Killer in the Walls: The Crimes of Daniel LaPlante

When Tina Bowen and her sister, Karen, began hearing knocking in the walls of their home in Pepperell, Massachusetts, the girls believed it was their recently deceased mother trying to reach out to them from beyond the grave. In time, however, the knocking became more intrusive and aggressive, and it was soon accompanied by objects being moved around the house and frightening messages left on the walls. After months of torment, the Bowens discovered that it wasn’t a ghost haunting their home, but sixteen-year-old Daniel LaPlante, a boy Tina had briefly dated and who’d become obsessed with her.

Daniel LaPlante was arrested and charged with various crimes, for which he was convicted and served a sentence in a juvenile detention center. Unfortunately, the court’s decision to try LaPlante as an adult meant that he was granted bail and after just one year in detention, he was bailed out and allowed to live with his mother pending trial. It turned out that brief period of freedom was all the time LaPlante needed to find a new object of his obsession and by the time the police learned of his violent intentions, it was already too late.

References

Campbell, Jerome. 2019. Mass. High Court Rejects Early Parole Petition For Man Convicted Of Murder In 1987. June 6. Accessed July 9, 2026. https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/06/06/daniel-laplante-parole-denied.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Daniel J. LaPlante. 1993. 416 Mass. 433 (Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, November 16).

Conteras, Cydney. 2023. Daniel LaPlante hid in walls before murdering pregnant woman and her children. July 28. Accessed July 7, 2026. https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/daniel-laplante-murder-priscilla-gustafson-family.

Crimaldi, Laura. 2017. "Doctor doubts killer's remorse." Boston Globe, March 23: B1.

Cullen, Kevin, and Jim Gomez. 1987. "LaPlante ordered to undergo tests." Boston Globe, December 5: 1.

Cullen, Kevin, Diego Ribadeneira, and Doris Wong. 1987. "Suspect in slayings is captured." Boston Globe, December 4: 1.

Cullen, Kevin, Richard Kindleberger, Paul Langer, Diane Lewis, Diego Ribadeneira, and Doris Wong. 1987. "A youth who sowed fear." Boston Globe, December 4: 1.

Lagner, Paul. 1988. "4 more letters given to judge in LaPlante murder case." Boston Globe, September 16: 82.

Lane, Tom. 2021. The Elm Street Nightmare. July 8. Accessed July 7, 2026. https://www.celticssentinel.com/2021/07/the-elm-street-nightmare.html.

Langner, Paul. 1988. "LaPlante convicted, gets life in 3 killings." Boston Globe, October 26: 1.

Ribadeneira, Diego, and Doris Wong. 1987. "Police seeking 17-year-old suspect for slayings of three in Townsend." Boston Globe, December 3: 1.

Ribadeneira, Diego, and Jim Gomez. 1987. "Two families shaken by close calls as suspect in murders roamed free." Boston Globe, December 5: 10.

2015. Your Worst Nightmare. Directed by Pat Rogers. Performed by Pat Rogers.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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