Man whose dad killed his rapist on TV and walked away free opens up about the incident
ArchiveFirst published April 27, 2025. It may not reflect later developments.
Jody Plauché, the boy whose father killed his rapist on live TV, has opened up about the emotional aftermath. At just 11 years old, Jody was groomed and abused by his karate teacher, Jeff Doucet, throughout 1983. In a desperate act, Doucet kidnapped Jody, driving him nearly 2,000 miles before police rescued the boy.
When Doucet was extradited back to Louisiana, Jody’s father, Gary Plauché, shot him at point-blank range at the Baton Rouge airport — a moment caught on live TV. “If it were your child, you would’ve done the same thing too,” Gary told police.
Although Gary became a national hero, Jody felt conflicted, saying, “At first I was upset with what my father did… I just wanted Jeff to stop, not necessarily dead.” He later added, “Jeff would’ve likely gone to prison for the rest of his life, but Daddy gave him the easy way out.”
Today, Jody emphasizes healing over revenge, sharing his story in his book Why Gary Why?
