”, which impaired his ability to form the intent to kill.
He also claimed that Plauché was under extreme emotional distress and acted impulsively.
The prosecution, led by the District Attorney, accepted the plea deal because they believed that a jury would be sympathetic to Plauché and might acquit him.
The District Attorney also said that he wanted to spare Jody from testifying in court and reliving the trauma of his abduction and rape.
Plauché’s case sparked a debate about the morality and legality of vigilante justice. Some people praised Plauché as a hero who defended his son and delivered justice.
Others condemned Plauché as a murderer who took the law into his own hands and violated due process.
Plauché died on October 20, 2014, at the age of 68, after suffering from a stroke.
Jody Plauché
Jody Plauché survived the ordeal and went on to live a normal life.Jody earned his General Studies degree from Louisiana State University, with Psychology, Speech Communications, and Philosophy as his minor subjects.
Jody has been involved in violence prevention work since 1995.
He was part of the leadership team for Men Against Violence, a group on campus that worked to stop violence on campus, such as sexual assault and other kinds of physical violence, when he was a student at Louisiana State University.
In 2019, Jody Plauché published a book titled “Why, Gary, Why?”: The Jody Plauché Story. The book is a detailed account of the events from 35 years ago and tells what parents should do to protect their children.
Jody Plauché also answers the question that Deputy Mike Barnett asked his father after the shooting: “Why, Gary? Gary, why?”
Jody Plauché said that he wrote the book to help other survivors of child sexual abuse and to educate the public about the signs and tactics of child predators. He also said that he wanted to honor his father, who died in 2014, and to show that he was not a murderer, but a loving and protective parent.
Jody Plauché is a remarkable example of how a person can overcome a traumatic past and use it for good. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter).
Bottom Line
This article has explored the case of Gary Plauché, the father who shot his son’s molester on live TV, and its aftermath. It has also discussed how Jody Plauché, the victim, has overcome his trauma and become an advocate for other survivors of child sexual abuse.
Article Source:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-08-27-mn-25260-story.html
