Courtroom Shock: Karate Instructor's Killer Freed After Dramatic TV Confession

Warning: This article contains discussions of child abuse which some readers may find distressing

Oh, boy, if vigilante justice was ever caught on camera like it was in 1984 at Baton Rouge Airport, then boy oh boy, you’d better believe it would be a circus like no other. Wrapped up in a cloak of morality, legal conundrums, and an unsuspecting hero’s journey, the tale of Gary Plauché is as perplexing as it is unexpectedly poignant.

Imagine you’re just an average Joe, minding your business when suddenly, the world spins off its axis. That was Gary. His son, Jody, was the sun in his universe, up until a predatory monster, Jeffrey Doucet, cast a shadow over everything. This karate instructor, a figure society trusted, turned out to be grooming and perpetrating the worst kind of betrayal. It was daily abuse, no less, until Doucet uprooted the kid’s life entirely, fleeing to a California motel with Jody in tow.

Here’s where it gets like something out of a soap opera. Doucet, in his twisted mind, thought he’d outsmarted the world by making them incognito, but he slipped up. He let Jody call home, unknowingly sealing his own fate as the police traced that call.

Now, let’s wind back the clock to Gary. As any parent might, upon learning about the brutality inflicted on his child, his heart broke in a million places. But instead of waiting for justice to come through the courts, Gary decided to administer it himself. In what could only be described as a scene pulled straight from a TV movie, Gary lay in wait at the airport where Doucet was to arrive. His mind, wracked by pain, churned with a single, burning thought: retribution. Disguised with shades and a cap, he struck as Doucet was being escorted by authorities, felling him with a shot that echoed through the hearts of the onlooking crowd

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing

A man who shot his son’s abuser on live television managed to walk free from jail – despite a host of cameras capturing his crime.

The late Gary Plauché, 68, shot child molester Jeffrey Doucet dead during a live broadcast after discovering what the karate instructor had done to his son, Jody.

Doucet, who was 25 at the time, abducted and raped the 11-year-old boy after spending a year ‘grooming’ his entire family in a bid to get close to the youngster.

He abused Jody ‘almost every day’ up until he fled the state of Louisiana with the lad in February 1984, taking him to a motel in Anaheim, California.

Doucet shaved his beard and forced the young boy to dye his hair black to disguise themselves, before they spent two weeks holed up in the motel, where the abuse continued.

Police eventually tracked them down after Doucet allowed his hostage to contact his mother, allowing cops to trace the call.

Jeffrey Doucet (pictured) never got his day in court, as Gary Plauché got to him first (Orange County Sheriff)

Jody – who has now spoken out about his ordeal four decades on – was reunited with his loved ones on 1 March, 1984, while the karate instructor was taken into police custody.

He was flown back to Louisiana to face trial for his crimes, however, he never made it in front of a judge – as Jody’s dad delivered his own justice.

Gary was lying in wait at the Baton Rouge Airport when the plane carrying Doucet touched down, while numerous news crews were also gathered ahead of his arrival.

Donning a cap and sunglasses to avoid attracting attention, the father waited at a nearby payphone and pretended to be conducting a call as Doucet was hauled past him.

As law enforcement escorted the disgraced karate instructor through the airport, Gary struck – shooting Doucet in the head at close range, which left him in a coma. He died from his injuries the following day.

In the footage recorded by local news channel WBRZ, a police officer who recognised the dad was seen rushing over and asking: “Why, Gary?! Why?!”

Despite the entire thing being caught on camera, Gary never served any time behind bars for fatally shooting Doucet.

In fact, he became something of a hero to parents in the community and worldwide, with many people praising his actions.

The dad shot and killed the disgraced karate instructor in front of cameras (X/@jplauche)

Gary, a former sergeant in the United States Air Force, was initially charged with second-degree murder before agreeing to a plea deal, which saw him plead no contest to manslaughter.

This means that although the defendant accepted the conviction, they did not admit guilt.

The dad was instead given a seven-year suspended sentence with five years probation, as well as 300 hours of community service, which he completed in 1989.

Psychological reports ordered by the courts found that Gary was unable to tell the difference between right and wrong when he pulled the trigger, while his legal team argued he was driven to temporary psychosis after finding out what Doucet had done to Jody.

Psychiatrist Dr. Edward P. Uzee said Gary had ‘developed a sense of righteous mission directed by what Gary sensed as the voice of Jesus telling him that if he did not kill his son’s sexual molester, that the man would continue to harm his son and other children,’ according to the Los Angeles Times.

Judge Frank Saia, who resided over the case, said that he believed putting Gary in prison would not help anyone.

“In this case, if there is anything that is unusual, it is because both sides are victims,” he said. “Both sides suffered.”

Gary passed away in 2014 at the age of 68 after suffering two strokes.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.