In 1983, 11-year-old Jody Plauché was enrolled in a karate class taught by 25-year-old Jeff Doucet in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 1 Over several months, Doucet groomed and sexually abused Jody, eventually kidnapping him in February 1984 and taking him to a motel in Anaheim, California. 213 After a nationwide search, Jody was rescued on February 29, while Doucet was arrested and extradited to Louisiana to face charges. 134

On March 16, 1984, as Doucet was being escorted by police through the Baton Rouge airport, Jody's father Gary Plauché shot and killed him at point-blank range in an act of vigilante justice captured live on television. 2135 Gary was initially charged with second-degree murder but later pleaded no contest to manslaughter, receiving a suspended sentence and probation. 23

On March 16, 1984, Gary Plauché was waiting at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport when Jeffrey Doucet arrived, escorted by police officers after being extradited from California. 123 As Doucet passed by, Plauché, who was disguised and on a payphone, shot him point-blank in the head in front of a WBRZ-TV news crew filming the scene. 124 When officers immediately asked "Why, Gary, why?", Plauché responded, "If somebody did it to your kid, you'd do it, too." 245 The shocking act of vigilante justice against his son's kidnapper and molester was captured live on television. 12345

Gary Plauché was initially charged with second-degree murder for killing Jeffrey Doucet, but he ultimately pleaded no contest to manslaughter charges. 123 The judge handed down a controversial sentence of seven years suspended, five years of probation, and 300 hours of community service, allowing Plauché to avoid prison time. 1234 This lenient punishment was heavily influenced by the overwhelming public support and empathy for Plauché as a father protecting his child, with many viewing his act as justifiable. 13 The case sparked intense debates over the boundaries between vigilantism and justice, with some celebrating Plauché as a hero and others criticizing his reckless actions. 123