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Gary Bordes
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Narrator
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Gary Bordes
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Lawrence Vaccara
Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do@mintmobile.com.
Gary Bordes
Switch upfront 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 fee, full terms@mintmobile.com what.
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 more@fatherhood.gov 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
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 try@mintmobile.com 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 terms@mintmobile.com what is daddication?
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
That's dedication. Find out more@fatherhood.gov brought to you by the U.S. department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council.
Gary Bordes
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.
Narrator
Let's go.
Gary Bordes
And young Mason Moore got more done quickly uploading HD product demos and video conferencing. Without FreeSync, 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 cable@zibly fiverr.com.
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
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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 try@mintmobile.com 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 terms@mintmobile.com 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 cable@ziplyfiber.com.
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.
Release Date: June 9, 2025
Host: ID
Podcast: Fear Thy Neighbor
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."
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.
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."
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.
Frustration mounts as Lawrence continues to assert his dominance, leading to several physical confrontations:
Blocking Boone Lane:
Confrontation with Marianne:
Involvement of Keith:
Donnie Carr [22:37]: "Screw you. Listen to me, old man."
As weapons enter the dispute, the potential for violence becomes palpable.
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."
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."
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."
"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.
Notable Quotes:
Key Takeaways:
Production Credits:
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.