Jody Plauché talks movingly about his painful life experience. Along the way, he revisits the childhood trauma he endured and the violent act of revenge that his father, Gary Plauché, committed. At only ten years old, Jody went through a traumatic episode of sexual assault. His karate coach, Jeff Doucet, was the monster who committed this inconceivable violation. By 1984, the nightmare had come full circle when Gary Plauché gunned down Doucet at Baton Rouge airport. This truly shocking act happened before our eyes on live television, and Americans simply couldn’t believe it.
Why Gary Why?, the memoir by Jody Plauché, opens up that relationship between father and son. It exposes the deep impact Doucet’s actions have had on their lives. From his perspective, the story explores the feelings of being abused, seeking revenge, and eventually finding forgiveness.
Telling Jody’s story, a story of trauma, a lot of emotional turmoil, and love. Indentured under the pretense of mentorship, Doucet deceived him with other plans in mind. Doucet took Jody to the home of a distant relative in Port Arthur, Texas. Following their meeting, the two went on an epic adventure to Disneyland in Los Angeles. Ironically, their week in Los Angeles was capped by a dramatic finale. They were found in a South Carolina motel room after Jody’s mother received a collect call from him.
As news of Jody’s disappearance spread, Gary Plauché received a tip from a local news station about Doucet’s return to Louisiana. This made him extremely desperate to make a move on Doucet when she arrived at the Baton Rouge airport. Underneath those cameras was an intimidating Gary Plauché, waiting to confront his son’s abuser. He then shot Doucet point blank in the ear, killing him instantly. That horrifying event led to national discussions about vigilantism and the lengths parents will go to protect their children.
For his act of vigilante justice, Plauché was charged, but in the eyes of many, received little punishment. He ultimately accepted a plea deal in which he pleaded no contest to a charge of manslaughter and received only five years of probation, no prison time.
Looking back on these incidents years later, Jody said he felt torn about his father’s stance. “I didn’t want Jeff to die – I didn’t want daddy to kill Jeff,” he stated. But in time, he began to appreciate why his father had acted as he did. “I’m not mad at you no more. I can see why this would have happened to you,” he continued, marking the arrival at a path of forgiveness and understanding.
Jody Plauché had some excellent suggestions for parents who find themselves in the same place. He called upon them to focus on helping their daughters first, not revenge. “And what I would recommend [them] is just be present for your kid,” he said. He advocated for being able to make our way through these traumatic experiences without turning to violence.
Today, most consider Gary Plauché a hero for avenging his son’s abuse. Even as Jody did that, she understood how labels like that can be confusing and create feelings of shame. “They won’t comment: ‘That gumbo looks great,’” he remarked, “They’ll just be like: ‘Your dad’s a hero.’” This proclamation distills the tension between media narratives and public perception versus the realities of personal grief.
Jody Plauché pursued higher education after these traumatic events, earning a degree in general studies at Louisiana State University with minors in speech, communication, and psychology. His process of education variously signals an intellectual investment in making sense of his experience while trying to make sense of abuse on a bigger scale.
In the years since Gary Plauché’s death in 2014 at age 69, Jody has taken comfort from forgiveness. He credits some of this healing process to being able to witness the way his father and mother were going to rebuild their relationship after the shooting. “I forgave him after seeing Gary and my mom getting along really well,” he shared.
Jody Plauché continues to tell his story through his memoir and speaking engagements. He wants to bring visibility to child abuse and show that healing and understanding can take place within families affected by trauma.