The Full Pladl Case Timeline: from 2016 Family Reunion to the Fatal 2018 Tragedy
By Alexander Ross
In early April 2018, Katie broke all contact with Steven. Living in New York with her adoptive family, she informed him over the phone that she was ending their relationship permanently and returning to her original life. Steven's psychological control fractured completely.
On the evening of April 11, 2018, Steven suffocated seven-month-old Bennett inside his house in Knightdale, North Carolina. Leaving the child's body behind, he packed an assault rifle into his minivan and drove overnight across more than 500 miles. Early on the morning of April 12, Steven placed a call to his mother, calmly admitting he had killed the baby and warning her not to enter the house without calling the police.
Just before 8:40 a.m. on April 12, Steven intercepted Katie and her adoptive father, Anthony Fusco, at an intersection in Dover, New York, near the border of New Milford, Connecticut. Anthony was driving Katie to a local appointment. Pulling his vehicle alongside theirs, Steven fired multiple rounds through the driver-side window, killing both instantly. Steven then drove approximately five miles into Dutchess County before parking on a wooded shoulder and shooting himself. Responding troopers discovered him dead inside the vehicle.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
