Triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante, killed Priscilla Gustafson and her two young children but his kill-count could have been much higher.
When the 16-year-old Laplante took five people hostage at the Bowen household, he may have murdered all of them had young Tina Bowen not escaped and summoned the police. And when Frank Bowen spotted the would-be killer inside the same home, it was Officer Steve Bezanson that out-thought Daniel and found him in his supposedly-secure hiding place.
And a year later, when a warrant was issued for Laplate's arrest on murder charges, what might have been the outcome had Lynne McGovern not asked me to accompany her into her home where the clever and elusive fugitive was waiting for us. It may have been my partner's (Officer Ken Beers) presence that prevented Danny from trying to kill me with a shotgun and force Mrs. McGovern to drive him out of the area.
The kill-count in the Daniel Laplante saga ended up totaling 3, a mother and her two kids. It could have been much greater. A teenage girl, Tina Bowen, was the initial hero, and there were others. Look for a future article focused on basic survival.https://t.co/E3tqqE9Naa
— Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) July 23, 2022
Later the same day, when Pam Makela entered her home alone she found an armed Laplante waiting for her. What might have happened had she not jumped from the vehicle as she was forced at gunpoint to drive the killer from the area.
The lessons? As unlikely as it sounds, don't discount the fact that someone may be stalking you in your own home. The escape of two women (Tina and Pam) during two separate incidents were the only possible acts to save their lives, and most-likely the lives of countless others.
Never re-enter a home alone during a police manhunt and community lock-down. Lynne McGovern did the right thing. Pam Makela did not. In each case, the 1-in-a-100 shot that the killer might be in the home did not flip in favor of either woman. Given the chance, Lapante would have killed both - and possibly others if his escape succeeded.
Please read my story on the Laplante saga to yield more context to this article:
https://www.celticssentinel.com/2021/07/the-elm-street-nightmare.html
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