http://www.klfy.com/story/18570540/missing-mickey-shunick
The information that you provide for the tips line, because we are following up literally thousands of leads right now. And we're having to prioritize them as to the ones that we feel are the most important. Any other questions?
Q: The handgrips on the bike. You said you found the bike, then you said you found the handgrips. Were they not attached to the handlebars?
A: We found the bike and the handgrips, that's correct
Q: were they together?
A: We found the bike and the handgrips. We aren't releasing the condition of the bike other than the fact it was damaged in the back. But we did find the bike and the handgrips
Q: Were the handgrips attached to the handelbars?
A: We're not releasing that, that information
Q: Is the investigation centered around a certain location?
A: We've obviously spent a lot of time out at Whiskey Bay, so we had to gather a lot of information out there. We feel we searched that area enough that we feel comfortable the we didn't leave evidence out there. Obviously the sherrifs that patrol those areas will continue to search the areas for us. We are centered on the last sighting of Mickey which is off of St. Landry and that particular area and we continue to focus our efforts in that, so we can gather more information.
Q: Where was the bike, in the water, in the fielded area?
A: The bike iteself was submerged in the water, right off of the bank into the (?) ...
Q: what about the grips
A: Again, that was found with or in the general vacinity of the bike.
Q: was it thrown over the bridge?.
A: Right now we don't believe the bike was thrown from the bridge. Once the forensics people with the state PD get a good opportunity to examine the bike very thorougly it will give us a better idea. But our belief currently is that the bike was dumped beneath the bridge and wasn't thrown from the bridge. Alotr of things come into play, the amount of traffic. I-10 is very well traveled, there is no shoulder, those are factors we are taking in to what we believe happened, again we're gonna have to wait until the state police get back to us.
Q: There's another teenage girl missing...she's a runaway but still missing...
A: I don't know for sure if we've been in touch with that agency. I don't know what case you are talking about. A lot of law enforcement agencies have reached out to us as to similarities as to potential cases and we haven't found one yet that we feel is possibly connected but we appreciate the assistance and information they have provided us.
Q: inaudible
A: Right now we can only believe it was dumped there the morning she went missing but I think once the bike is looked at by state foensics, they can give us a better idea, but right now that's our belief is that it was dumped the morning she went missing.
Q: about the report with white truck
A: That's correct, we are reaching out to Ms. Patterson's daughter, the information we've received was there hadn't been a police report filed so we are looking at that angle, yes.
Q: About sexual predators in that area
A: The reality is we are checking those sexual offenders that are registered in the area and we are making contact with each and every one of them so we know when are where they were when Mickey went missing. That is something that we are definitely following up on and looking into.
Q: Can you tell us where it was from the overpass? Is it possible that it was tossed over the overpass and into Whiskey Bay
A: I'm gonna tell you that we do not believe it was tossed from the bridge at this time, we believe the perpetrator, the person went beneath the bridge and dumped the bike in the water.
Q: Talked to the mother of a woman DLT victim (I didn't hear the name) whose body was found there in 2002 under the bridge in Whiskey Bay who said that LE promised their would be a camera put down there so that no one could do that again and it wouldn't be a dumping ground. Why there wasn't a camera there?
A: Again, that's beyond the jurisdictions of the city of Lafayette, I wouldn't have an answer to that question.
Q: Is St. Martin parish settin gup any other investigation in the basin?
A: We're the lead agency in the missing persons case, but St. Martin parish, Iberia parish, Iberville parish have all lended continue to lend resources, watercraft, sonar and helicopters from the state police. So the resources are out there in searching for Mickey.
Q: water dragging?
A: That has been done and if we see a reason for that to continue we'll send resources out there
Q: sonar still being done?
A: The sonar was done of the area and nothing was found.
Q: What makes you not think this is tied to the Lauren Spierer case?
A: based on the, we don't want to release information about our investigation that we're holding onto, based on the conversation the detective had with the authorities over there we just did not feel, currently, that those cases are connected.
Q: Details about the vehicles
A; Well, that's very good. The car is an older model, 80s or 90s GM-type of vehicle, 4-door, it's got bondo on the rear right quarter panel, it's very obvious. That vehicle should be able to be spotted by the public. One truck that turned on St. Landry street directly behind MS is a Chevrolet white Z71 four-door. That picture has been circulated. And of course the truck with the cover on the bed, believed to be possibly a GMC or Chevrolet, which came from the direction from which Mickey had ridden her bike where she was last captured on video, was obviously, a vehicle of interest for that reason.
Q: Was that the last camera that's seen her that came out of city hall? No other camera was in that direction?
A: No other camera that we have found has captured her on video. You know it's possible that someone in one of these vehicles may have saw Mickey turn off on a side street, which would assist in the investigation. That's why it was so important initially that we asked all businesses and all residents that have a video equipment at their location to review them during that timeframe in hopes of maybe capturing her so that we could establish a direction. Initially, based off of friends and family we were told that Congress was probably her major route. Whereas we were able to finally find some video footage of her and get a direction of travel of where we have her captured in front of city hall.
Q: is the FBI involved?
A: FBI, state police, all the sherrifs agencies around here, city PD, University of Lafayette police, Patterson PD. We just feel so fortunate to work in a community where law enforcement have overwhelmingly sent their resources to assist us. Because, you know life goes on in the city of Lafayette as far as calls for services. We still continue to serve the city of Lafayette, yet we feel we are giving out best effort in locating Mickey.
Q: How long it will be for the state police crime lab to get any results?
A: We were told, and they are working with us, they were going to do the quickest turnaround possible. obviously we want them to take their time with that type of evidence and as delicate as it can be, so it's important to us that they do that and when they get the information out to us, if we are able to, we'll release it.
Q: How many pieces of security video have you looked at, are you worried there are others out there that haven't come out and can you subpeona them?
A: We probably reviewed, I would say over 50 pieces of video from different locations and remember that was early on in the investigation when we thought her route was going down Congress street and we reviewed a lot of video in that case. And yes, that's why we continue to stress if you have a video camera anywhere near St. Landry and St. Mary either in a business or residence, then we want you to review that video so that hopefully you captured Mickey travelling and that will give us more direction as to following her path before she went missing.
There won't be another briefing unless I send out an email.
