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[suspenseful theme music plays]
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[Jeffrey]
Andrew Gustafson lived in
Townsend, Massachusetts with
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his wife and his two children.
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He was trying to get in touch
with his wife, and he was
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calling the house in Townsend,
but she wasn't picking up,
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so he was concerned.
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[suspenseful tones playing]
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He came home, and he found no
sign of life at the house.
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[eerie music playing]
[footsteps]
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He called for his wife,
no answer.
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Called for his children,
no answer.
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So he had this feeling
of dread inside him.
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He went upstairs to
the bedroom
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and his wife was lying face
down on the bed with a bloody
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pillow on top of her head.
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He didn't have it in him to go
looking for the children so
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he called the police
and waited for them outside.
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This was just a horrific,
horrific scene and something
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that does not happen in little
New England towns like this.
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So people were terrified.
The entire area was terrified.
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[eerie "Twinkle Twinkle Little
Star" playing]
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[children eerily singing]
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[theme music continues]
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[theme music intensifies]
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[theme music mellows]
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[Jeffrey]
On December 1st, 1987,
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when the police arrived,
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Andrew Gustafson told them that
his wife was dead upstairs.
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She was also several
months pregnant.
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And they questioned him,
"How do you know she's dead?"
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And he said that
he just knew
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and said that his children were
probably dead too,
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but he hadn't gone to look
for them.
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So the police didn't know what
was going on.
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I was notified by
the state police headquarters of
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an unattended death in Townsend.
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We went upstairs,
and in the bedroom, I observed
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the body of Priscilla Gustafson
on the bed.
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[ghostly gasp]
[tense music playing]
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I saw what appeared to be
bullet holes in the back of
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the pillowcase, or the pillows
that were on her head.
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[gunshot blasts]
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She was partially clothed.
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One hand was tied to one
of the bedposts,
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and on the nightstand was
a half empty bottle of beer,
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which I thought was
very strange,
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and an open condom packet.
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[door creaking]
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[sustained ominous tone]
[liquid dripping]
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[distant eerie children
giggling]
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When I went to
the upstairs bathroom,
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I saw the body of a young boy,
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five years old, face down
in the bathtub.
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We do try to compartmentalize
those types of scenes
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so it doesn't affect
the job that we do.
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But I just have a vivid memory
of that little boy in the tub.
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[boards creaking under weight]
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And on the first floor,
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was the body of
a young girl,
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fully clothed,
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drowned in
the downstairs bathtub.
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To think what it would take to
drown William and Abigail,
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just two innocent children,
and not just killing them,
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but drowning them.
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That's physically,
hands-on, holding somebody
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under the water until they die.
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For someone to do that,
there's, there's, I mean,
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it's beyond words,
it's beyond evil.
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[spooky piano music playing]
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[Det. Joe] Andrew Gustafson
was an attorney,
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was married to Priscilla.
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She taught Sunday
school and kindergarten.
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She was well-liked
in the community,
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and they seemed like they had
an idyllic life.
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But as a homicide detective,
you have to start from the very
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closest circle to the people
who knew the victim.
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In this case, no one was
above suspicion.
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[Jeffrey] While police checked
out Andrew Gustafson's alibi,
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almost immediately,
word spread.
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I mean, Townsend,
Massachusetts is small-town
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America, even though it's only
30 miles outside of Boston.
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This is kind of Americana.
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A lot of the cemeteries in this
area go back to the 1600s,
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and so it has a really
long history.
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It's a safe, quaint
little New England town.
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And Townsend only had,
in the '80s, probably
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10,000 people.
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[news broadcast]
This is your home for
original reporting.
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[Det. Joe]
The murder was so horrific,
it drew the attention of
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the Boston media, some national
media, and the media descended
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upon that little town.
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Everywhere you turned,
there was a sense of fear,
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a sense of-- am I safe
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in this little town that
I grew up in?
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[indistinct radio chatter]
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[Jeffrey] People were
locking their doors.
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If they owned guns,
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they were making sure
they were loaded.
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Everybody was looking out
for their neighbors.
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People were looking out for
anything suspicious.
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The entire area was on edge.
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[sirens wailing]
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[indistinct radio chatter]
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[Jeffrey]
So police checked out
Andrew Gustafson's alibi,
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and it became clear he was not
involved in the murders.
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This poor man lost his wife,
lost his baby, and lost his two
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children all at the same time
with no known motive.
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It must have been just
the worst possible day that
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anyone can imagine.
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[unsettling music playing]
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So Andrew Gustafson spoke to
the police, and he recalled
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that there were things missing
from the house, and they'd had
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a burglary in recent days prior
to the murders
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where a cable box had been
missing, where there'd been
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a glass of beer or a drink left
out in the house.
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Things that didn't seem that
serious at the time,
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now took on importance.
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Police knew that there'd been
a string of burglaries
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in the area,
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so when Andrew Gustafson told
the police about
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the prior burglary,
immediately they thought these
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might be linked.
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The police had a working theory
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that Priscilla and William had
come home and caught
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the burglar there and that this
had been an impulsive crime.
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[muffled scream]
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Abigail came home later,
she was the last one killed.
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Police were looking at this as
possibly just being
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an interrupted burglary.
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But everybody knew that
we had a killer on the loose.
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No one knew where he was going
to show up or what horrible
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crime would happen next.
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[Lt. Thomas] During that time,
I was a police lieutenant from
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the town of
Pepperell, Massachusetts.
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When I heard of the murders
and the nature of the murders,
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it sounded like something
Daniel LaPlante would do.
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And I think he was entertained
by such things.
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We had already arrested him on
the charges of kidnapping.
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He was certainly a person of
interest based on
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his violent past.
- [judge] All rise.
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But this guy is a juvenile.
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Daniel LaPlante was only
a 17-year-old boy.
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[Lt. Thomas] But he was
no ordinary teenager.
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He was a dangerous individual,
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cold, calculating,
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a very, very smart young man.
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He was on a path of escalation.
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[suspenseful music playing]
[click of lightswitch]
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His criminal acts went from
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routine breaking
and enterings to
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the most sinister
and bizarre acts that
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I had ever experienced.
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[suspenseful music continues]
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[police siren wailing]
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[Jeffrey]
Everybody knew that a killer
was out and on the run,
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And everybody was looking
over their shoulders.
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Police told people to
stay indoors.
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They told people to keep
their doors locked.
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Police had no idea what was
motivating the killer.
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The fact that there had been
a string of local burglaries
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seemed like it was related
because of the prior burglary
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in the Gustafson's home.
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But were these even related
to the burglaries?
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They really had no idea.
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[Det. Joe]
We developed a list of
the usual suspects.
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And I use that term
very loosely.
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It's people who had criminal
background, who have committed
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violent crimes, who have been
breaking into houses.
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17-year-old Daniel LaPlante was
on that list.
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We found out the house breaks,
including stealing guns out of
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houses, all started to occur
after he got released on bail.
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We were starting to put
pieces together.
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[siren wailing]
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A couple of detectives found
him at a library in Townsend.
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So they went and spoke to him,
and they didn't
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have a great feeling
on the interview.
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[Jeffrey]
He told them that he had
an alibi, that he'd been at
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a birthday party,
and there were other people
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who could corroborate that.
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But he seemed a little jumpy,
so police were suspicious.
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And then he just fled.
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[Det. Joe]
He was a person of interest,
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but we didn't have evidence
that tied him to the scene.
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So we needed to gather as much
information about
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Daniel LaPlante as we can.
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He had committed crimes in
Townsend as a juvenile.
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And also in Pepperell, which is
a neighboring town,
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he was arrested and was out on
bill for the crimes he had
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committed in Pepperell.
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[Jeffrey]
Frank Bowen lived in
Pepperell, Massachusetts.
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He was a bus driver,
and he lost his wife to cancer
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in 1986.
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He had two daughters.
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Tina was a teenager in high
school, and she had a younger
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sister, Karen.
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And the three of them were
alone and grieving the loss of
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their mother, trying to cope
with Frank working long,
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long hours, and his daughters
home alone.
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The daughters were not dealing
well with the loss of
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their mother, and they were
trying to contact her.
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[Lt. Thomas]
They had a seance,
and while conducting the seance
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to try to communicate with
the deceased mother,
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they started to hear noises,
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knocks on the walls,
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[knocking]
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and they felt that it may be
a signal from
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their deceased mother.
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[knocking]
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And then they started noticing
things that seemed out
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of the ordinary.
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They'd come into rooms,
and they would find lights that
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had been off were now on.
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[sinister tones playing]
[eerie children giggling]
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Things were moved in various
rooms around the house.
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So they started asking
their mother questions.
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[knocking]
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And when they would ask
questions, there would be
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knocking in response to it.
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00:12:57,655 --> 00:12:58,827
[knocking]
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[knocking]
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So the two little girls who are
dealing with the loss of
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their mother, went and told
their father that they actually
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had their mother in
the house
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and she was trying to
contact them.
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00:13:10,482 --> 00:13:12,172
And the father, Frank,
just thought that
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00:13:12,172 --> 00:13:13,758
they were grieving.
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[Lt. Thomas]
It did create a disjoint
between the two daughters
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and their dad.
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He honestly felt that
they needed psychological help
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and that this was
not happening.
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But that changed very quickly.
On December 8th of 1986,
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00:13:35,103 --> 00:13:36,482
[tires rolling on gravel]
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the family had returned home
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and found that one of
the toilets had been used.
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They immediately figured that
somebody had been inside
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the home, and they
started a search.
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[suspenseful music playing]
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00:14:00,793 --> 00:14:02,448
[light footsteps]
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00:14:10,896 --> 00:14:12,241
[alarming chord strikes]
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[Jeffrey] When he got up into
his bedroom, Frank finds a man
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in there wearing this oversized
coat in war paint
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00:14:20,793 --> 00:14:22,344
carrying an ax.
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00:14:23,413 --> 00:14:25,482
It's like something
out of a horror movie.
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And he took this
family hostage.
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[Lt. Thomas]
He was very deliberate.
He was very calm.
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00:14:34,172 --> 00:14:36,310
He seemed to have no
fear whatsoever.
247
00:14:37,689 --> 00:14:42,310
And he had secured them in that
room and had left them there.
248
00:14:45,896 --> 00:14:47,517
[footsteps]
249
00:14:50,310 --> 00:14:54,275
At that point, one of
the daughters escaped,
250
00:14:54,275 --> 00:14:57,896
was able to go next door,
report the kidnapping,
251
00:14:57,896 --> 00:15:01,034
call the police,
and we arrived.
252
00:15:01,896 --> 00:15:03,000
[sirens wailing]
253
00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,689
We searched the home,
the woods around the home.
254
00:15:06,689 --> 00:15:11,379
We searched the area,
the roads, and no suspect
255
00:15:11,379 --> 00:15:13,482
was found.
256
00:15:13,482 --> 00:15:18,793
As police officers, we had to
believe the story as
257
00:15:18,793 --> 00:15:20,241
unbelievable as it sounded.
258
00:15:22,275 --> 00:15:23,482
I had covered murders.
259
00:15:23,482 --> 00:15:27,275
I had covered suicides,
strange deaths.
260
00:15:27,275 --> 00:15:30,344
I had never encountered
anything like this.
261
00:15:32,689 --> 00:15:37,000
During our search, I did find
the hatchet just outside one
262
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:38,310
of the doors.
263
00:15:39,586 --> 00:15:44,034
But as far as a sign of
an intruder, we found none.
264
00:15:45,413 --> 00:15:50,000
No member of that family were
able to identify the intruder.
265
00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:54,689
His disguise, apparently,
and the fear he instilled made
266
00:15:54,689 --> 00:15:58,448
it impossible for them to
identify who this was.
267
00:16:01,482 --> 00:16:04,000
But now Frank knew his girls
had been telling the truth,
268
00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:05,482
that there was
something happening.
269
00:16:05,482 --> 00:16:07,000
It wasn't just in their minds.
270
00:16:08,068 --> 00:16:13,931
Our thought was that
the suspect, if he existed,
271
00:16:13,931 --> 00:16:17,448
had fled into the woods.
We're talking nighttime.
272
00:16:18,620 --> 00:16:19,931
[indistinct radio chatter]
273
00:16:19,931 --> 00:16:24,586
And it would have been very
easy for the intruder to hide
274
00:16:24,586 --> 00:16:25,758
himself in the woods.
275
00:16:28,206 --> 00:16:30,758
And finding him would have been
extremely difficult.
276
00:16:32,517 --> 00:16:34,517
[radio beeping]
[suspenseful tone climbing]
277
00:16:35,586 --> 00:16:37,379
[Jeffrey] The family
didn't want to be back in
278
00:16:37,379 --> 00:16:41,448
the house, understandably.
The girls were just terrified.
279
00:16:41,448 --> 00:16:43,758
So immediately,
they went and just stayed in
280
00:16:43,758 --> 00:16:45,586
a hotel, because they knew
they couldn't sleep in that
281
00:16:45,586 --> 00:16:46,827
house again.
282
00:16:51,275 --> 00:16:53,137
[suspenseful music playing]
283
00:16:56,758 --> 00:16:59,344
[Jeffrey]
Two days later,
Frank returned to the house.
284
00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:02,620
[footsteps in grass]
285
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:07,448
And as he was approaching,
he saw something.
286
00:17:11,689 --> 00:17:13,655
[wood creaking under footsteps]
287
00:17:20,379 --> 00:17:22,000
[jarring chord strikes]
288
00:17:23,896 --> 00:17:26,103
He saw the same man as before
289
00:17:27,206 --> 00:17:29,482
and thought, this man is
trying to kill us.
290
00:17:29,482 --> 00:17:32,103
So Frank Bowen
called the police.
291
00:17:34,172 --> 00:17:37,137
I got there about 10 minutes
later, and you could see
292
00:17:37,137 --> 00:17:41,482
he was distraught.
And he said, "I just saw him.
293
00:17:41,482 --> 00:17:43,517
He's in the window.
He waved at me."
294
00:17:45,413 --> 00:17:46,793
I said, "OK."
295
00:17:48,206 --> 00:17:51,655
The police had locked the house
when they left the night
296
00:17:51,655 --> 00:17:53,000
of the incident.
297
00:17:53,793 --> 00:17:55,724
So I walked around the house to
check for tracks.
298
00:17:56,758 --> 00:17:58,000
There was none.
299
00:17:59,620 --> 00:18:01,827
No broken windows.
The doors are intact.
300
00:18:02,517 --> 00:18:06,275
So I decided if I'm going to go
in his house With a very slim
301
00:18:06,275 --> 00:18:09,275
possibility in my mind that
somebody's still here,
302
00:18:09,275 --> 00:18:11,896
I'm still not going to just
walk in.
303
00:18:11,896 --> 00:18:13,241
[lock clicking]
304
00:18:13,241 --> 00:18:15,896
So I unlocked
the door real quiet.
305
00:18:16,862 --> 00:18:18,275
[creaking]
306
00:18:18,862 --> 00:18:21,379
As soon as I cleared the door,
there was a picture up on
307
00:18:21,379 --> 00:18:22,655
the right-hand wall
308
00:18:23,517 --> 00:18:24,724
of the family.
309
00:18:24,724 --> 00:18:27,793
And there's a big knife stuck
right in that picture.
310
00:18:27,793 --> 00:18:31,275
And written in magic marker,
it said, "I'm still here,
311
00:18:31,275 --> 00:18:32,517
come find me."
312
00:18:34,896 --> 00:18:39,551
At that point,
I said, "He's here.
313
00:18:40,517 --> 00:18:42,517
"I don't know how,
314
00:18:43,586 --> 00:18:45,000
but he's here."
315
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,103
[intense, suspenseful
music playing]
316
00:18:57,103 --> 00:18:59,172
[Jeffrey]
This was terrifying for
this family.
317
00:19:00,137 --> 00:19:02,379
An intruder had been in
the house and had held
318
00:19:02,379 --> 00:19:03,620
the family hostage.
319
00:19:04,689 --> 00:19:07,896
And now he's back again.
He won't give up.
320
00:19:07,896 --> 00:19:09,517
[sirens wailing]
321
00:19:09,517 --> 00:19:13,620
Officer Steve Bezanson arrived
at the Bowens' house, and he was
322
00:19:13,620 --> 00:19:16,103
certain that the intruder was
still there.
323
00:19:18,758 --> 00:19:20,275
I'm listening quietly,
324
00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,275
because now I'm thinking,
I want him to think
325
00:19:24,275 --> 00:19:25,517
the homeowner's here,
326
00:19:26,379 --> 00:19:27,551
not me.
327
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,275
And I look to the right,
and I can see the hallway.
328
00:19:32,034 --> 00:19:34,034
That goes down to the rest of
the house, and there's another
329
00:19:34,034 --> 00:19:37,827
picture of the family with
another knife stuck through it.
330
00:19:40,689 --> 00:19:44,000
I said to myself, I got to
search this house,
331
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,482
and I'm going to need help
doing it to get it right.
332
00:19:46,482 --> 00:19:48,517
So I backed out real quiet,
333
00:19:49,482 --> 00:19:51,068
and I got the radio,
and there was a sergeant
334
00:19:51,068 --> 00:19:53,000
at the station.
And I said, "I need you up here.
335
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,172
I need you up here now."
336
00:19:55,586 --> 00:19:57,068
We checked everything,
337
00:19:57,068 --> 00:19:58,344
[indistinct radio chatter]
338
00:19:58,344 --> 00:20:02,103
closets, between mattresses,
under the bed, you name it,
339
00:20:02,103 --> 00:20:03,482
we checked it.
340
00:20:05,172 --> 00:20:07,931
Every place we could possibly
think of, we checked.
341
00:20:10,068 --> 00:20:12,586
And we wound up in
a laundry room downstairs.
342
00:20:16,965 --> 00:20:20,413
And I remember looking up at
the ceiling going,
343
00:20:20,413 --> 00:20:23,931
I don't understand why
we can't find him.
344
00:20:25,034 --> 00:20:27,620
And then, just like that,
345
00:20:28,482 --> 00:20:30,827
I looked up at the corner.
346
00:20:30,827 --> 00:20:34,310
There was a set of pipes from
the upstairs bathroom,
347
00:20:34,310 --> 00:20:36,724
but they didn't like looking
at the pipes.
348
00:20:36,724 --> 00:20:39,482
So they built a wall to
hide the pipes.
349
00:20:39,482 --> 00:20:41,413
I'm looking at this wall going,
350
00:20:42,896 --> 00:20:45,000
there's enough room someone
could hide behind that wall.
351
00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:47,000
[light clicks on]
[ominous tone playing]
352
00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,000
As soon as I walked over there
and turned on the light, I saw
353
00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,517
there's a four foot pile of
dirty clothes right there,
354
00:20:55,517 --> 00:20:58,689
and nobody stacks dirty clothes
behind a false wall.
355
00:21:04,172 --> 00:21:05,724
[ominous music continues]
356
00:21:05,724 --> 00:21:07,517
[rustling fabric]
357
00:21:10,793 --> 00:21:13,206
I just moved a couple of pieces
of clothing.
358
00:21:14,275 --> 00:21:16,000
I saw black hair,
359
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:18,517
and I said, got it.
360
00:21:20,896 --> 00:21:23,620
He just looked at me out of
the corner of his eyes,
361
00:21:23,620 --> 00:21:25,517
and I could see
the wheels turning.
362
00:21:26,793 --> 00:21:30,482
I said, "I want to see your
hands real slow."
363
00:21:30,482 --> 00:21:32,413
And he's got a pistol
right here.
364
00:21:35,275 --> 00:21:36,758
And he put his hands up
real slow.
365
00:21:36,758 --> 00:21:39,137
When I saw they were empty,
I reached in and grabbed him
366
00:21:39,137 --> 00:21:41,724
right by the arm, said,
"Let's go."
367
00:21:44,275 --> 00:21:47,551
[Jeffrey]
The intruder was
a 16-year-old boy.
368
00:21:47,551 --> 00:21:49,379
His name was Daniel LaPlante.
369
00:21:50,793 --> 00:21:52,931
[Lt. Thomas]
This was no ordinary teenager.
370
00:21:54,137 --> 00:21:57,172
Beyond that, this was no
ordinary criminal.
371
00:21:58,275 --> 00:22:02,413
After having arrested many
young men, I was rather
372
00:22:02,413 --> 00:22:06,000
surprised by
his unconcerned manner.
373
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,827
This young man,
despite his age, was
374
00:22:09,827 --> 00:22:11,379
very dangerous.
375
00:22:12,172 --> 00:22:18,000
And for the first and last time
in my entire career, I bypassed
376
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:23,655
the usual ritual of taking only
two mug shots, and I took six
377
00:22:23,655 --> 00:22:26,862
of them, thinking that
they would be used sometime
378
00:22:26,862 --> 00:22:28,000
in the future.
379
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:29,413
[camera shutter snapping]
380
00:22:33,379 --> 00:22:37,724
[Jeffrey]
So Daniel suffered a lot of
abuse as a child.
381
00:22:37,724 --> 00:22:41,965
He was abused by his father,
his psychiatrist, by other
382
00:22:41,965 --> 00:22:45,517
people, sexually and physically
and psychologically
383
00:22:45,517 --> 00:22:49,000
for a long period of time.
And he displayed really
384
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,517
troubling behavior from
an early age.
385
00:22:52,586 --> 00:22:54,448
He was a loner.
386
00:22:54,448 --> 00:22:57,379
He was somebody who didn't know
how to deal with other
387
00:22:57,379 --> 00:22:58,551
human beings.
388
00:22:58,551 --> 00:23:00,379
And that only got worse
with time.
389
00:23:01,551 --> 00:23:06,586
He was held at my request
without bail on the charges of
390
00:23:06,586 --> 00:23:09,620
kidnapping, but also for
mental evaluation.
391
00:23:10,482 --> 00:23:14,586
At the time,
we approached the assistant DA
392
00:23:14,586 --> 00:23:17,931
to really work hard on the case
to get it before the judge.
393
00:23:17,931 --> 00:23:21,724
In other words, for his trial
not to be delayed.
394
00:23:24,034 --> 00:23:27,620
[Jeffrey]
To be targeted by
a psychopathic person like this
395
00:23:27,620 --> 00:23:28,896
is really shocking.
396
00:23:28,896 --> 00:23:32,517
So once they arrested
the suspect, they realized that
397
00:23:32,517 --> 00:23:34,862
Tina had dated
Daniel LaPlante once.
398
00:23:34,862 --> 00:23:37,448
He'd made contact with
her over the phone.
399
00:23:37,448 --> 00:23:39,551
And then eventually,
they had a date and they went
400
00:23:39,551 --> 00:23:41,137
out for ice cream.
401
00:23:41,137 --> 00:23:43,448
And he misrepresented himself
on the phone.
402
00:23:43,448 --> 00:23:45,586
He completely misrepresented
who he was
403
00:23:45,586 --> 00:23:46,827
and what he looked like.
404
00:23:46,827 --> 00:23:49,000
And she got a bad feeling
from him.
405
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:50,931
So she broke it off
after that one date.
406
00:23:50,931 --> 00:23:55,310
So that one date led to this
guy stalking her and living
407
00:23:55,310 --> 00:23:57,379
inside the walls of her house.
408
00:24:05,793 --> 00:24:09,827
[Lt. Thomas]
Daniel was in and out of that
house for six months.
409
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,931
One of his acts was to remove
electrical outlets
410
00:24:26,034 --> 00:24:28,896
so he could spy on
the family members.
411
00:24:30,344 --> 00:24:35,172
And he was able to see
when they vacated a room,
412
00:24:35,172 --> 00:24:36,931
leave his hiding space
413
00:24:37,793 --> 00:24:40,586
and create these
disturbing acts
414
00:24:41,689 --> 00:24:45,275
that would get the girls to
fight among themselves
415
00:24:45,275 --> 00:24:48,620
and to tell their dad these
stories of milk being drank,
416
00:24:48,620 --> 00:24:50,620
channels being changed,
417
00:24:53,689 --> 00:24:57,724
and it would allow him to slip
back into his hiding place.
418
00:25:06,793 --> 00:25:08,068
[knocking]
419
00:25:13,103 --> 00:25:14,655
[footsteps echoing]
420
00:25:14,655 --> 00:25:17,448
[Jeffrey]
Everybody remembers that
feeling of hearing something
421
00:25:17,448 --> 00:25:18,724
thump in the basement...
422
00:25:22,689 --> 00:25:24,620
[footsteps]
[tense tones]
423
00:25:28,448 --> 00:25:30,724
...thinking it's a monster,
thinking somebody's hiding
424
00:25:30,724 --> 00:25:32,000
in the closet.
425
00:25:36,275 --> 00:25:39,310
In this particular case,
it was actually true.
426
00:25:47,379 --> 00:25:49,517
[rattling, suspenseful
tones playing]
427
00:25:50,965 --> 00:25:54,034
It's terrifying that a single
date, just going out for ice
428
00:25:54,034 --> 00:25:56,517
cream, and not progressing
beyond that is going to turn
429
00:25:56,517 --> 00:25:58,482
into somebody breaking into
your house
430
00:25:58,482 --> 00:26:00,620
and then tormenting you
for months.
431
00:26:01,965 --> 00:26:06,931
[Lt. Thomas]
Whatever his plan was,
whether it was to rape one of
432
00:26:06,931 --> 00:26:11,172
the daughters, whether it was
to kill all three people,
433
00:26:12,034 --> 00:26:13,517
I can't be sure.
434
00:26:17,482 --> 00:26:21,000
So Daniel LaPlante was sent to
Bridgewater Hospital for
435
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,689
psychiatric evaluation.
436
00:26:22,689 --> 00:26:26,000
And after that evaluation,
he was diagnosed with
437
00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,172
antisocial personality
disorder, and he was put into
438
00:26:29,172 --> 00:26:30,517
juvenile detention.
439
00:26:31,275 --> 00:26:34,000
And everybody felt
they should be safe.
440
00:26:39,034 --> 00:26:41,827
[Jeffrey]
Daniel LaPlante lived on
Elm Street.
441
00:26:41,827 --> 00:26:44,620
And it was only a mile through
the woods from the Gustafson's
442
00:26:44,620 --> 00:26:48,068
house, except Daniel LaPlante
was in juvenile detention,
443
00:26:50,137 --> 00:26:51,137
or so they thought.
444
00:26:53,379 --> 00:26:56,275
When he turned 17,
the judge decided that
445
00:26:56,275 --> 00:26:57,758
he should be tried as an adult.
446
00:26:57,758 --> 00:27:00,793
And when Daniel LaPlante was
charged as an adult,
447
00:27:00,793 --> 00:27:02,413
he was able to get bail.
448
00:27:03,344 --> 00:27:06,862
[Lt. Thomas]
He was brought before
the judge, not to be tried,
449
00:27:06,862 --> 00:27:10,068
but on a bail hearing.
450
00:27:10,068 --> 00:27:15,137
And the judge, at the time,
without any police input
451
00:27:15,137 --> 00:27:19,586
or presence, released him
on $10,000 bail.
452
00:27:19,586 --> 00:27:21,310
And his mother mortgaged
their house
453
00:27:21,310 --> 00:27:23,896
and put up the $10,000 bail
to get him out.
454
00:27:26,068 --> 00:27:28,103
There's no question that
the judge made
455
00:27:28,103 --> 00:27:29,620
a massive mistake.
456
00:27:31,689 --> 00:27:37,000
Daniel LaPlante was very
dangerous, from terrorizing
457
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,620
a family to kidnapping.
458
00:27:40,620 --> 00:27:45,137
When I found out about
the murders, I said, "I wonder
459
00:27:45,137 --> 00:27:47,620
what Danny LaPlante is
doing lately."
460
00:27:57,965 --> 00:28:00,517
[sirens wailing]
[indistinct radio chatter]
461
00:28:02,896 --> 00:28:06,034
[Jeffrey]
Homicide investigators had this
other violent, strange,
462
00:28:06,034 --> 00:28:10,000
bizarre crime, with Daniel
LaPlante living a mile from
463
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,551
this triple murder.
464
00:28:12,793 --> 00:28:16,000
I think it's an aha-moment for
the police, but they didn't
465
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,965
have any hard evidence to tie
him to the murders other than
466
00:28:18,965 --> 00:28:22,000
his proximity to them and his
prior violent past.
467
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,310
[indistinct radio chatter]
468
00:28:24,310 --> 00:28:27,310
[Det. Joe]
So at 7 o'clock that next
morning, we reconvened at
469
00:28:27,310 --> 00:28:28,862
the crime scene
470
00:28:29,172 --> 00:28:34,241
to gather as much information,
as much evidence as we can.
471
00:28:34,241 --> 00:28:38,448
Outside the house, there was
a pillow laying on the ground.
472
00:28:38,448 --> 00:28:41,724
So I called in a state police
K9 tracking team,
473
00:28:41,724 --> 00:28:43,344
[dogs panting]
474
00:28:43,344 --> 00:28:45,517
and we began a scented search.
475
00:28:45,517 --> 00:28:49,034
And the dog was on a heavy
scent, tracking from the yard
476
00:28:49,034 --> 00:28:50,241
into the woods.
477
00:28:52,275 --> 00:28:56,000
Within a few minutes, one of
the state troopers found
478
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:57,793
a wet flannel shirt.
479
00:28:57,793 --> 00:29:01,172
In addition, there was also
wet gloves in the woods.
480
00:29:02,034 --> 00:29:04,965
[Jeffrey]
So the police believe that
those articles of clothing
481
00:29:04,965 --> 00:29:07,413
could have been involved with
drowning the children.
482
00:29:09,689 --> 00:29:13,344
[Det. Joe]
The K9 immediately
picked up on a scent from those
483
00:29:13,344 --> 00:29:15,724
items and led us
through the woods,
484
00:29:17,689 --> 00:29:20,413
and eventually led us to
Daniel LaPlante's house.
485
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,517
After we did the K9 track,
we applied for
486
00:29:27,517 --> 00:29:28,965
a search warrant.
487
00:29:30,862 --> 00:29:33,965
We executed that search
warrant, did a complete search
488
00:29:33,965 --> 00:29:35,448
of the entire residence.
489
00:29:35,448 --> 00:29:37,724
Daniel was not there at
that time.
490
00:29:39,551 --> 00:29:42,551
One of the key pieces that
we found were a pair of wet
491
00:29:42,551 --> 00:29:46,034
socks in Daniel
LaPlante's bedroom.
492
00:29:46,034 --> 00:29:49,965
And on the wet socks,
we found a blonde hair.
493
00:29:49,965 --> 00:29:51,931
Could be from Abigail.
494
00:29:53,448 --> 00:29:55,724
[indistinct radio chatter]
[tense music playing]
495
00:29:56,965 --> 00:30:00,758
In addition to that,
we found some bullets.
496
00:30:00,758 --> 00:30:05,034
Those spent bullets matched
the cartridges that were used
497
00:30:05,034 --> 00:30:07,827
to murder Priscilla Gustafson.
498
00:30:08,965 --> 00:30:12,000
There was no doubt that
we were on the right track.
499
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:15,000
After we recovered those items,
we applied for an arrest
500
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:16,482
warrant for Daniel LaPlante.
501
00:30:18,689 --> 00:30:22,896
But at this point, Daniel had
fled, and a manhunt was on.
502
00:30:24,379 --> 00:30:26,689
[Det. Joe] We released
his picture to the media,
503
00:30:26,689 --> 00:30:28,482
and the media ran with it.
504
00:30:28,482 --> 00:30:31,310
[news broadcast]
24 hours after the triple
homicide of the Gustafson
505
00:30:31,310 --> 00:30:34,344
family in Townsend,
police are still on the hunt
506
00:30:34,344 --> 00:30:35,620
for their killer.
507
00:30:35,620 --> 00:30:37,862
[Det. Joe]
On the 6 o'clock news,
the 11 o'clock news,
508
00:30:37,862 --> 00:30:39,241
they posted his picture.
509
00:30:39,241 --> 00:30:41,551
We tried to let people know
we were looking for
510
00:30:41,551 --> 00:30:44,793
Daniel LaPlante, and anyone who
could help us,
511
00:30:44,793 --> 00:30:47,172
we encouraged them to
drop us a tip.
512
00:30:48,137 --> 00:30:51,517
[Jeffrey]
The media from Boston and from
Worcester and from all over
513
00:30:51,517 --> 00:30:54,379
Massachusetts had descended on
Townsend and Pepperell,
514
00:30:54,379 --> 00:30:57,620
and as a reporter, I was
talking to the police officers,
515
00:30:57,620 --> 00:30:59,379
the Chiefs of Police, I mean,
everybody was
516
00:30:59,379 --> 00:31:00,482
harried and frazzled.
517
00:31:00,482 --> 00:31:02,758
People who were off duty had
come back on duty.
518
00:31:02,758 --> 00:31:05,000
Everybody was involved
with this.
519
00:31:06,689 --> 00:31:11,000
For the first time in my police
career, and the last time,
520
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:14,000
I put on my bulletproof vest.
521
00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:19,068
I felt Daniel would head to
Northwest Pepperell because
522
00:31:19,068 --> 00:31:20,206
he knew it well.
523
00:31:24,793 --> 00:31:29,379
It's almost rural,
heavily wooded, very easy to
524
00:31:29,379 --> 00:31:30,586
avoid detection.
525
00:31:32,344 --> 00:31:35,793
And my choice was prophetic.
526
00:31:37,655 --> 00:31:41,482
The reports of a suspicious
young male in the area were
527
00:31:41,482 --> 00:31:42,827
almost immediate.
528
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:48,413
And they were located within
a wood area bordered by
529
00:31:48,413 --> 00:31:49,517
four roads.
530
00:31:51,034 --> 00:31:53,620
So we circled that area.
531
00:31:57,793 --> 00:32:02,103
I pulled into a driveway in one
of the homes.
532
00:32:02,103 --> 00:32:05,310
And a lady said,
"I know why you're here.
533
00:32:05,310 --> 00:32:07,000
I just arrived back home.
534
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,758
Could you please come in
my home while I reenter it?"
535
00:32:10,758 --> 00:32:13,862
And I said, "We certainly
will, ma'am."
536
00:32:13,862 --> 00:32:17,034
I asked my partner to remain
in the cruiser.
537
00:32:17,034 --> 00:32:20,862
So upon our arrival into
the home, it didn't take more
538
00:32:20,862 --> 00:32:24,827
than half a minute, and I heard
a loud thud upstairs.
539
00:32:26,862 --> 00:32:30,620
I quickly asked the lady,
"Do you have a pet?"
540
00:32:30,620 --> 00:32:34,517
She said, "I have a cat."
I said, "That was no cat."
541
00:32:37,482 --> 00:32:39,103
[creaky footsteps]
542
00:32:39,103 --> 00:32:43,344
Upon getting to the top of
the stairs, I found a 16-gauge
543
00:32:43,344 --> 00:32:47,413
shotgun lying at my feet with
the bolt closed,
544
00:32:48,896 --> 00:32:50,758
assuming it was loaded.
545
00:32:50,758 --> 00:32:53,931
I believe that was the sound of
the thud that I heard.
546
00:32:56,482 --> 00:32:59,551
We did a thorough search of
the entire home.
547
00:32:59,551 --> 00:33:02,586
He had fled from an upstairs
window, had jumped onto
548
00:33:02,586 --> 00:33:06,068
the garage, into the woods
behind the home,
549
00:33:06,068 --> 00:33:07,724
and had taken flight.
550
00:33:08,793 --> 00:33:09,965
[crow cawing]
551
00:33:09,965 --> 00:33:15,137
His goal was to take me out
with a 16-gauge shotgun.
552
00:33:15,137 --> 00:33:19,310
I believe what deterred him was
the presence of my partner
553
00:33:19,310 --> 00:33:20,862
in the cruiser.
554
00:33:21,344 --> 00:33:25,827
The husband of the house did
indicate that the shotgun was
555
00:33:25,827 --> 00:33:31,758
his, but he indicated that
a handgun was missing, and also
556
00:33:31,758 --> 00:33:33,862
a belt of ammunition.
557
00:33:33,862 --> 00:33:36,896
And it was obvious that
the intruder was attempting to
558
00:33:36,896 --> 00:33:38,413
arm himself.
559
00:33:39,482 --> 00:33:42,310
[Jeffrey]
Everybody knew that the killer
was running around,
560
00:33:43,586 --> 00:33:45,517
and the police were everywhere.
561
00:33:47,379 --> 00:33:49,862
Every time somebody saw
something move in the woods,
562
00:33:49,862 --> 00:33:51,655
they'd call it in
to the police.
563
00:33:51,655 --> 00:33:54,827
[Lt. Thomas]
People are locked into
their homes in total fear.
564
00:33:55,896 --> 00:33:56,724
And they should have been.
565
00:33:56,724 --> 00:33:58,620
They absolutely should
have been.
566
00:33:58,620 --> 00:34:01,931
When you kill three people,
there were no bounds anymore.
567
00:34:03,068 --> 00:34:06,827
There was a real danger of him
not just abducting anybody,
568
00:34:06,827 --> 00:34:08,482
but he would have killed them.
569
00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,000
People knew they had to try to
catch him before
570
00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:13,379
somebody else died.
571
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,310
[eerie "Twinkle Twinkle
Little Star" playing]
572
00:34:26,137 --> 00:34:29,068
This was one of
the largest manhunts in
573
00:34:29,068 --> 00:34:31,068
Massachusetts history.
574
00:34:31,068 --> 00:34:33,000
Everywhere you turned,
there was a police car.
575
00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:35,172
There was an officer looking
for Daniel LaPlante.
576
00:34:36,689 --> 00:34:38,482
We knew this person
was dangerous.
577
00:34:39,344 --> 00:34:42,965
We knew he had the potential
to kill again.
578
00:34:42,965 --> 00:34:45,931
We needed to get him
off the streets.
579
00:34:45,931 --> 00:34:47,965
You have to remember,
we were dealing with this young
580
00:34:47,965 --> 00:34:52,517
person who hid himself in
walls, who made his way through
581
00:34:52,517 --> 00:34:53,758
this forest.
582
00:34:53,758 --> 00:34:57,068
So this person was skilled at
avoiding detection.
583
00:34:59,344 --> 00:35:01,379
[crow cawing]
584
00:35:03,379 --> 00:35:07,827
In a matter of 15 to 20
minutes, I do get a report that
585
00:35:07,827 --> 00:35:11,620
once again, faced with a police
officer, this fleeing felon
586
00:35:11,620 --> 00:35:14,275
decided to run into
a lumberyard in
587
00:35:14,275 --> 00:35:15,931
the town of Ayer.
588
00:35:19,034 --> 00:35:23,137
My fear was with LaPlante armed
with a handgun, somebody was
589
00:35:23,137 --> 00:35:25,000
gonna get taken hostage
590
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,758
or somebody was gonna
get killed.
591
00:35:27,758 --> 00:35:29,793
[dogs distantly barking]
592
00:35:29,793 --> 00:35:31,827
[Jeffrey]
So the police cordoned
off the area.
593
00:35:31,827 --> 00:35:35,827
They blocked off the streets.
A police helicopter was up
594
00:35:36,965 --> 00:35:39,310
and police were going through
it and at some point one of
595
00:35:39,310 --> 00:35:42,689
the officers thought he heard
something by a dumpster.
596
00:35:44,551 --> 00:35:47,241
[Lt. Thomas]
Several officers
surrounded the dumpster.
597
00:35:49,586 --> 00:35:52,482
They ordered Daniel
to come out.
598
00:35:56,862 --> 00:36:00,310
And he finally decided to
surrender himself.
599
00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:07,034
He was transported to the state
police barracks located on
600
00:36:07,034 --> 00:36:09,931
Elm Street in the town of
Concord, Massachusetts.
601
00:36:13,689 --> 00:36:16,000
[Det. Joe]
He was charged with the murder
of Priscilla Gustafson,
602
00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:19,793
Abigail Gustafson,
and William Gustafson.
603
00:36:19,793 --> 00:36:23,724
I sat next to him during trial.
His eyes were cold.
604
00:36:25,379 --> 00:36:28,724
He looked right beyond you.
No remorse whatsoever.
605
00:36:30,586 --> 00:36:32,586
[Jeffrey]
So I covered the trial for
my newspaper.
606
00:36:32,586 --> 00:36:35,965
I remember sitting in court
and looking at LaPlante,
607
00:36:35,965 --> 00:36:39,241
and he was just without
emotion, just expressionless.
608
00:36:39,241 --> 00:36:41,000
Like, he never showed
an ounce of empathy.
609
00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,931
He never showed any discomfort
for what was going on,
610
00:36:44,931 --> 00:36:47,000
just a soulless look.
611
00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:49,931
[courtroom official]
The jurors can follow us with
their notebooks if they can.
612
00:36:49,931 --> 00:36:54,068
[Lt. Thomas]
There were several factors that
linked Daniel to the murders.
613
00:36:54,068 --> 00:36:57,655
Shell casings that were found
in the LaPlante home were
614
00:36:57,655 --> 00:37:01,310
the same exact type as those
found at the murder scene.
615
00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:10,000
Also, a hair found on one of
Daniel's socks was indeed from
616
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:14,000
the head of the murdered
Abigail Gustafson.
617
00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:17,448
And during one of the searches
at the LaPlante home,
618
00:37:17,448 --> 00:37:20,068
the actual murder weapon
was found,
619
00:37:20,896 --> 00:37:26,793
which was a .22 revolver in
an abandoned vehicle located on
620
00:37:26,793 --> 00:37:28,172
the LaPlante property.
621
00:37:29,344 --> 00:37:34,275
We also recovered two cable TV
boxes and remote controls that
622
00:37:34,275 --> 00:37:36,586
were taken previously at
the Gustafson home.
623
00:37:36,586 --> 00:37:40,172
So before the murders happened,
LaPlante had been in that
624
00:37:40,172 --> 00:37:41,482
house previously.
625
00:37:42,448 --> 00:37:43,931
[judge] Thank you.
May all be seated.
626
00:37:51,241 --> 00:37:54,379
[Lt. Thomas]
At the courtroom,
ironically located at
627
00:37:54,379 --> 00:37:57,655
the intersection of Elm Street
and Gorham Street,
628
00:37:57,655 --> 00:38:03,241
the jury found Daniel LaPlante
guilty of the murder of three
629
00:38:03,241 --> 00:38:05,310
members of
the Gustafson family.
630
00:38:05,310 --> 00:38:06,931
[courtroom official]
Guilty of murder in
the first degree.
631
00:38:06,931 --> 00:38:11,034
[Lt. Thomas]
He was sentenced to three
consecutive life terms with no
632
00:38:11,034 --> 00:38:12,517
chance of parole.
633
00:38:16,758 --> 00:38:21,000
You're looking at somebody,
perhaps, if such a thing exists
634
00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:22,379
being totally evil.
635
00:38:26,275 --> 00:38:30,862
The lead investigator told me,
"Tom, have you seen how
636
00:38:30,862 --> 00:38:33,413
Elm Street keeps popping up
on this?"
637
00:38:33,413 --> 00:38:39,931
You know, his residence on
Elm Street, he gets taken to
638
00:38:39,931 --> 00:38:44,758
the state police barracks on
Elm Street in Concord.
639
00:38:44,758 --> 00:38:49,931
He's prosecuted, found guilty,
at the courthouse at the corner
640
00:38:49,931 --> 00:38:53,034
of Elm Street in
Lowell, Massachusetts.
641
00:38:53,034 --> 00:38:56,620
There are seven total
Elm Street connections
642
00:38:57,482 --> 00:39:01,827
in this LaPlante saga,
which is quite bizarre.
643
00:39:05,379 --> 00:39:06,931
Was justice served here?
644
00:39:08,689 --> 00:39:11,689
I guess under the law,
justice was served.
645
00:39:11,689 --> 00:39:14,724
But how can you ever recover
from losing your wife
646
00:39:14,724 --> 00:39:17,379
and your two children
and your unborn baby?
647
00:39:17,379 --> 00:39:19,655
So he was off the streets.
648
00:39:19,655 --> 00:39:23,034
But as far as the Gustafson
family goes, I can't, I can't
649
00:39:23,034 --> 00:39:24,620
answer that question.
650
00:39:26,275 --> 00:39:29,275
[Jeffrey]
You know, a case like this is
just so, so terrible.
651
00:39:29,275 --> 00:39:33,103
Just, it's just so awful that
people never get over it.
652
00:39:33,103 --> 00:39:37,482
Like, it's a kind of thing that
makes people pause and really
653
00:39:37,482 --> 00:39:40,931
think, how could one human
being do this to another?
654
00:39:43,172 --> 00:39:45,000
I've never forgotten it.
655
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,000
You know, I covered it as
a reporter, but I've never
656
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:50,413
forgotten this case.
It was evil showing its face.
657
00:39:53,793 --> 00:39:56,689
[Det. Joe]
Two beautiful children,
another one on the way,
658
00:39:56,689 --> 00:40:02,241
and this terrible person broke
into the house and ended it.
659
00:40:02,241 --> 00:40:05,103
For no reason, just killed
these people.
660
00:40:06,034 --> 00:40:08,068
There was no real motive that
we ever uncovered,
661
00:40:09,448 --> 00:40:11,724
other than the fact that
they walked in when he was in
662
00:40:11,724 --> 00:40:13,068
that house.
663
00:40:13,068 --> 00:40:15,068
This person was cold
664
00:40:16,275 --> 00:40:17,379
and evil personified.
665
00:40:17,379 --> 00:40:27,310
♪
666
00:40:37,793 --> 00:40:39,103
♪
667
00:40:39,103 --> 00:40:40,551
Once upon a time...
668
00:40:40,551 --> 00:40:43,517
Elm Street was a good place
to live.
669
00:40:45,551 --> 00:40:48,827
We were the type of community
where people still waved to you.
670
00:40:48,827 --> 00:40:50,620
The charm was there.
671
00:40:50,620 --> 00:40:53,413
Man: It's pretty...
but we have our fair share of
672
00:40:55,241 --> 00:40:56,482
serial killers.
673
00:40:57,655 --> 00:41:00,206
There was satanic rituals
being held there.
674
00:41:01,137 --> 00:41:03,551
Woman: Is he still out?
Is he going to come after me?
675
00:41:03,551 --> 00:41:05,931
A firefighter said something
heinous had happened.
676
00:41:08,241 --> 00:41:10,241
You don't really know
when it's going to happen,
677
00:41:10,241 --> 00:41:11,758
or what's going to happen
or who's doing it.
678
00:41:11,758 --> 00:41:15,068
I was screaming "My dad's dead!
Someone's killed him."
679
00:41:16,068 --> 00:41:18,724
Evil took over that night.
680
00:41:19,689 --> 00:41:22,482
Be aware of the danger
out there.
681
00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:24,931
I don't know if I've seen
a broadsword like that.
682
00:41:31,689 --> 00:41:34,586
Detective found things that were
beyond their wildest nightmare.
55295
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