LA - ***ARREST*** Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette 19 May 2012 - #34

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Michaela (Mickey) Shunick
Missing from Lafayette LA -- 19 May 2012

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• [ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173725"]Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette; 19 May 2012 * Timeline & Media Links ONLY *[/ame]


• [ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7982648&postcount=4"]BayouBecky's videos[/ame] of Mickey's possible routes homeward

• KATC Twitter feed

• Website: Find Mickey Now

• Lafayette Police Department updates

• Facebook link: Find Mickey Shunick Now

• If you find and post new info here on the discussion thread, please also post that link on the Time Line & Media Links *
• When new names - people, locations - enter the picture, please post them on this link's #tags, thanks.
• Please do not sleuth individuals who have not been mentioned in MSM either as persons of interest or as suspects by LE.
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Timeline in Mickey Shunick's disappearance:

May 18, 2012, 10:15 p.m.: MS and friends attended a concert at Artmosphere.

May 19, 2012, 12:44 a.m.: MS rides bike back to Ryan Street residence with BW.

May 19, 2012, 1:24 a.m.: MS seen in surveillance video at Taco Bell.

May 19, 2012, 1:31 a.m.: MS receives a call from her friend; it was the last time her phone was used.

May 19, 2012, 1:45 a.m.: MS begins to ride her bike home from BW's Ryan Street residence.

May 19, 2012, 1:47 a.m.: MS is caught on camera, riding her bike, on Versailles Boulevard.

May 19, 2012, 1:48 a.m.: MS is caught on camera, riding her bike, on St. Landry Street.


May 19, 2012, 1:48 a.m.: BSL’s truck caught on camera after Mickey passed the same camera.

May 19, 2012, 6:30 p.m.: MS's family reports her missing to police.

May 19, 2012, 9:27 p.m.: KATC first reports on their website that LPD is looking for MS.

May 20, 2012: The first search party is organized from BW’s house on Ryan Street.

May 20, 2012: Reward of $10,000 is offered.

May 21, 2012: Reward money is doubled to $20,000.

May 21, 2012, 4:20 p.m.: LPD issues its first press release about MS, releasing a picture and description of her and her bike.

May 21, 2012, 6:15 p.m.: LPD issues a press release about the dedicated tips line for citizens to call with information.

May 22, 2012, 7:30 p.m.: Candlelight vigil is held at Parc Sans Souci in downtown Lafayette.

May 23, 2012: Reward increased to $25,000

May 24, 2012: Search headquarters moves from Ryan Street to Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Student Center.

May 24, 2012: Texas EquuSearch comes to town.

May 24, 2012, 4:00 p.m.: LPD issues a press release asking business owners and residents with video surveillance equipment to review footage from May 19th, between the hours of 1:30 and 3:30 am.

May 25, 2012: The video surveillance photos of MS on Versailles and the White Truck on St. Landry traveling in the opposite direction MS traveled are released to the public.


May 26, 2012: MS's bike is located by fishermen under the Whiskey Bay Bridge.

May 26, 2012: The video surveillance photos of the White Truck with the bed cover on University, the White Truck on St. Landry traveling in the same direction as MS, and the two pictures of the Hooptie on University and St. Landry are released to the public.

May 26, 2012: BSL reports his truck as stolen in Montgomery County, TX.

May 26, 2012: LPD cancels its scheduled press conference stating there are no new updates

May 26, 2012, 12:42 p.m.: BSL’s girlfriend’s family member posts online about her dating a creepy RSO.

May 27, 2012: MS's bike is recovered by LE under the Whiskey Bay Bridge.

May 27, 2012, 5:00 p.m.: Benefit concert held in Downtown Lafayette

May 28, 2012: Police continue to search Whiskey Bay Bridge area.

May 30, 2012: Volunteer searches are suspended for the day.

May 30, 2012: Shunick family officially hires Private Investigator, John Abdella.

May 30, 2012, 11:00 a.m.: LPD issues a press release stating they have both identified and ruled out the operators and occupants of both the “hooptie” and the white pickup truck with a bed cover.

May 30, 2012, around 9:00 p.m.: Investigators return to the Whiskey Bay area to re-examine it with sonar. Nothing of value is located.

May 31, 2012: Volunteer searches resume.

May 31, 2012: BSL’s truck is found burned in San Jacinto County, TX.

May 31, 2012: BSL files motion to be removed from the sex offender registry. Hearing is scheduled for August 9th.

May 31, 2012, 9:51 a.m.: BSL rents a red Chevrolet Aveo in Spring, TX, through an insurance claim on said stolen truck.


June 1, 2012, 11:55 a.m.: LPD issues press release stating that beginning at 7:00 p.m., an answering machine will record all tips as it is no longer feasible to answer the tips line 24 hours a day.

June 2, 2012: Texas EquuSearch heads out of Lafayette.

June 4, 2012, 4:57 p.m.: BSL returns rental car.

June 6, 2012: Special K-9s Recovery Specialists are in town searching.

June 7, 2012: P.I. John Abdella releases statement about receiving credible information about two people who could be involved in MS’s dissapearance.

June 10, 2012: MS Headquarters moved to South College Shopping Center. Volunteer foot searches halted “until new leads are developed”.

June 14, 2012: LPD get a tip from a concerned citizen that BSL's truck was found burned in Texas.


July 4, 2012: BSL returns from an “about the last two weeks” offshore hitch.

July 5, 2012: BSL arrested on aggravated kidnapping and first degree murder.


July 6, 2012: Investigative searches end at BSL’s residence.



Mickey's whereabouts = purple
BSL = red
News = green
 
Jim Craft, Chief of Police
900 East University Ave.
P.O. Box 4308
Lafayette, LA 70502
Contact: Cpl. Paul L. Mouton
Public Information Officer
Office: (337) 291-8617
Fax: (337) 291-8665
Email-pmouton@lafayetteLA.gov


Date: 7/6/2012
Time: 1:00:00 PM

Arrest Made in Mickey Shunick Case

Lafayette, LA - The Lafayette Police Department would like to extend its appreciation to the Shunick Family, all of the law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation, countless volunteers, private business entities, and the public that have assisted in the search and continue to be there as this investigation remains ongoing. I must caution all of you that although an arrest has been made in this case, much work remains to be done.
Working with our Federal, State and local partners, the Lafayette Police Department has arrested Brandon Scott Lavergne and charged him with 1st Degree Murder and Aggravated Kidnapping. Lavergne is believed to be responsible for the disappearance of Michaela “Mickey” Shunick.

On May 19th of this year, the Shunick family reported Mickey’s disappearance. She had not returned home, missed her brother’s graduation from high school, had notified no one of her location, and did not respond to calls made to her cell phone.

On May 25, video evidence was discovered from an LCG facility that captured Mickey on her bike. Several vehicles were observed in the same video and broadcast to the public as vehicles of interest. All of the vehicles of interest were ruled out except for a white Chevrolet Z71 pickup. The driver as well as the vehicle was not ever identified nor did anyone come forward.

On May 26, Mickey’s bike was located under the Whiskey Bay Bridge on I-10 with damage to the rear tire consistent with being struck by a vehicle.
On June 14, Investigators received information from a concerned citizen, regarding a white Z71 that may be involved in Mickey’s disappearance. The vehicle in question was registered to Brandon Lavergne. Further investigation revealed that the truck was reported stolen in Montgomery County, Texas and later located in San Jacinto County, Texas on May 31st. The truck had been burned just days after police released photographs of the truck as a vehicle of interest.

Based on information and surveillance detectives were able to positively identify the truck that traveled directly behind Mickey in the video as belonging to Brandon Lavergne. Investigators are also able to place Brandon Lavergne in and around the location of where the bicycle was located.
On Thursday, July 5, Louisiana State Police conducted a traffic stop on Lavergne near the intersection of I-10 and I-49. He was arrested on an unrelated warrant and transported to the Lafayette Police Department.
During questioning at Lafayette PD, Lavergne requested an attorney and has refused to cooperate any further with the investigation. At that time, he was additionally charged with the aggravated kidnapping and murder of Mickey Shunick.

This has been a very difficult ordeal for the Shunick Family and we thank them for their continuous cooperation, encouragement, and support in our attempts to determine what happened to Mickey. We want the family to know that we will not rest until we can fully know what happened to her. We continue our efforts to locate and bring Mickey home.

This type of case can overwhelm one agency. A tremendous amount of time, equipment, and resources have been put into this investigation. I would be remiss in my duties if I did not acknowledge and thank all of the agencies and private businesses that have been with us from day one of this case: LPSO, ULPD, Lafayette City Marshal’s Office, LSP, SMSO, SLSO, Iberia SO, Iberville SO, East Baton Rouge SO, Acadia SO, Patterson PD, FBI, US Marshal’s Service, LSP Crime Lab, Acadian Crime Lab, C & C Technologies, and Holbrook Media. It is these types of partnerships that have made an arrest possible in this matter.

Q&A Session from Thursday's presser:

I will take questions at this time but I want to caution you that because the investigation is ongoing, there is a lot of information that we will not be able to divulge or discuss.

Q: Chief Craft, how did you know that he was in the area where Mickey’s bike was found? What evidence (inaudible)
A: We have some evidence that we can’t divulge at this time but we know, we can place his vehicle in that area at that time.

Q: When you were searching his home, what was some of the key evidence that was found there? Anything of importance that you can share with us that was found at his home?
A: As I speak we have been at that home since yesterday and we are still processing that scene so we can’t disclose or divulge any evidence that we may or may not have recovered.

Q: What evidence led to the first degree murder charge?
A: (pauses as if to consider how to answer) Um, based on the information developed by our investigators, uh, and the fact that she was kidnapped – an aggravated kidnapping constitutes a charge of first degree murder.

Q: Is there any evidence that there was any sort of struggle?
A: Uh, we can’t go into that at this point.

Q: Was any of Mickey’s DNA found inside his home?
A: We can’t go into that at this point.

Q: How much information (inaudible) bike?
A: Uhm, the bike was consistent – the rear rim was consistent with being struck by a vehicle and …

Q: Did anything come back from the lab reports?
A: We have no lab reports back as of this time.

Q: Chief Craft, was there a second person arrested – a female arrested in this – (inaudible) yesterday?
A: No, the only person arrested in this case has been Brandon Scott Lavergne.

Q: Was Lavergne questioned by the department immediately and then information gathered from his GPS?
A: Uh Lavergne was questioned by the department here after he was picked up by state police at I-10 and I-49.

Q: When was that?
A: Yesterday (Thursday) afternoon about 2:30.

Q: Is there any relation between Lavergne and Mickey Shunick?
A: Not that we are aware of.

Q: Any possibility that any other arrests could come about from this? I know a private investigator identified two descriptions of two separate suspects.
A: We don’t think so at this point.

Q: What (inaudible) believe she’s dead?
A: Just the evidence and information we have in the case that again, I cannot go into.

Q: Chief, was there any type of website or blog or anything that helped to connect you guys to Lavergne or help focus on him?
A: No, the information that came from the citizen is how he came to our attention.

Q: Did that citizen call the tip line?
A: I think that citizen did call the tips line.

Q: How were you able (inaudible) in Texas and put the two together?
A: Through investigation by our detectives and LA State Police we were able to determine that he had purchased another vehicle and so we located the first one over there.

Q: What was that unrelated warrant he was arrested on?
A: It has to do with sex offender registration.

Q: What brought him to the Lafayette area the night of her disappearance. Any information as to what he was doing there?
A: We have no information on that based on the fact that he has refused to talk to us or cooperate with us.

Q: Was his license destroyed, blocking out some information about him being a registered sex offender?
A: Yes.

Q: On May 28th, it says that he was in good standing on his sex offender website. How is that possible, uh, what does that have to do to go through that?
A: Well I don’t think that the people who run the registry would necessarily know that he had altered his driver’s license to hide that information. Uh, if he was making his contacts and making his visits, they may
be ruled in good standing.

Q: Where was he arrested?
A: He was arrested here at the Lafayette Police Department. He was stopped by LA State Police at I-10 and I-49 for a traffic violation.

Q: Do you think that he targeted her or this is a crime of coincidence?
A: I think that based on the information we have and the vehicle was seen in the area – you can see it on the video – maybe he was riding around looking for someone to victimize.

Q: Chief Craft, since he purchased a new vehicle – what was he driving, what was his mode of transportation when he was apprehended?
A: I think it’s a Z71, white pickup truck, just like the one he had.

Q: Chief, how long can you hold him and what’s next?
A: Well, right now he’s charged with aggravated kidnapping and first degree murder. So there’s no bond on the first degree murder. The district attorney has reviewed our affidavit and our warrant and they are in agreement with us that we had probable cause to arrest him and so there’s no bond on a first degree murder warrant so he’s going to be held in a correctional center.

Q: Chief if a body isn’t found do you expect any problem with that as far as prosecution or anything?
A: I couldn’t comment on that. I think that’s a question for the district attorney to answer.

Q: Has anybody else been questioned regarding (inaudible)?
A: Oh, hundreds of people have been questioned regarding this case.

Q: Since the arrest has been made?
A: Yes.

Q: Any females or girlfriends?
A: We’ve questioned a lot of people but I don’t want to go into who we’ve questioned or who we’ve talked to just primarily because our investigation is still ongoing and that may hinder our investigation to disclose that information at this time.

Q: Any clues on where the body may be?
A: (pauses) No.

Q: Chief, any better indication (inaudible) where or around she was taken?
A: Based on what we know in the video we would have to say between St. Landry and St. Mary and Blackham Coliseum. Somewhere between there.

Q: And is there any indication on exactly how they got her, the bike, everything into the vehicle?
A: No.

Q: Chief, with Mr. Lavergne, was there a bite mark on his hand possibly from Mickey Shunick?
A: Can’t comment on that.
Q: (inaudible)
A: Can’t comment on that.

Q: Can you comment on his prior record?
A: No.

Q: Was there anyone else at the house when you went to investigate?
A: No.

Q: Was there anyone else in that vehicle when he was apprehended?
A: No.

Q: Was he an offshore worker?
A: Yes, he is an offshore worker.

Q: Do you know if he was offshore (inaudible) most of the investigation?
A: Well, we know that he’s been offshore for about the last two weeks.

Q: Do you all use FBI profiler in this investigation?
A: We did consult with the behavioral science unit with the FBI Academy at Quantico but the FBI’s made numerous resources available to us throughout this investigation.

Q: What (inaudible) motive for this crime?
A: He’s a sex offender.

Q: (something about truck on fire)
A: That’s part of the arson investigation that’s taking place in Texas at this time.

Q: Do you know how he got back to Louisiana after he set his truck on fire?
A: We’re not releasing that right now.

Q: Do you have reason to believe that Mickey Shunick was sexually assaulted in this crime?
A: We don’t know that yet.
 
Bringing this over from the last thread:

I think the cemetery angle could be very important (given what locals have said about BSL digging up old cemetery plots & for example, DTL's known fondness of watching women at cemeteries & even abducting one victim while she was visiting her mom's grave in Scott).

Maybe not THAT cemetery by the Saints Streets (I'm just assuming it was searched & I think it is frequented by a lot of people who would have noticed something), but maybe rural ones around Church Point....
 
Bringing this over from the last thread:

Things I'd love to add to the timeline (a girl can dream on some of these):

1. When the woman at the dealership reported that he'd altered his license.

2. When he purchased his new vehicle.

3. His exact work schedule.

4. What port he worked out of.

5. What was seen on the video from the Advertiser cameras (and at what time).

5. Where (Houston or Lafayette) he returned his rental car.
 
Bringing this over from the last thread:

I think the cemetery angle could be very important (given what locals have said about BSL digging up old cemetery plots & for example, DTL's known fondness of watching women at cemeteries & even abducting one victim while she was visiting her mom's grave in Scott).

Maybe not THAT cemetery by the Saints Streets (I'm just assuming it was searched & I think it is frequented by a lot of people who would have noticed something), but maybe rural ones around Church Point....

Prolly not related to BSL, but interesting..'What TH were they smokin'?
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6131106

Police: Teens stole skull to use as bong

Thursday, May 08, 2008

HUMBLE, TX (KTRK) -- Authorities are investigating an admission from theft suspects that they dug up a grave and stole a child's skull. One of the suspects even made the disturbing confession that he and his friends went on to use the skull to smoke marijuana.
__________________________

* ancient belief in 'goulism'; digging of graves..
http://books.google.com/books?id=yn...v=onepage&q=ancient belief in goulism&f=false
 
Did Mickey go by the cemetary on her bike route..maybe thats where he was sitting in his truck and first noticed her?
 
I might have missed something, but if he went to Texas to dump his truck and burn it, did he go and come right back cause from may 26-may 31 is almost a week. His girlfriend must have suspected or even if not, where was he staying during that time? Hotel? Friend in Texas? If it was a hotel that he was staying in, surely there would be no evidence left by this point due to other occupants since him staying in assumed hotel room. I'm dying to know what he was truly doing from may 26 - may 31.
 
I really want to know how much attention has been paid to the 'buzzard pasture' Ms. Busby was so concerned about...
 
Bringing this over from the last thread:

Things I'd love to add to the timeline (a girl can dream on some of these):

2. When he purchased his new vehicle.

He returned the rental car on June 4th. I can't imagine he'd return it unless he had his new vehicle.

hth
 
Now that someone has been arrested.
Would it be possible to start a thread somewhere showing areas searched
if it would not interfere with the investigation so some of us can continue on looking and searching.

Thank you in advance.
 
Have a link or more info?

Yes, sorry - it was posted in the last thread:

http://theadvocate.com/home/3290776-125/neighbors-shocked-by-arrest-mom

Busby, meanwhile, noted that about four to five weeks ago a pasture that was part of the search had been overcome by buzzards.

“I’ve never seen them like that before,” she said. “They’d fly over the pasture.”

Busby said she’s praying the ground doesn’t hold Shunick, but hopes the student is found soon.

“I pray and ask the Lord, let them find her and bring some closure to that family,” she said. “That family is really fighting to find her.”

(Busby = Shirley Busby, 67, BSL's neighbor)
 
Cemetery, c-e-m-e-t-e-r-y, cemetery. This post from a grumpy English teacher falls at random.
 
The field she was talking about was right behind his house...i don't know if he would have just put her body out in the open so close to his house . I live in Fl and see those birds all over eating rabbits and lots of dead birds and other animals.
 
I really want to know how much attention has been paid to the 'buzzard pasture' Ms. Busby was so concerned about...
It does say that the pasture was part of the search ....
Busby, meanwhile, noted that about four to five weeks ago a pasture that was part of the search had been overcome by buzzards.
 
I don't know much about buzzards...i see them eating dead animals on roads out in the open..but they may be able to dig down to find food..???
 
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