The Father Who Took Revenge on His Son’s Abuser – Jody Plauche

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27th May 2019  •  4 min read

When Gary Plauche's 10-year-old son was abducted by a child molester, he wanted to make sure he paid. When the predator was being extradited, Plauche shot him dead in the airport as television cameras were rolling.


The Father Who Took Revenge on His Son's Abuser - Jody Plauche

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Jody Plauche was a ten-year-old boy from Baton Rougue. Like many kids his age, Jody played a number of sports, one of which was karate. However, shortly after his 10th birthday, Jody’s karate teacher, Jeff Doucett, began a yearlong period of sexual abuse inflicted on the young boy.

Like many other predators, Doucett had charmed his way into the Plauche family and they entrusted him with their young son and eventually, Doucett was spending almost all of his free time with Jody. Doucett was even trusted to take Jody – and the rest of the karate team – to out of state tournaments. To the Plauche family, Doucett seemed like the perfect role model for their shy son. The only person who saw Doucett’s true colours was Jody. When he wasn’t molesting him, he was flying into jealous rages, accusing Jody of loving his father, Gary Plauche, more than him.

The Father Who Took Revenge on His Son's Abuser - Jody Plauche
Jody Plauche and Jeff Doucett. Credit: E 60 ESPN.

Then on the 19th of February, 1984, Jody went missing from his family home in Baton Rouge. Eleven days later, the FBI eventually tracked him down to a hotel room in Anaheim, California, where he had been held after being abducted by Doucett. They were alerted to the hotel room after Doucett called Jody’s mother and demanded she bring her other three children and join him in New York if she ever wanted to see her son again.

The FBI burst through the hotel room door and rescued Jody. His hair had been dyed black by Doucett as an attempt at a disguise. Doucett was arrested on kidnapping accusations. Jody was sent back to his parents in Baton Rouge where he refused to tell his parents what a medical examination had proved – that he had been systematically sexually abused. Jody later said that he had expected his parents to uncover the truth much earlier. “To me it was obvious. I couldn’t figure out why no one could figure this out,” he later said. “Even at age 11, I knew there was something wrong with the guy.” Jody said that no matter how bad things had got, he was too afraid to tell anybody his secret.

Doucett was extradited from California to Baton Rouge on the 16th of March. As he walked through the Metro airport alongside two officers, unbeknownst to them, Jody’s father, Gary Plauche, was standing nearby at a pay phone. He was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses and was carrying a concealed weapon. He was waiting for the man who had sexually abused his son for over a year and had finally abducted him and  carried out unthinkable acts alone in that hotel room.

As Doucett walked past, handcuffed and assisted by a police officer, Gary spun around and fired a single gunshot into Jeffrey’s head, right above the ear. The entire ordeal was captured on camera by WBRZ-TV cameraman, Abram McGull. After firing the fatal shot, Gary said: “If it were your son, you would have done the same thing.”1 As blood was spurting from Doucett’s wound, Gary threw the gun to the ground and was tackled by an officer.

The Father Who Took Revenge on His Son's Abuser - Jody Plauche
Gary Plauche moments before shooting and killing Jeff Doucett. Credit: WBRZ-TV.

The killing sparked debate about vigilante justice across the nation with many applauding his actions. According to Gary’s lawyer, he believed he was acting on a “divine mandate” to protect his family.2Gary pleaded no contest to a manslaughter charge and received a suspended sentence of seven years in prison, five years of probation and hundreds of hours of community service. Over the years, the Plauche family received thousands of letters of support from all across the nation.3

Following the shooting, Jody felt as though he had lost a friend. “I was upset at the time,” he recollected. “He was like your best friend except that he had this one little problem that you wish he would just quit,” he said.4 As an adult, Jody went on to become a key speaker at state conferences on sexual abuse and molestation. He also worked as a sexual assault counsellor and volunteered at the Victim Services Center of Montgomery County. He said that a common mistake people make is assuming that strangers pose the greatest risk to children. “That’s not how it works, the dirty old man in the park,” he said.

Following his release, Gary went back to a life of normality. He returned to his old job as a heavy equipment salesman and continued to volunteer as a coach for children’s sports in the evening. He later lost a bid for a pardon which would have allowed him to carry a gun again; he said he had no interest in carrying a concealed weapon but had wanted to go hunting with his sons.

In 2014, at the age of 68, Gary passed away after lingering complications from a series of strokes. While to many, Gary was simply known as the Baton Rouge father who shot his son’s molester, his family remember him as a kind, fun and loving man – a husband, father and grandfather that was the life and soul of every party. “Everyone thinks of my dad as a killer,” said Jody. “This was not a killer. This was a wonderful man who was a friend to everyone.”5

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Footnotes:

  1. The Montana Standard, 19 March, 1984 – “Victim’s Dad Retaliates”
  2. Santa Maria Times, 22 March, 1984 –“Voices Guided Accused Killer”
  3. The Times, 26 June, 2005 – “Victim Turned Pain into Healing”
  4. The Advocate, 11 April, 1994 – “Victim Warns ‘It’s Not Only Strangers Who’re Molesters’”
  5. The Acadiana Advocate, 21 October, 2014 – “Gary Plauch, Man Who Killed Son’s Accused Molester, Dies”

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Kate
Kate
4 years ago

Molesters are wolves in sheep’s clothing-regardless of the context, every story regarding them begins and ends the same. Knowing what most of us do now, it’s a wonder we leave our children with people we barely know.

Donna
Donna
4 years ago

I am not saying I agree with actions but as a mom, I understand…

nick dicarlo
nick dicarlo
4 years ago
Reply to  Donna

I am a father and I wholeheartedly agree with his actions.

War Pig
War Pig
4 years ago

Give him a medal and send him out to kill more child rapists.

Jody Plauché
Jody Plauché
4 years ago

He was not someone we barely knew…he made sure he had the families trust before he started molesting me.

Angel Vega
Angel Vega
4 years ago
Reply to  Jody Plauché

That is so frightening but I know its the truth

Grace Thompson
Grace Thompson
1 year ago
Reply to  Jody Plauché

Yes,the commenter was saying that its no wonder parents leave their children with people they barely know since its come out that children are more likely to be abused by a trusted adult as opposed to a stranger. They feel safer leaving their children with strangers.

Jody Plauché
Jody Plauché
4 years ago

Be looking for my book “Why Gary, Why?” It should be out in a few months.

Edna
Edna
4 years ago
Reply to  Jody Plauché

Glad you went on to educate others that the boogey man is not the man in the park we don’t know, but the person may be your friend. I hope your father is resting in peace.

nick dicarlo
nick dicarlo
4 years ago
Reply to  Jody Plauché

Everyone should have a father like yours Jody.

Julie
Julie
4 years ago
Reply to  Jody Plauché

Jody, I would have shot that monster to if it was my son! I hope your doing ok now.

Jessickah
Jessickah
2 years ago
Reply to  Jody Plauché

Jody, I thank you for being brave enough to write a book about it, let alone publish it! You are the epitome of a person with wholehearted bravery!

Wealthy Justice
Wealthy Justice
4 years ago

I agree with the actions, someone raped my kid you best know I’m coming to cut off your fingers and poor rubbing alcohol and then slowly burn his ball off….

Jade Harrison
Jade Harrison
4 years ago

Jody’s case is also unusual because most pedophiles target little girls.

Carmen M McClure
Carmen M McClure
4 years ago
Reply to  Jade Harrison

We believe that is true because we haven’t heard about all of the boys who suffered. They often grow up with mouths shut in shame or at times to be abusers themselves.

Carmen M McClure
Carmen M McClure
4 years ago

No, Jody Plauche,I don’t think of your father as a killer. I think of him as a loving father who in anger, went beyond the distance…to a place where almost every one of us parents would want to go if this happened to our child. I admire and respect your father and his bravery and sacrifice to put an end to the nightmare that walked in front of him that day. I admire and respect you for helping to open the eyes of those who just don’t get it. We must be vigilant and keep our eyes open always. Bless… Read more »

Cheryl
Cheryl
4 years ago

Jody,your father was a hero

Frankie
Frankie
3 years ago

Predators of children can not be rehabilitated , it’s been proven over and over, this man saved a lot of the states tax dollars to jail an animal, he should have received a reward instead of a manslaughter charge.

Paul Austin
Paul Austin
2 years ago

Gary was never going to get a pardon because no government wants to be seen as giving legal sanction to vigilantes.

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