INFAMOUS: A Real Nightmare on Elm Street — A Killer In The Walls
For months, Frank Bowen’s daughters were convinced something was wrong inside their Pepperell, Massachusetts home. They heard footsteps where no one should have been, objects moved on their own, and an uneasiness settled over the house that no amount of logic could shake. Frank dismissed it as imagination — until one winter night in December 1986, the unimaginable happened.
An intruder emerged from the dark and took the Bowen family hostage inside their own home. When police arrived, the truth stunned everyone — the intruder wasn’t a stranger from far away, but a sixteen-year-old local boy named Daniel LaPlante, a resident of Elm Street in nearby Townsend, Massachusetts.
The Bowens survived that night, but the community couldn’t shake the story — the boy who had lived inside someone’s home, watching and tormenting them from the dark. After his arrest, LaPlante was released on bail, and for a brief moment, it seemed like the nightmare had ended. But what no one realized then was that the horrors had only just begun.
Over the following year, Daniel’s behavior would spiral into something far more sinister. His childhood trauma, isolation, and fixation on control would manifest in unthinkable ways. And by the next winter, another family — the Gustafsons — would pay the ultimate price.
TW: This episode includes disturbing content related to child abuse, psychological trauma, home invasion, hostage situations, and the murders of a mother and her two children. It also references stalking, sexual assault, and violent criminal behavior involving minors. Listener discretion is strongly advised.
Episode Source Material
Official Reports & Investigations
Pepperell Police Department. Criminal Investigation Report by Patrolman Peters: Complainant Frank Bowen. December 8, 1986.
Pepperell Police Department. Criminal Investigation Report by Patrolman Benzanson: Complainant Frank Bowen. December 10, 1986.
Pepperell Police Department. Summary by Lt. Thomas Lane: Conversation with Timothy Hoegen. November 24, 1987.
Pepperell Police Department. Incident Report by Sgt. Alan S. Davis: Victim – Pamela J. Makela. December 3, 1987.
Pepperell Police Department. Summary by Lt. Thomas Lane: Suspect – Daniel J. LaPlante. December 3, 1987.
Pepperell Police Department. Summary by Sgt. Alan S. Davis: Information Given by Johnathan H. Lang. December 3, 1987.
Lane, Lt. Thomas. The Elm Street Nightmare. July 8, 2021.
Articles & News Reports (1987–1993)
“Youth Sought in Triple Murder.” Associated Press, via The Transcript, December 3, 1987.
“Warrant Issued for 17-Year-Old in Triple Murder.” Associated Press, via Daily Hampshire Gazette, December 3, 1987.
“Suspect, 17, Captured After Triple Slaying.” United Press International, via The Berkshire Eagle, December 4, 1987.
Cullen, Kevin, et al. “A Youth Who Sowed Fear.” Boston Globe, December 4, 1987.
Cullen, Kevin, Diego Ribadeneira, and Doris Sue Wong. “Suspect in Slayings Is Captured.” Boston Globe, December 4, 1987.
“Alleged Slayer of Former Barrington Woman Arraigned.” United Press International, via The Berkshire Eagle, December 5, 1987.
“Psychiatric Tests Ordered for Townsend Murder Suspect.” Associated Press, via Athol Daily News, December 5, 1987.
“Funeral Held for Mother, Two Children.” Associated Press, via Daily Hampshire Gazette, December 7, 1987.
Cullen, Kevin. “Probe of Townsend Killings Focuses on Music Videos.” Boston Globe, December 7, 1987.
“Police View Music Videos for Clues to Triple Murder.” United Press International, via The Berkshire Eagle, December 8, 1987.
Cullen, Kevin. “LaPlante Attempted to Cover Up Rape of Victim, Investigators Say.” Boston Globe, December 8, 1987.
Bruun, Erik. “Triple Killing Renews Life of Juvenile-Jailing Measure.” Berkshire Eagle, December 11, 1987.
Gomez, Jim. “Police Search LaPlante Home a Second Time.” Boston Globe, December 12, 1987.
Gomez, Jim. “Judge Seals Evidence from Search in Murder Case.” Boston Globe, December 15, 1987.
Gomez, Jim. “LaPlante Lawyer Pleads for Help.” Boston Globe, December 23, 1987.
Gomez, Jim. “Reforms Are Urged for Juvenile Detention.” Boston Globe, December 28, 1987.
Murphy, Sean. “Court Orders Full Affidavit in Townsend Case Released.” Boston Globe, January 7, 1988.
Andrews, Andrew L., and Jim Gomez. “Probable Cause Hearing Set for Townsend Murder Suspect.” Boston Globe, January 9, 1988.
Howe, Peter, and Paul Hirshson. “LaPlante Is Indicted for Townsend Killings.” Boston Globe, January 13, 1988.
“LaPlante Weapon Is Reportedly Found.” Boston Globe, April 9, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Judge in LaPlante Murder Case Rules Youth Must Be Tried First on Four Charges.” Boston Globe, September 8, 1988.
“Youth to Stand Trial in Murders.” Associated Press, via The Transcript, September 9, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Trooper Describes Steps in Capture of Suspect in Townsend Killings.” Boston Globe, September 15, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Four More Letters Given to Judge in LaPlante Murder Case.” Boston Globe, September 16, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Prisoner Obtained Some Evidence Offered in Townsend Murder Trial.” Boston Globe, September 18, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “LaPlante Trial Testimony Places Key, Metal in Cell.” Boston Globe, September 20, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Trooper: LaPlante Seemed Nervous at Questioning.” Boston Globe, September 21, 1988.
“Ruling Set on Search of LaPlante’s Home.” Boston Globe, September 24, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Judge Agrees to Withhold Four Letters from LaPlante Murder Trial Jury.” Boston Globe, September 27, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “LaPlante Trial Jury Due to View Site of Killings.” Boston Globe, October 6, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Sites of Triple Slaying, Arrest Viewed by Jury in LaPlante Trial.” Boston Globe, October 7, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “LaPlante Jury Hears Girl, 9, Recall Screams.” Boston Globe, October 8, 1988.
“Father Testifies on Finding Family.” Associated Press, via The Transcript, October 10, 1988.
“LaPlante’s Brother Testifies in Murder Trial.” Associated Press, via The Recorder, October 12, 1988.
“Family Challenges Son’s Alibi.” Associated Press, via Daily Hampshire Gazette, October 13, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Man Testifies He Sold Bullets to LaPlante Before Killings.” Boston Globe, October 15, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Trooper Links Revolver to Townsend Killing.” Boston Globe, October 16, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Scene of Townsend Slayings Described at Trial.” Boston Globe, October 18, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Chemist Testifies at LaPlante Trial.” Boston Globe, October 19, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “LaPlante Lawyer Raises Question of Insanity.” Boston Globe, October 20, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “LaPlante Murder Trial Lawyers Rest Their Cases.” Boston Globe, October 22, 1988.
“Jury Deliberates in LaPlante Murder Trial.” Associated Press, via The Recorder, October 25, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “LaPlante Convicted, Gets Life in Three Killings.” Boston Globe, October 26, 1988.
Langer, Paul. “Judge Releases Impounded Jail Letters.” Boston Globe, October 26, 1988.
“LaPlante Placed in Isolation Unit.” United Press International, via Boston Globe, December 10, 1988.
“Convicted Triple-Murderer Will Appeal.” The Recorder, July 27, 1992.
Nealon, Patricia. “LaPlante Murder Conviction Is Upheld.” Boston Globe, November 17, 1993.
Articles & News Reports (2017–2019)
Crimaldi, Laura. “Slayer of Three Seeking Parole.” Boston Globe, March 16, 2017.
Crimaldi, Laura. “Doctor Doubts Killer’s Remorse.” Boston Globe, March 23, 2017.
Crimaldi, Laura. “Judge Says Man Who Killed Three Must Serve at Least 45 Years.” Boston Globe, March 24, 2017.
Crimaldi, Laura. “Killer of Mom, Two Kids Seeks Earlier Parole Bid.” Boston Globe, March 5, 2019.
Salsberg, Bob. “Man Convicted of Killing Woman, Two Young Kids Appeals Sentence.” Athol Daily News, March 6, 2019.
Ellement, John R. “Man Convicted of Three Murders at 17 Will Stay in Prison.” Boston Globe, June 7, 2019.
Documentaries & VideoS
Hiding in Our Home. Lifetime Television, Season 1, Episode 1, 2023.
Murder on Elm Street: Killer in the Walls. HBO Max / Investigation Discovery, 2022.
Websites & Online Sources
Oxygen. “Daniel LaPlante: The Boy Who Lived in the Walls.” Oxygen True Crime, accessed 2025. https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/daniel-laplante-murder-priscilla-gustafson-family
Wikipedia. “Daniel LaPlante.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, last modified 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_LaPlante
Research Notes & Archival Acknowledgment
Archival materials were referenced from the Pepperell and Townsend Police Department case files, along with original court documents and contemporaneous newspaper reporting from 1987–1988. Supplementary research includes televised documentaries, public databases, and verified online archives.
