Sisters Thought ‘Ghost’ Was Living In Their House But Discovered It Was Something Much More Sinister

In 1986, two sisters reported that they had a 'ghost' living in their home. However, the truth turned out to be much scarier than any ghost story.

Haunted houses are a staple in horror movies for a reason. The idea of having a paranormal entity as a housemate is terrifying for most people.

But what if the reality was even more sinister than sharing your home with a ghost? This revelation is sure to make you sleep with the lights on.

In 1986, Tina and Karen Bowen began to notice some very strange things happening in their Massachusetts home.

Items were being mysteriously rearranged, milk was consumed without explanation, and they found creepy messages written on the walls in ketchup.

The sisters were convinced that their house was haunted.

Daniel LaPlante had been hiding in the walls of the Bowen family's house for almost a year when he was found Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

When they told their father Frank about the bizarre occurrences, he dismissed them, thinking it was just pranks the girls were playing on each other.

Then, one day in December of that year, the family came home to a particularly disturbing scene: someone had used their toilet.

Frank decided to search the house thoroughly. During his search, he discovered Tina's 16-year-old schoolmate, Daniel LaPlante, hiding in a wardrobe.

Tina and Daniel had previously gone on a date, but after she decided to end things, he became obsessed with her and found a way to gain access to their home.

Joe Turner, who wrote a book about LaPlante titled *The Boy in the Walls*, shared some chilling insights with the Daily Star.

He said, "When Danny first started living in their home, he was basically using it as a hiding place to watch Tina. But over time, he began to relish the fact he could terrify this family.

His actions got more bizarre as time went on, and at one point they discovered a bathtub full of urine and a trail of pennies scattered over the floor."

When LaPlante was finally discovered, almost a year after he started tormenting the family, he had painted his face.

He was wearing a Native American-style jacket and a ninja mask, and he was holding a hatchet.

He went on to murder three people before facing life in prison Mark Wilson/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

LaPlante locked the family in a bedroom, but Tina managed to escape through a window and contact the police.

By the time the police arrived, LaPlante had vanished. He was later found hiding in a wall cavity in the cellar and was arrested.

But this was not the end of his terrifying crimes.

While awaiting trial, LaPlante went on a burglary spree, including breaking into the home of the Gustafson family on November 16, 1987.

Two weeks later, he returned to the Gustafson home, armed with a gun.

ATI reports that he didn’t expect anyone to be home, but when he encountered 33-year-old Priscilla Gustafson, he raped her and shot her twice in the head. 

He also drowned her two children, William and Abigail.

In October 1988, LaPlante was convicted of the murders of the Gustafson family and was given three life sentences.

He appealed for a reduced sentence in 2017, but his appeal was denied because the judge didn't believe he was remorseful for his horrendous crimes.