214:. LaPlante asked for a reduction in his sentence. At the hearing, it was mentioned that during his first appeal, previous court rulings were cited saying that juveniles convicted of murder should be given a meaningful opportunity to re-engage with society. There was also a new law allowing “juveniles convicted of murder with extreme cruelty and atrocity to ask for parole after they’ve been behind bars for a minimum of 30 years.” The judge, however, affirmed LaPlante's sentence of three consecutive terms of life imprisonment, with the possibility of parole after 45 years, after a
25:
180:
As a teenager he was referred to a psychiatrist, who diagnosed him with hyperactivity disorder, because of his abnormal behavior, his appearance, and his lack of hygiene. LaPlante was said to have hidden in the walls of the home of 15 year old Tina Bowen, who he had a date with, in 1986 and was later
158:
LaPlante lived with his mother and stepfather and two brothers. While growing up in
Townsend, LaPlante claimed to have been sexually and psychologically abused by many adults in his life including his father, stepfather and psychiatrist. Allegedly LaPlante's father was responsible for the majority of
184:
In
October 1987, LaPlante was living with his mother and stepfather while being out on bail. During this time he committed several burglaries in the neighbourhood where he obtained money and guns. Later, LaPlante's stepfather discovered one of these guns in LaPlante's laundry basket. When confronted
206:
where he was spotted and pulled over by a policeman. LaPlante left the vehicle and escaped into a lumberyard where he threatened the owner with a gun and then hid in a dumpster. LaPlante was then apprehended by two policemen who kept him under guard until reinforcement arrived at the scene- where
257:
also based on LaPlante's offenses prior to the
Gustafson murders where he secretly lived in the walls of a teenaged girls family house and terrorized the family through various methods before committing the Gustafson murders. However unlike "Phrogging: Hider in My House series "Footsteps in the
201:
LaPlante was questioned by police about two days after the murders but at the time there was not enough evidence to arrest him. Later the same day police went to LaPlante's home to interview him further and seeing the police approach LaPlante leapt off the porch and fled. A manhunt was launched
197:
teacher. Gustafson, who was pregnant, was found face-down on her bed, her pillows covered in her blood. LaPlante had raped her and shot her multiple times at point-blank range. LaPlante drowned both of her children (7-year-old
Abigail and 5-year-old William) in separate bathrooms.
202:
involving police, police dogs and helicopters. Meanwhile LaPlante had made his way on foot to a home in the neighbourhood where he stole a van and briefly took the woman who owned the van hostage. He then drove towards
836:
626:
210:
A year later, LaPlante was sentenced to three life sentences for the murders of the
Gustafsons. On March 22, 2017, a re-sentencing hearing for LaPlante was held at Middlesex Superior Court in
806:
320:
163:
185:
by his mother and stepfather LaPlante claimed to have bought the gun. LaPlante would burglarize a neighboring family, the
Gustafsons, where he would steal valuables and knickknacks.
219:
831:
174:
at an early age, and some of his classmates described him as “creepy" and "weird." and he was generally considered a loner by both fellow students and teachers .
292:
791:
612:
811:
403:
796:
53:
33:
510:
356:
250:"Phrogging: Hider in My House series "Footsteps in the Attic," which documented LaPlante's crimes committed prior to the Gustafson murders."
446:
757:
826:
126:
841:
743:
107:
666:
79:
821:
460:
86:
690:
652:
57:
49:
428:
377:
801:
93:
346:
710:
167:
38:
816:
235:
147:
75:
42:
781:
222:. Between 1990 and 2000, LaPlante was held in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, including the
247:
211:
177:
The opinion among the residents in the neighbourhood was that LaPlante was "strange" and "disturbed".
485:
218:
evaluated LaPlante and found that he was not remorseful for his crimes. LaPlante is currently held at
786:
239:
667:"Laplante v. Commonwealth of Mass. Dept. of Corr, C.A. No. 01-10186-NG | Casetext Search + Citator"
267:
243:
series "Bump in the Night" and Season 1, Episode 1 of the series "The Real
Murders on Elm Street."
215:
203:
561:
530:
271:
562:"Man Convicted Of Killing Mother And Her 2 Children Petitions Mass. High Court For Early Parole"
321:"Man convicted of killing pregnant nursery school teacher and her children seeks earlier parole"
627:"Court denies early parole bid of Daniel LaPlante, convicted in '87 triple slaying in Townsend"
352:
143:
170:. LaPlante played football and ran track but he struggled with school. He was diagnosed with
100:
293:"'Is he rehabilitated? In my opinion, absolutely not,' psychiatrist says of triple murderer"
263:
729:
543:
64:
744:"When Does 'Boy In the Walls' Premiere on Lifetime? How to Stream Online | Decider"
194:
775:
588:
223:
181:
arrested. LaPlante had also been arrested by police other times previous to this.
613:"Convicted triple-murderer Daniel LaPlante apologizes in bid for reduced sentence"
404:"Convicted triple-murderer Daniel LaPlante apologizes in bid for reduced sentence"
193:
On
December 1, 1987, LaPlante entered the Townsend home of Priscilla Gustafson, a
262:
is a fictional story only loosely based on
Laplante. The film is directed by
758:"Director Constance Zimmer's 'Boy in the Walls' premieres Aug. 5 - UPI.com"
171:
730:"Is 'Boy in the Walls' a true story? The film's terrifying inspiration"
142:(born May 15, 1970) is an American convicted murderer serving multiple
162:
LaPlante attended elementary school in
Townsend and went on to attend
146:
for the 1987 murders of Priscilla Gustafson and her two children in
566:
63:
from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially
18:
837:
Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Massachusetts
246:
LaPlante was also featured in Season 1, Episode 2 of
711:""Boy in the Walls: The True Story Behind the Film""
207:LaPlante could be arrested and taken into custody.
253:On August 5, 2023, Lifetime released a film titled
807:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
555:
553:
447:"Police study music videos in Townsend slayings"
234:LaPlante was featured in Season 2, Episode 1 of
315:
313:
8:
832:People convicted of murder by Massachusetts
589:"LaPLANTE, COMMONWEALTH vs., 482 Mass. 399"
56:about living persons that is unsourced or
127:Learn how and when to remove this message
283:
539:
528:
461:"Commonwealth vs. Daniel J. LaPlante"
351:. Kensington Publishing Corporation.
224:supermax prison in Florence, Colorado
7:
631:The Worcester Telegram & Gazette
372:
370:
368:
792:American people convicted of murder
486:"Judge: 'I could pull the switch'"
484:Redmond, Lisa (December 1, 2007).
291:Crimaldi, Laura (March 22, 2017).
14:
812:1987 murders in the United States
560:Campbell, Jerome (5 March 2019).
728:Karomo, Chege (August 7, 2023).
633:. Associated Press. June 6, 2019
515:North Adams Transcript Newspaper
23:
797:American murderers of children
517:. December 4, 1987. p. 18
511:"Youth held for triple murder"
435:. 4 December 1987. p. 17.
402:Sobey, Rick (March 22, 2017).
1:
345:Lasseter, Don (1999-12-06).
189:Murders and judicial process
34:biography of a living person
61:must be removed immediately
16:American convicted murderer
858:
827:Minors convicted of murder
236:Investigation Discovery's
691:"Footsteps in the Attic"
384:. 1987-12-04. p. 17
164:St. Bernards High School
842:Inmates of ADX Florence
148:Townsend, Massachusetts
48:Please help by adding
216:forensic psychiatrist
212:Woburn, Massachusetts
822:People with dyslexia
240:Your Worst Nightmare
54:Contentious material
715:centralrecorder.com
429:"Gustafson Murders"
378:"Gustafson Murders"
268:Ryan Michelle Bathe
272:Jonathan Whitesell
248:Lifetime Channel's
140:Daniel J. LaPlante
717:. August 6, 2023.
358:978-0-7860-1283-1
137:
136:
129:
111:
76:"Daniel LaPlante"
37:needs additional
849:
802:American rapists
766:
765:
754:
748:
747:
740:
734:
733:
725:
719:
718:
707:
701:
700:
698:
697:
687:
681:
680:
678:
677:
663:
657:
656:
649:
643:
642:
640:
638:
623:
617:
616:
615:. 22 March 2017.
609:
603:
602:
600:
599:
585:
579:
578:
576:
575:
557:
548:
547:
541:
536:
534:
526:
524:
522:
507:
501:
500:
498:
496:
481:
475:
474:
472:
471:
457:
451:
450:
443:
437:
436:
433:The Boston Globe
425:
419:
418:
416:
414:
399:
393:
392:
390:
389:
382:The Boston Globe
374:
363:
362:
342:
336:
335:
333:
332:
317:
308:
307:
305:
303:
297:The Boston Globe
288:
264:Constance Zimmer
260:Boy in the Walls
255:Boy in the Walls
132:
125:
121:
118:
112:
110:
69:
50:reliable sources
27:
26:
19:
857:
856:
852:
851:
850:
848:
847:
846:
772:
771:
770:
769:
756:
755:
751:
742:
741:
737:
727:
726:
722:
709:
708:
704:
695:
693:
689:
688:
684:
675:
673:
665:
664:
660:
651:
650:
646:
636:
634:
625:
624:
620:
611:
610:
606:
597:
595:
587:
586:
582:
573:
571:
559:
558:
551:
537:
527:
520:
518:
509:
508:
504:
494:
492:
483:
482:
478:
469:
467:
459:
458:
454:
445:
444:
440:
427:
426:
422:
412:
410:
401:
400:
396:
387:
385:
376:
375:
366:
359:
344:
343:
339:
330:
328:
319:
318:
311:
301:
299:
290:
289:
285:
280:
232:
191:
156:
133:
122:
116:
113:
70:
68:
47:
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
855:
853:
845:
844:
839:
834:
829:
824:
819:
817:Family murders
814:
809:
804:
799:
794:
789:
784:
774:
773:
768:
767:
749:
735:
720:
702:
682:
658:
644:
618:
604:
580:
549:
502:
476:
452:
438:
420:
394:
364:
357:
337:
309:
282:
281:
279:
276:
231:
230:Media coverage
228:
195:nursery school
190:
187:
155:
152:
144:life sentences
135:
134:
58:poorly sourced
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
854:
843:
840:
838:
835:
833:
830:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
803:
800:
798:
795:
793:
790:
788:
785:
783:
782:Living people
780:
779:
777:
763:
759:
753:
750:
745:
739:
736:
731:
724:
721:
716:
712:
706:
703:
692:
686:
683:
672:
668:
662:
659:
654:
648:
645:
632:
628:
622:
619:
614:
608:
605:
594:
593:masscases.com
590:
584:
581:
570:
568:
563:
556:
554:
550:
545:
532:
516:
512:
506:
503:
491:
487:
480:
477:
466:
462:
456:
453:
448:
442:
439:
434:
430:
424:
421:
409:
405:
398:
395:
383:
379:
373:
371:
369:
365:
360:
354:
350:
349:
341:
338:
326:
322:
316:
314:
310:
298:
294:
287:
284:
277:
275:
273:
269:
266:and it stars
265:
261:
256:
251:
249:
244:
242:
241:
237:
229:
227:
225:
221:
220:MCI - Norfolk
217:
213:
208:
205:
199:
196:
188:
186:
182:
178:
175:
173:
169:
165:
160:
153:
151:
149:
145:
141:
131:
128:
120:
117:December 2019
109:
106:
102:
99:
95:
92:
88:
85:
81:
78: –
77:
73:
72:Find sources:
66:
62:
59:
55:
51:
45:
44:
40:
35:
30:
21:
20:
761:
752:
738:
723:
714:
705:
694:. Retrieved
685:
674:. Retrieved
671:casetext.com
670:
661:
647:
635:. Retrieved
630:
621:
607:
596:. Retrieved
592:
583:
572:. Retrieved
565:
519:. Retrieved
514:
505:
493:. Retrieved
489:
479:
468:. Retrieved
464:
455:
441:
432:
423:
411:. Retrieved
407:
397:
386:. Retrieved
381:
347:
340:
329:. Retrieved
327:. 2019-03-05
324:
300:. Retrieved
296:
286:
259:
254:
252:
245:
238:
233:
209:
200:
192:
183:
179:
176:
161:
159:the abuse.
157:
139:
138:
123:
114:
104:
97:
90:
83:
71:
60:
43:verification
36:
787:1970 births
637:October 24,
495:October 24,
413:October 24,
348:Killer Kids
302:October 24,
776:Categories
696:2022-09-10
676:2024-01-24
653:"VINELink"
598:2021-05-25
574:2019-12-14
540:|url=
490:Lowell Sun
470:2024-08-03
465:Justia Law
408:Lowell Sun
388:2024-08-03
331:2019-12-14
278:References
154:Early life
87:newspapers
531:cite news
521:August 3,
168:Fitchburg
39:citations
325:masslive
258:Attic,"
172:dyslexia
65:libelous
542:value (
101:scholar
538:Check
355:
103:
96:
89:
82:
74:
108:JSTOR
94:books
32:This
639:2022
569:.org
567:WBUR
544:help
523:2024
497:2022
415:2022
353:ISBN
304:2022
270:and
204:Ayer
80:news
41:for
762:UPI
166:in
778::
760:.
713:.
669:.
629:.
591:.
564:.
552:^
535::
533:}}
529:{{
513:.
488:.
463:.
431:.
406:.
380:.
367:^
323:.
312:^
295:.
274:.
226:.
150:.
52:.
764:.
746:.
732:.
699:.
679:.
655:.
641:.
601:.
577:.
546:)
525:.
499:.
473:.
449:.
417:.
391:.
361:.
334:.
306:.
130:)
124:(
119:)
115:(
105:·
98:·
91:·
84:·
67:.
46:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.