Road to Ruin

Summary

Fear Thy Neighbor: Episode Summary – "Road to Ruin"

Release Date: June 9, 2025
Host: ID
Podcast: Fear Thy Neighbor

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Introduction to Loomis, California

The episode "Road to Ruin" delves into a seemingly idyllic neighborhood in Loomis, a small town on the outskirts of Sacramento, California. Known for its close-knit community and picturesque surroundings, Loomis epitomizes the American dream of peaceful suburban living.

Narrator: "Most violent crimes that capture the public's imagination are about serial killers, mass shooters, crimes of passion, or clashes among underworld figures. Yet some of the most shocking and deadly conflicts we encounter are between everyday neighbors in ordinary neighborhoods."

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Arrival of Lawrence Vaccara

The tranquility of Loomis is disrupted with the arrival of Lawrence Vaccara, a businessman and developer who purchases the large, empty two-story brick home at the end of the quiet dead-end street. Initially welcomed warmly by his neighbors, Lawrence quickly reveals his ambitious plans to develop the neighborhood.

Lawrence Vaccara [06:06]: "Hey, welcome to the neighborhood."

Joe Carr [06:57]: "When I first met him, he had a real friendly side to him."

Lawrence's intention to build five new houses ignites tension among the residents, particularly Gary Bordes and Marianne Stein, a hardworking couple who have lived across the street for years.

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Escalation of Tensions

As construction begins, the neighborhood experiences significant disruptions. The noise from heavy machinery and the use of Boone Lane—a road the neighbors believed to be private—by Lawrence's construction vehicles become sources of contention.

Gary Bordes [10:09]: "Call me Cutter. You're up early."

A confrontation between Gary (referred to by his son, Donnie Carr, as "Cutter") and Lawrence marks the beginning of their feud.

Gary Bordes [10:27]: "This is not your road, okay? This is public access."

Donnie Carr [12:40]: "You know, I didn't think I was going to have an issue with you two, but if you want a problem, I'll give you one."

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Attempts at Resolution Fail

Gary and Marianne attempt to ease tensions by offering Lawrence a gesture of goodwill—a cup of coffee. However, Lawrence demands that the construction traffic find an alternative route, refusing to accommodate the neighbors' concerns.

Lawrence Vaccara [12:05]: "So we're gonna need you to take your trucks through a different route to the construction site."

Donnie Carr [12:13]: "Do you have any idea how much that would cost me? No, but listen, it's not gonna happen, okay?"

The police are called to mediate, but their intervention offers no real solution, leaving the neighbors to fend for themselves.

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Physical Altercations and Escalation

Frustration mounts as Lawrence continues to assert his dominance, leading to several physical confrontations:

1. Blocking Boone Lane:

   • Gary installs fence poles to prevent Lawrence's construction vehicles from using Boone Lane.
   • Lawrence retaliates by destroying the poles with a sledgehammer.

2. Confrontation with Marianne:

   • Lawrence verbally abuses Marianne while she stands her ground.

3. Involvement of Keith:

   • An encounter with Keith, an older neighbor in a wheelchair, introduces another layer of intimidation.

Donnie Carr [22:37]: "Screw you. Listen to me, old man."

As weapons enter the dispute, the potential for violence becomes palpable.

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Climactic Confrontation and Tragedy

The feud reaches its tragic peak on September 8, 2005. After a series of provocations, Lawrence attempts to force Gary onto the street with his truck, leading Gary to pull out a handgun in self-defense.

Lawrence Vaccara [32:25]: "I've had enough of him."

In the ensuing chaos, Marianne is struck by Lawrence's truck and later choked. Gary fires multiple shots, resulting in Lawrence's death. The community is left in shock as investigations reveal inconsistencies in the neighbors' accounts.

Penny Usher [34:24]: "Gary ended up being charged with first-degree murder along with a host of weapons violations."

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Aftermath and Legal Proceedings

The aftermath of the confrontation sees Gary Bordes sentenced to 56 years to life in prison for first-degree murder, while Marianne Stein faces charges as an accessory after the fact, serving 16 months. The tragic events leave lasting scars on the Loomis community.

Joe Carr [38:08]: "If Cutter would have been more of a human being. The neighbors would have worked with him. They really would have worked with him to try to make everything work out. But he didn't want to work with him."

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Community Reflection and Lessons Learned

The episode concludes with reflections from the community members, highlighting the importance of maintaining good relationships with neighbors and the dire consequences that can arise from unresolved conflicts.

Deborah Mendocino [38:32]: "Nobody deserves to be murdered. It's too bad that he couldn't have just been, you know, eventually just put in jail for being the threatening man that he was."

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Conclusion

"Road to Ruin" serves as a sobering reminder of how minor disagreements can escalate into life-altering tragedies. Through the lens of Loomis, California, the episode explores themes of community, conflict, and the fragile nature of neighborly relations.

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Notable Quotes:

• Gary Bordes [10:27]: "This is not your road, okay? This is public access."
• Donnie Carr [22:37]: "Screw you. Listen to me, old man."
• Donnie Carr [31:37]: "So tired of this, you little bitch."

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Key Takeaways:

1. Importance of Communication: Open and respectful dialogue can prevent misunderstandings from escalating into conflicts.
2. Impact of External Forces: New developments and changes in a community can strain existing relationships.
3. Consequences of Escalation: Unresolved disputes can lead to tragic outcomes, affecting the entire community.

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Production Credits:

• Produced by: Cream Productions in association with Fremantle Media and ID.
• Available on: Mac’s Discovery and ID.

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This episode underscores the delicate balance within communities and the catastrophic results that can occur when that balance is disrupted. "Road to Ruin" is a poignant exploration of how fear and mistrust can transform neighbors into adversaries, leading to irreversible consequences.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Lawrence Vaccara]

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[Gary Bordes]

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[Lawrence Vaccara]

Is de the thing that drives me every day as a dad is Dariona. We call him Dae Date for short. Every day he's hungry for something, whether it's attention, affection, knowledge. And there's this huge responsibility in making sure that when he's no longer under my wing that he's a good person. I want him to be able to sit back one day and go, we worked together. We did a good job.

[Narrator]

That's dedication. Find out [e-mail] Brought to you by the U.S. department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council Most violent crimes that capture the public's imagination are about serial killers, mass shooters, crimes of passion, or clashes among underworld figures. Yet some of the most shocking and deadly conflicts we encounter are between everyday neighbors in ordinary neighborhoods. Their seemingly minor quibbles escalate until violence erupts and it impacts an entire community. What makes a good neighbor go bad? We may never truly know, but heed this warning about the terrible things that can happen when even the pettiest disagreements pass the point of no return and good neighbors become worst enemies. How can you sleep at night when the person you fear or hate the most lives right next door? We're on the outskirts of a small town in central California. Sleepy and picturesque, it's the type of neighborhood many Americans dream of living in, with acres of rolling orchards and stunning agricultural gardens. The residents here have known each other for years, and everyone gets along extremely well. But then a new neighbor Buys the house at the end of a quiet dead end street, a property that includes most of the land surrounding the other homes. Initially, he's welcomed to the neighborhood with open arms. But when he reveals his big plans for it, a bitter feud heats up. A feud that leads to brutal violence and a conspiracy to cover up a deadly crime. This is fear thy neighbor road to ruin. Just on the outskirts of Sacramento, California, you'll find the sleepy enclave of Loomis. It's the type of place where everyone knows everyone. A sentiment that's reflected in the town motto, which states, a small town is like a big family. Penny Usher is a local journalist in the community.

[Penny Usher]

Loomis is just a teeny, tiny rural area. There's roughly like less than 7,000 people there to this day.

[Marianne Stein]

It's really a small community and everybody knew everybody and it's a great place to live, great place to grow up.

[Narrator]

That's Donny Carr. He grew up on the same street at the center of this story. The street is small and comes to an abrupt end against a lush green field. The homes are of a moderate size and they sit nicely spaced out on large lots. Since the street borders the edge of sprawling countryside, there are no backyard neighbors, allowing for ample peace and privacy. Donnie counts himself lucky to be living in such a serene area, as do his neighbors, Marianne Stein and Gary Bordes. Marianne and Gary are both school bus drivers. They're in their 40s and have been together for years. They're a down to earth, hardworking couple who believe that if you work hard, good things will come your way. They've spent the past few years in a modest two story house just across the road from where Donnie grew up.

[Joe Carr]

They'd been there quite a few years and so everyone got along with them really fine.

[Narrator]

That's Donnie's father, Joe Carr. He raised his son across the street from the couple.

[Joe Carr]

None of our neighbors had any problems with each other at all. Something happened. They always tried to help pitch in and everything like that. You know, try to help out.

[Narrator]

Good day for yard work, isn't it?

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Is any day a good day for yard work?

[Narrator]

Good point. Need a hand, Keith? Next door to the cars lives Keith. He's one of the older residents and nowadays he's confined to a wheelchair. But that doesn't hold him back. In fact, nothing does. He has no problem getting around without assistance. No, I've done this before, but thanks. So now we've met all the neighbors on this quiet street. But there's one more house, a two story brick home that sat empty for some time. It's much bigger than the others on the street and sits on a large lot right where the road ends. The original owners have long since moved away, and it's been up for sale for quite some time. But not anymore. Lawrence Vaccara has just purchased the large property. He is Also in his 40s, a businessman and a bachelor with a big personality. And since it's been years since anyone new has come to the street, the neighbors are naturally curious.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Hey, welcome to the neighborhood.

[Narrator]

I'm Marianne, this is Gary, and we live right there. Joe.

[Donnie Carr]

I live just across the way, Lawrence, but my friends call me Cutter.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Well, I guess we'll call you Cutter.

[Narrator]

Here's Joe again.

[Joe Carr]

When I first met him, he had a real friendly side to him.

[Narrator]

With a warm welcome from his new neighbors, Lawrence is excited to move into his new home. And not only is his house massive, the property it sits on is also enormous. In addition to the sprawling acreage at the end of the street, his land also stretches around and behind the other houses. Now, most of the lush greenery the neighbors are in love with falls within Lawrence's property lines.

[Marianne Stein]

And it was beautiful property, covered with trees. This beautiful property.

[Narrator]

Lawrence has big plans for that beautiful property. Plans his neighbors are about to discover. A few days after he finishes moving in, Gary and Marianne see him outside on the road, standing beside his parked truck. He has a large surveyor's map in his hands and he's scrutinizing the land around him. They can't help but be curious.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

What's this?

[Narrator]

Lawrence unfurls the large map on the back of his truck and shows his plans to his new neighbors. The map includes all the homes on the street and the wooded lot surrounding them.

[Donnie Carr]

The future. Let me show you. This is your house, and this little gravel road cuts across your yard.

[Narrator]

Boone Lane. Yeah. Boone Lane is an access road that leads from the street they all share to the woods behind the homes. It cuts directly across Gary and Marianne's property and into the lush greenery behind them.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Oh, yeah, that's us.

[Donnie Carr]

This is my place.

[Narrator]

Lawrence is about to reveal his master plan. He uses his finger to trace all the land bordering the rest of the homes on the street.

[Donnie Carr]

Building five houses, permits you go through in no time.

[Narrator]

Marianne and Gary look on in stunned horror as they realize their new neighbor didn't just purchase the property as a home for himself. It turns out he's a developer and he has big plans for the quiet street. Five houses. That's a lot, isn't it? Deborah? Mendocino is a friend of Mary Ann's. She understands how news like this would be unsettling for a community that's gotten used to the peaceful serenity of the.

[Deborah Mendocino]

In these small towns, you know, we don't want all these apartments or big subdivisions or anything like that. They like their, their country atmosphere. They like, you know, living on that back road.

[Narrator]

Sensing trepidation, Lawrence is quick to frame his proposed changes as something positive for the street.

[Donnie Carr]

These houses will be beautiful, trust me. I only build the best for the best. Plus should help our property values if we upscale the area a little bit.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

True.

[Narrator]

Here's journalist Penny Usher again.

[Penny Usher]

I guess he was hoping that that would be appealing to the neighbors. Initially, Gary was interested in like, well, maybe this is going to raise my property values. Maybe this can be a good thing. I'm going to give it a chance and see what happens.

[Narrator]

Like the rest of the neighbors on the street, Gary and Marianne are willing to wait and see what happens. After all, the idea of their property values going up is a good thing in the long run, right? But a few weeks later, when the trucks start rolling in, they learn just how disruptive Lawrence's plans are.

[Penny Usher]

That's going to create dust, it's going to create a tremendous amount of noise. I mean, there'd be hammering and all kinds of noise at all hours.

[Narrator]

And the noise isn't the only problem. In order to access the building site, Lawrence has to use Boone Lane, a thoroughfare Gary and Marianne consider to be their own private road. Emphasis on the word private. They didn't expect for Lawrence to use it as a major artery for running heavy equipment past their house, nor did they agree to it. So Gary decides to have a friendly word with his new neighbor, Lawrence.

[Donnie Carr]

Call me Cutter. You're up early.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

You didn't say anything about cutting across my property.

[Narrator]

Whoa, whoa. And this is where the feud begins. Because as far as Lawrence is concerned, Boone Lane isn't a private road. He believes it's public, and to him that means he can use it anytime he wants to.

[Donnie Carr]

This is not your road, okay? This is public access.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Nah. Uh huh. I can't have this every day, not across my land.

[Donnie Carr]

I'm sorry, but it's the only way in. Remember, we talked about this will all be worth it.

[Narrator]

They talked about it in theory, but now that it's happening, Gary isn't so sure it's what he wants anymore. Here's journalist Penny Usher.

[Penny Usher]

So I think that's where Gary kind of changed his mind and said, I don't think this is a good idea, and Mary Ann didn't think it was a good idea. From the beginning, Gary and Mary Ann worked hard to save up enough money for their home. It's not a palatial mansion. It's a modest home. Literally, their way of life would have been disrupted.

[Narrator]

As construction continues, the disruption intensifies. The noise becomes unbearable. Every morning, before they are even fully awake, the heavy trucks come rolling past their windows. It's the exact opposite of the peace and quiet Gary and Marianne are accustomed to. Here's Joe Carr again. He watched from his house across the road as Gary's frustration grew.

[Joe Carr]

Cutter didn't have no right to use part of that private road, but he kept using it anyway. Like, I could do what I want to do, you know, tough. And that's what his big problem was.

[Narrator]

Gary and Marianne have an idea they hope will ease any tension between the neighbors. Early one morning, about a week after construction began, Gary walks over to Lawrence's site and offers him an olive branch in the form of a cup of joe.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Hey, I bought you a cup of coffee.

[Donnie Carr]

Ooh, that's the ticket. Thanks.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Hey, listen, can we talk?

[Deborah Mendocino]

Hmm?

[Donnie Carr]

What's on your mind?

[Lawrence Vaccara]

So we're gonna need you to take your trucks through a different route to the construction site.

[Donnie Carr]

Excuse me?

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Yeah, I mean, can't you build a track through your property so you don't have to cut across mine?

[Donnie Carr]

Do you have any idea how much that would cost me? No, but listen, it's not gonna happen, okay? This is a public road. Means I have access to it. Doesn't matter that it cuts across your yard.

[Penny Usher]

I think this shows a bit of arrogance on Cutter's part that I'm going to do what I want regardless of how you feel.

[Narrator]

Lawrence isn't open to any idea but his own.

[Donnie Carr]

You know, I didn't think I was going to have an issue with you two, but if you want a problem, I'll give you one.

[Narrator]

Suddenly, Gary sees a whole new side to his once friendly neighbor Donnie. And Joe, tell us what happened next.

[Joe Carr]

That's what the squabble ended up in. Right out in the middle of the property one day. They were kind of nose to nose.

[Marianne Stein]

You know, if he's threatening to do something, maybe he will follow through on it one day. You know, he was full of plenty of threats.

[Donnie Carr]

Seriously, I eat people like you for breakfast. Thanks for the coffee.

[Narrator]

So much for peace. If anything, Gary's gesture seems to have made a bad situation worse. Penny Usher explains.

[Penny Usher]

I'm of the opinion he wouldn't fight. He would do anything he needed to to get his way.

[Narrator]

Gary and Marianne won't stand by and watch their way of life be destroyed. They came to this neighborhood for peace and quiet, and besides, they were here first. So they turn to the authorities for help. When police show up, the feuding households are ready to argue their cases.

[Donnie Carr]

Boone Lane is a public access road. I have every right to use it. Except this idiot has no right to drive around my land just to tick me off.

[Narrator]

Driving us nuts.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

He's been harassing us.

[Narrator]

The police let them air out their grievances but offer no solution, only simple advice.

[Gary Bordes]

You made your points. Now you need to learn how to get along.

[Deborah Mendocino]

The police were out there and, you know, they pretty much calmed everybody down. Let everybody go, and they proceeded their own way.

[Penny Usher]

They said, everybody, go your separate ways, take a breath and calm down.

[Narrator]

But no one calms down. Far from it. In fact, annoyances from either side of the fence are about to reach astronomical levels. Because as the construction continues, the noise level escalates. And as the noise level rises, so does the tension.

[Gary Bordes]

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[Lawrence Vaccara]

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[Gary Bordes]

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[Lawrence Vaccara]

The thing that drives me every day as a dad is Dariona. We call him day Date for short. Every day he's hungry for something, whether it's attention, affection, knowledge. And there's this huge responsibility in that when he's no longer under my wing that he's a good person. I want him to be able to sit back one day and go, we worked together. We did a good job.

[Narrator]

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[Gary Bordes]

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[Narrator]

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[Gary Bordes]

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[Deborah Mendocino]

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[Narrator]

Each time a pickup truck or any other piece of heavy machinery drives across his front lawn, Gary's anger ramps up. So he decides to take matters into his own hands.

[Penny Usher]

Gary decided at some point that he needed to impede the construction traffic.

[Narrator]

Late one night, after all the workers have left, Gary installs fence poles across Boone Lane.

[Penny Usher]

There is still room for passage of a vehicle like a car, but the heavy equipment would not be able to fit through that space.

[Narrator]

When Lawrence drives up to the site the next day, day, he finds all the construction vehicles lined up at a standstill. Construction has come to a halt, and in this business, time is money. Lawrence isn't about to lose any of either. He calmly goes to the back of his truck, pulls out a large sledgehammer, and unleashes hell on the fence poles. In a rage that shocks his neighbors, he smashes them to bits.

[Marianne Stein]

And the guy was stuck so out of control. He was like a madman.

[Donnie Carr]

Clean this mess up and get back to work.

[Deborah Mendocino]

He did a pretty good job of acting like he was a really, you know, normal kind of a person, but he wasn't. He just. He was not.

[Narrator]

Now that the fence posts are dealt with, Lawrence marches over to deal with his neighbors. He finds Gary's wife, Marianne, working in the front yard. Until now, all of Lawrence's interactions have been with Gary, so he has no idea what he's in for with Mary Ann.

[Donnie Carr]

Go get Gary, you dumb hick.

[Narrator]

Don't talk to me like that. You're costing me money.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Get off my property.

[Narrator]

Donny Carr didn't witness the interaction, but like everyone on the quiet street, he sure heard about it.

[Marianne Stein]

I'm sure he didn't like her standing up to him at all, but apparently she had no problem doing it.

[Narrator]

Lawrence is not used to anyone talking back to him. Marianne's close friend Deborah explains just how much Lawrence let the interaction get under his skin.

[Deborah Mendocino]

He was really very furious. He was not a happy camper at all. She doesn't deserve to have anybody disrespect her with the way that this Lawrence.

[Marianne Stein]

Person treated her, because you never know what this guy's gonna do.

[Narrator]

Once again, Maryanne turns to the authorities for help. Journalist Penny Usher tells us what happened when the police showed up.

[Penny Usher]

This time again, there were no witnesses, so not much can be done about it.

[Narrator]

Lawrence denies Maryann's accusations of harassment and claims she made the whole thing up even more. He begins framing the interaction as more conspiratorial, as though the whole neighborhood is out to get him.

[Joe Carr]

But when the cops showed up, everyone was picking on him. You know, all I'm trying to do is develop my property, and they're picking on me. They're creating problems for me. Poor me.

[Narrator]

Once again, the police are unable to resolve the matter, and so the neighbors are left to fight their own battles.

[Marianne Stein]

He pushed and pushed, you know, he pushed every day, you know, and apparently he found where the breaking point was.

[Narrator]

Somebody's going to get hurt.

[Donnie Carr]

This isn't over.

[Narrator]

Screw you all out. War is brewing in this once quiet little town just outside of Sacramento. Donny Carr recalls watching as Lawrence's development.

[Marianne Stein]

Changed the neighborhood and his beautiful property covered with trees. Next thing you know, you know, these guys come in, they destroyed the property completely, cut down all the trees, you know, turned it into a moonscape.

[Narrator]

Desperate to get Lawrence to stop using Boone Lane, Gary turns to Donnie's son, Joe Carr, for advice. After all, he understands how things like this work in the county.

[Joe Carr]

I used to work for Sacramento county in engineering. So Gary would ask me, can they do this, can they do that?

[Lawrence Vaccara]

If he's got a permit, you're out of luck.

[Joe Carr]

As long as the zoning is there and the city goes along with it. Hey, you can't do nothing.

[Narrator]

Joe offers a very simple solution. Take him to court. Gary follows Joe's advice and takes Lawrence to court. After months of constant noise, frustration, and disappointment, he and Marianne hope against all odds, that the court will rule in their favor. And to their delight, it does, sort of. It turns out that Boone Lane is in fact a public access to road. But that doesn't mean just anyone can use it. Heavy construction vehicles are not allowed.

[Marianne Stein]

And the judge said, from what I understand, told Cutter to stay off of Boone Lane.

[Narrator]

The news doesn't go over well with Lawrence. The neighbors fear this isn't the end of the war, just the beginning of a new battle. Here's journalist Penny Usher again.

[Penny Usher]

That pit bull, that tenacity that he has, learns he would fight, he would do anything he needed to to get his way.

[Narrator]

If he can't cut across Gary and Marianne's property to finish the job, he's going to have to carve a different path. And he decides to carve it through Joe Carr's yard. Joe is not having it.

[Donnie Carr]

It's a nice shed. Shame's gotta come down.

[Narrator]

What are you talking about?

[Donnie Carr]

I'm putting a road right through here.

[Joe Carr]

What he started in trying to bully people over the property line.

[Narrator]

Lawrence is about to find the rest of the neighbors are ready to put up a fight as well. Do you know how long I've lived here?

[Donnie Carr]

I know it's mine whether you take it down or I will.

[Joe Carr]

He'd fluff up and try to be threatening, you know, and whatnot like that.

[Narrator]

You can't tell me what to do. I'm not one of your workers.

[Joe Carr]

When he wanted to do something, he didn't get his way, he started getting frustrated. And when he started getting frustrated, then he started getting threatening.

[Narrator]

Here's Joe's son, Donnie again.

[Marianne Stein]

My dad really did good, played it cool. For a guy that can be hot headed, you know, I was really concerned that me and my dad would, you know, actually wind up knocking him out.

[Narrator]

If Lawrence can't go through the car's property, there's always Keith's, the older man who lives at the top of the street and uses a wheelchair. To Lawrence, he poses little threat, but he's about to find out. Because I'm old, you think I'm a pushover, huh?

[Donnie Carr]

Screw you. Listen to me, old man.

[Narrator]

What the hell with you? Over my dead body.

[Donnie Carr]

Yeah, well, that won't take long.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Hey, enough.

[Donnie Carr]

This isn't over. I will own all of you. I'll put you in the ground if I have to. Do you understand me? Mark my words.

[Narrator]

Lawrence now believes the whole neighborhood has united against him and is working to sink his home building venture. Desperate to get his way, he decides to turn up the pressure on the couple that started it all, Gary and Mary Ann.

[Joe Carr]

In his mind, he figured he could dominate all, get what he wanted.

[Narrator]

Lawrence decides to shift tactics and find a new way to gain the upper hand. And it's a dangerous one. Late one night, while Gary and Marianne are asleep, a banging sound startles them awake. What was that? Gary looks outside the window and sees Lawrence pacing around the property, smacking the sides of their house with a hammer, making noise and looking for a fight. While it's an alarming escalation to the ongoing dispute. Some believe there is a method to his madness.

[Marianne Stein]

I think he was trying to get Gary to react. If Gary maybe would assault him and he could sue him or, you know, something like that.

[Narrator]

But Lawrence should know better. Gary is ready to protect himself and his property. In fact, he's armed and ready.

[Joe Carr]

A lot of the people in our area do carry guns, but you don't know who because nobody says anything.

[Narrator]

But the bus driver doesn't just own one gun. He has a full arsenal of firearms.

[Penny Usher]

Gary had a cache of weapons. I think there was at least two machine guns, just countless assault rifles and weapons.

[Narrator]

Gary pulls out the most convenient one in arm's reach. A handgun. He makes sure it's loaded and then marches outside.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Where are you, you son of a bitch? Where are you?

[Narrator]

Lawrence is nowhere in sight. Whether he saw Gary with the gun and retreated, or if he was simply watching from the shadows to see how far he could push his neighbor, we'll never know. Either way, Gary goes back inside and closes the door. But the feud has been taken to a whole new level.

[Gary Bordes]

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[Narrator]

Breaking up is never easy, but saying.

[Donnie Carr]

Goodbye to your old clunky work tools, well, that's easy.

[Narrator]

Just repeat after me. It's not me, it's definitely you, you rigid, unfriendly software. It's time to freshen Things up with Monday.com the first work platform you'll love to use with ST dashboards, customizable templates, and built in AI that actually works. Switching to a new work platform has never felt this good.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

So move on to Monday.com Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront.

[Gary Bordes]

Payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] when the Moore family ditched cable Internet and switched to Siddly Fiber, they got so much more. Mr. Moore got more upload speed for next level gaming and live streaming to the masses. With reliable service, Mrs. Moore is no longer her family's IT guru, leaving her more time to stream games into overtime. Let's go. And young Mason Moore got more done quickly uploading HD product demos and video conferencing without FreeSync.

[Deborah Mendocino]

The numbers look good. Brad, you're on mute.

[Gary Bordes]

Switch from cable Internet to ziply fiber and get more of what you love for $65 less per month than cable@ziply fiverr.com.

[Narrator]

Now that weapons have entered the mix, neighbors on the otherwise quiet street can feel the threat of violence in the air. Deborah explains what this period was like for her close friend Marianne.

[Deborah Mendocino]

There was always something threatening. It was always something terrorizing. She was very afraid of this Lawrence.

[Narrator]

The next morning, Lawrence continues to provoke his neighbors. Now what?

[Marianne Stein]

So he was going back down Boone Lane and harassing Gary. And I guess he's spinning his tires a lot and stirring up dust and just harassing him.

[Deborah Mendocino]

Obviously he was a man that when he wanted something, he was just going to harass you until he got it.

[Narrator]

And if what Lawrence wants is a fight, he's going to get one. Gary runs out of the house and into the street. He positions himself in the middle of the road and stands his ground as Lawrence speeds towards him. That's it, Gary, get back here. Lawrence hits the brakes and his truck skids to a halt. He only misses Gary by a matter of inches. As Gary strides home, he feels almost a sense of satisfaction. But all Marianne feels is rage. He could have killed you.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

But he didn't.

[Narrator]

Are you nuts? Why would you do a thing like that?

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Because now we got him.

[Narrator]

Gary thinks he has what he needs to get rid of Lawrence for good. He calls the police, claiming his neighbor attempted to kill him.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

He tried to run me over with.

[Donnie Carr]

His I forgot something at the site, so I turned around and this moron jumped in front of my car.

[Narrator]

He's been harassing us.

[Donnie Carr]

Listen up, because we're not going to say this again. You guys need to figure your issues out.

[Joe Carr]

The only thing I heard the cops say is, told Gary, you go around the other way and tow the cutter. You go the other way and we're getting tired of coming out here.

[Narrator]

Gary's tactic didn't give him the outcome he was hoping for. Not only that, but it's starting to cause tension between Gary and Marianne. Was it worth it?

[Lawrence Vaccara]

What do you mean?

[Narrator]

You're not making things easier, you know, you need to calm down.

[Gary Bordes]

You're just making things worse.

[Narrator]

Seriously, I've had enough of it. As summer comes to a close, the feud is about to reach a peak no one could predict. It's September 8, 2005, and Marianne is out running errands when she bumps into her close friend Deborah Mendocino. Something wrong? Everything. I think I've had it. I've reached my limit.

[Gary Bordes]

You want some company?

[Narrator]

You want to come over for a cup of tea? Sure. Thanks.

[Deborah Mendocino]

That particular day, Marianne wanted me to come over.

[Narrator]

Deborah follows Marianne home in her own car. As they turn onto their street, Deborah sees an unusual sight. Gary is on the road using orange cones to create a maze down the center of it. What are you doing?

[Lawrence Vaccara]

This is gonna slow him down.

[Penny Usher]

Gary decided he wanted to, once again, kind of impede Lawrence's ability to access the property he purchased. So he put down some orange, comes to Deborah.

[Narrator]

It's a rather childish sight, seeing a grown man playing this petty game with orange cones in the middle of a residential street. But that's not the only thing Gary has up his sleeve.

[Deborah Mendocino]

All of a sudden, he whips out this gun.

[Narrator]

What is wrong with you?

[Lawrence Vaccara]

I'm not gonna let him win.

[Narrator]

Whoa.

[Deborah Mendocino]

Oh.

[Narrator]

Is that thing loaded?

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Wouldn't be much good if it wasn't.

[Deborah Mendocino]

And Gary flaunted his gun. This is my gun. I got this gun, and, you know, I could take care of situations with it. So I was like, well, if you don't mind, could you put the gun away?

[Narrator]

Okay? Not around me. Why would you even bring it out here?

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Because I've had enough of him.

[Gary Bordes]

I've had enough of both of you.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

I thought you were on my side.

[Narrator]

I was. Until you lost your mind. Gary marches back inside the house. Mary Ann and Deborah are left alone in the roadway. So surrounded by orange cones, Marianne is quite obviously frustrated and defeated. I don't know what to do. And her bad day is about to get a lot worse.

[Deborah Mendocino]

All of a sudden, I hear some ruckus going on, and it's that Lawrence dude.

[Penny Usher]

Lawrence drives in, sees the orange cones.

[Narrator]

Cones won't stop Lawrence. He gets out of his truck and gets them out of his way, and.

[Deborah Mendocino]

He just picked them up and just threw them.

[Donnie Carr]

Do you really think this was gonna stop me?

[Narrator]

Donnie wasn't there, but he's since learned just how tragic the events that followed were.

[Marianne Stein]

And he was just mad. He was just spitting mad, you know?

[Donnie Carr]

So tired of this, you little bitch.

[Narrator]

Can't you just leave us alone? You want me to call the police? You think that's gonna make a difference?

[Donnie Carr]

I will own your ass.

[Deborah Mendocino]

Then he's like, good, call him. And he's just. Every word. I mean, he just was just being out of control.

[Narrator]

Wanting to save her friend from witnessing a potential altercation between her husband and neighbor, Marianne urges Deborah to go home. I think you should go. Just. You should go. Just go.

[Gary Bordes]

It'll be okay.

[Narrator]

You say so.

[Deborah Mendocino]

I got in my car because I'm feeling threatened.

[Narrator]

As Deborah drives away, the last thing she hears is the sound of Lawrence's rage escalating.

[Deborah Mendocino]

And he's just calling Gary, you know. Come on out, you white trash.

[Donnie Carr]

Gary, come out here and face me.

[Narrator]

Get lost.

[Donnie Carr]

Go get him right now, you stupid whore.

[Deborah Mendocino]

He was just. Call her name. Everything is just filthy ass language coming out of his mouth.

[Donnie Carr]

Go get that jackass out here.

[Narrator]

And then Gary comes back outside ready to fight back. That's far enough.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

You've made our lives a living hell, you bastard.

[Narrator]

It's late in the day and the street is now deserted except for Marianne, Gary, and Lawrence.

[Donnie Carr]

I will bankrupt you, you hillbilly moron.

[Narrator]

You've been nothing but trouble ever since you moved.

[Donnie Carr]

I am so tired of this white trash nuts.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

One more step and I'll.

[Narrator]

But he's forgotten something crucial.

[Donnie Carr]

Your what?

[Narrator]

He's left the gun inside his house.

[Donnie Carr]

That's what I thought. You're worthless, the both of you.

[Narrator]

Lawrence shoots them a final look of disgust and goes back to his truck. But Gary isn't done with him yet.

[Penny Usher]

After the altercation with Gary, Lawrence takes off, tries to just leave the situation.

[Narrator]

Don't let him leave.

[Penny Usher]

Maryanne steps in front of his vehicle.

[Narrator]

Don't. Moments later, gunshots ring out across the quiet street street. And then a deadly silence over it. Joe and Donnie Carr had left earlier in the day to grab a bite to eat. What they see when they return to their neighborhood shocks them. There are police everywhere. The quiet street is now a crime scene.

[Marianne Stein]

There was, you know, a lot of law enforcement, you know, a lot of commotion going on. And I'm like, wow, what's going on here?

[Narrator]

Lawrence lies dead in front of Marianne and Gary's house. His body is riddled with bullets. When the police interview Gary, he claims he had no choice. He had to shoot his neighbor. Journalist Penny Usher helps us Sort out what happened next.

[Penny Usher]

The accounts vary of what occurred between Lawrence, Gary and Marianne once Marianne stepped in front of Lawrence's vehicle.

[Narrator]

Gary claims Lawrence hit Marianne with his truck. That he ran into her on purpose. And not only that, Lawrence gets out of the vehicle.

[Donnie Carr]

Kill you.

[Penny Usher]

Marianne claims that he choked her.

[Narrator]

Gary claims that when he came back out of the house, he saw Lawrence trying to kill the love of his life right there in the street.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Get away from her.

[Narrator]

So he pulls out the gun he had just retrieved from inside the house.

[Penny Usher]

He fired 11 shots. Two of those were in the heart.

[Narrator]

But Gary's story isn't adding up for detectives. For one thing, 11 shots is rather excessive for a claim of self defense. Deborah Mendocino agrees.

[Deborah Mendocino]

I think it would probably only take one shot to get the person down on the ground, you know, just to save somebody. But not 11 shots.

[Narrator]

And another thing. The police investigation determines that Marianne grabbed Gary's gun and ran into the house with it. Her explanation is a simple one. I panicked and, and then I, I, I, I didn't know what I was doing. I can, I can show you where I put the gun. But police aren't convinced. And one more detail doesn't seem to make sense. Marianne claims Lawrence hit her with his truck and then tried to choke her to death. But the police see no sign of injury on her body consistent with that version of events.

[Penny Usher]

Their story could not be verified. It just didn't make sense. It wasn't really plausible.

[Narrator]

Gary is arrested and taken to jail until an investigation is complete and charges can be laid. In the meantime, Marianne is kept under surveillance while they search for the truth and their patience is rewarded. Shortly after he's arrested, Gary calls his wife from prison. What you are about to hear is based on the actual transcript of the conversation which police secretly recorded.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Listen, you gotta make another claim. Okay. Because he hit you with that car.

[Narrator]

Yeah, I told the police that he hit me.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

You came around and then I backed off and he swung a little and then he grabbed you and that was it.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Penny Usher]

There's a secret conversation, recorded conversation between Gary and Marianne, as if they're trying to come up with a plaza plausible explanation. A plausible story. That tape was used in court against Gary.

[Narrator]

It's clear the story they told is pure invention. Investigators think they know what really happened. It's now believed Marianne kept Lawrence from leaving so that Gary could run inside to retrieve his gun and get rid of his neighbor for good.

[Penny Usher]

Gary ended up being charged with first degree murder along with a host of weapons violations and Gary was sentenced to 56 years to life in prison for.

[Narrator]

Her role in the fatal events. Marianne Stein is arrested and faces charges of her own.

[Penny Usher]

Marianne was charged with accessory after the fact in relation to the murder. Marianne was sentenced 16 months for her.

[Narrator]

Part after serving 12 years of his sentence. Gary Bordes dies behind bars at the age of 61. It's a tragic blow for Maryann.

[Deborah Mendocino]

Mary Ann did her time in jail. She pretty much disappeared face of the earth after she was released.

[Narrator]

While the quiet dead end street has returned to the peace and quiet of before, the tragedy has left scars on the community. Joe Carr still lives in the neighborhood and can't help but feel this all could have been prevented.

[Joe Carr]

If Cutter would have been more of a human being. The neighbors would have worked with him. They really would have worked with him to try to make everything work out. But he didn't want to work with him. He wanted what he wanted and to hell with everybody else. That was the problem.

[Narrator]

And while a loss of life like this all seems so senseless, Deborah Mendocino wonders if there might be a lesson to be learned.

[Deborah Mendocino]

I was raised to be respectful and honorable. Honor thy neighbor, basically, you know, nobody deserves to be murdered. It's too bad that he couldn't have just been, you know, eventually just put in jail for being the threatening man that he was. I mean, that's why we're here in the first place, isn't it? To be a good person.

[Narrator]

This podcast is produced by Cream Productions in association with Fremantle Media and id. You can check out Fear Thy Neighbor on Mac's Discovery and id.

[Gary Bordes]

When the Moore family ditched cable Internet and switched to Sidly Fiber, they got so much more. Mr. Moore got more upload speed for next level gaming and livestreaming to the masses with reliable service. Mrs. Moore is no longer her family's IT guru, leaving her more time to stream games into overtime.

[Narrator]

Let's go.

[Gary Bordes]

And young Mason Moore got more done quickly uploading HD product demos and video conferencing. Without freesight, the numbers look good.

[Deborah Mendocino]

Brad, you're on mute.

[Gary Bordes]

Switch from cable Internet to Zibli Fiber and get more of what you love for $65 less per month than [e-mail].

[Marianne Stein]

Acast powers the world's best podcasts.

[Narrator]

Here's a show that we recommend.

[Gary Bordes]

Forever 35 is a running conversation between two good friends. Me, Dory Shafrier and me, Elise Hu. In this wild time to be alive. We're a show about the many ways we take care of ourselves and our loved ones. Sometimes that might mean upgrading our skincare routines, or it might mean more rest or stretching or deepening our relationships. We talk about all of it with each other and with our thought process and funny weekly guests.

[Narrator]

Boundary making really is just a reflection.

[Gary Bordes]

Of how you think about yourself. Cream blush is the best thing you could do for your life as you get older.

[Donnie Carr]

How sway you need to build my this for me.

[Gary Bordes]

We also take listener questions from people like you.

[Narrator]

All I had to do was tell Siri.

[Gary Bordes]

Call Forever 35. All right, so we aren't actually 35 anymore, but we are still the show called Forever 35. Find us wherever you listen. New episodes drop Mondays and Wednesdays.

[Marianne Stein]

Acast helps creators launch, grow, and monetize their podcasts everywhere.

[Deborah Mendocino]

Acast.

[Lawrence Vaccara]

Com.