***ARREST*** Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette 19 May 2012 - #32

cluciano63 said:

JMO, far more people use social media these days than pay attention to the news on TV or listen to a radio show. And almost no one seems to read newspapers. Maybe SM is the equivalent of "shouting from the rooftops" nowadays...

Click to expand...

I can't think of one case that has huge name recognition and ONLY received coverage through social media. It's not going to make a difference if a case isn't in MSM either.

If someone goes missing, and a YouTube video is made, that gets 30 million views, and all these celebrities with millions of followers tweet about the case, then yeah, social media can work wonders...But that never happens. Most of the time, social media, is someone tweeting to their 30 followers...of which 5 might re-tweet it...How many people are going to become aware of a case that way? Compared to how many, who would found out it if it was in People magazine, on Dateline or 20/20, on GMA, Today, HLN, Fox News, etc....With MSM, you're guaranteed with every segment about the case, you're reaching at least 500k people.

eileenhawkeye said:

I can't think of one case that has huge name recognition and ONLY received coverage through social media. It's not going to make a difference if a case isn't in MSM either.

Click to expand...

I can't think of many missing persons cases who do have huge name recognition anyway-can you? Not counting Caylee as that was clearly a murder from the start.

eileenhawkeye said:

Yeah, I don't understand why I see posts that talk about how the Shunicks have worked so hard to get Mickey media coverage, and their persistence is why she has so much. But Mickey doesn't have much national coverage at all. And from what locals say, the Lafayette media isn't all over the case either...

Click to expand...

Indeed they are right about that!
The last article was 6/22.

http://www.katc.com/full-coverage/searching-for-mickey-shunick/

Amelia Earhart is about the only missing person I can think of that everyone knows about...it is sometimes hard for us at WS, as we are so well-versed in the names of the missing, but most people are not. I don't know anyone who has heard of Haleigh Cummings, for example, who had quite a lot of media, probably more than many. And the names of Katelyn, Lauren, Holly, etc...are meaningless to anyone I know. JMO

cluciano63 said:

I can't think of many missing persons cases who do have huge name recognition anyway-can you? Not counting Caylee as that was clearly a murder from the start.

Click to expand...

I was thinking just cases in general; IMO, OJ, Nicole & Ron, JonBenet Ramsey, Elizabeth Smart, Chandra Levy, Laci Peterson, Natalee Holloway, Caylee and Casey Anthony, Jerry Sandusky..all had/have huge name recognition and they were all over MSM. And with the exception of the Anthony case, and the Sandusky case, social media didn't (or barely) existed with the other cases. All those cases managed to spread to the masses thanks to TV. Of course, there is talk about Caylee, Casey, and George on social media, but those cases were also all over MSM too.

eileenhawkeye said:

I was thinking just cases in general; IMO, OJ, Nicole & Ron, JonBenet Ramsey, Elizabeth Smart, Chandra Levy, Laci Peterson, Natalee Holloway, Caylee and Casey Anthony, Jerry Sandusky..all had/have huge name recognition and they were all over MSM. And with the exception of the Anthony case, and the Sandusky case, social media didn't (or barely) existed with the other cases. All those cases managed to spread to the masses thanks to TV. Of course, there is talk about Caylee, Casey, and George on social media, but those cases were also all over MSM too.

Click to expand...

True, but the missing persons cases mentioned all had a "hook" of sorts that Mickey does not really have; Chandra the connection to politics in DC, Elizabeth taken from her bedroom as well as the Morman theories, Laci pregnant and Christmas Eve and Natalee vanishing in a tropical paradise on a school trip. Mickey's case is pretty basic in comparison...riding her bike on the way home from a bar. Not saying she is any less important, but it does not have the same "glamour" factor MSM likes. JMO

mahmoo said:

That fact alone I found AMAZING!!! I'm wondering if ACI was ever able to gain access to ULL's "registered vehicle records" though. I think he was going to look into that. I think it was definitely worth looking into. All the students at ULL are NOT locals so....

Click to expand...

:great:Now that you mention it, I do recall ACI's interest in getting ULL's reg vehicles.
:clap:Great recall and excellant idea. :waitasec: unsure if ACI was able to get that info.

Excalibur Jay said:

:great:Now that you mention it, I do recall ACI's interest in getting ULL's reg vehicles.
:clap:Great recall and excellant idea. :waitasec: unsure if ACI was able to get that info.

Click to expand...

Well now that he's officially off the case, that won't be done, mark my words. As kind as he is, one can only do so much for no pay and after the family publicly berates your intentions. Such a shame that the capable one is the one pushed away

mahmoo said:

I don't really like saying this but, without this case being front & center in the media every day ... it is basically falling by the wayside sadly enough. I mentioned the case the other night at a large gathering I was at and almost everyone I mentioned it to looked at me with a "what are you talking about" look on their face. When I went into a bit more detail they were like "oh yeah, I heard about that" and unfortunately, the conversation moved quickly on to another topic. I'm a voracious crime follower but ... most folks are not even if the crime is in their own backyard.

Click to expand...

Same thing I've experienced in conversations lately..... :dunno:
Community or rather public interest is dwindling due to lack of presence by LE, PR, or media. :tears:
So unfortunate. :tears:

faith25 said:

Wow, maybe the family thinks the professionals - the police- are best qualified to get them answers. Maybe they actually trust the police and are working with them. Maybe they feel that "national attention" is useless to them in finding out what happened to their daughter in Lafayette, la. Maybe they feel uncomfortable with all these people all over demanding to know everything about their daughter to satisfy their morbid curiosity, and telling them what they should be doing. Maybe they are psysically and emotionally exhausted and are simply relying on the police to do their job.

Click to expand...

MOO~

I can truly understand the family being physically and emotionally drained,exhausted and overwhelmed. I also believe they feel like their lives are out of control, so they are taking control of the only thing they can control at this point-and that is how much and what info they allow out about Mickey and their family.

They may trust the professionals and LE to be best qualified to give them answers, but they did appeal to the local public and community to help find Mickey,to do searches,to put up flyers, and make donations. They did do TV shows and numerous fund raisers and events to put Mickeys name out in the public. When you draw the public in and ask for help, you open yourself up to honest questions by sincere people who really are trying to help and could care less if Mickey did or didn't do something but are just trying to help, not fill their "morbid curiousity" as you describe it. In Sierra's case her mother didn't get upset when asked why her daughter would have had a whole set of clothes including underwear in her purse and stop answering questions. She understood people had questions. People are trying to help but it appears help is only wanted in ways that the Shuniks can control. Which brings me back again to what I said earlier in my post- I believe they feel like their lives are out of control, so they are taking control of the only thing they can control at this point-and that is how much and what info they allow out about Mickey and their family.

Boudin said:

MOO~

I can truly understand the family being physically and emotionally drained,exhausted and overwhelmed. I also believe they feel like their lives are out of control, so they are taking control of the only thing they can control at this point-and that is how much and what info they allow out about Mickey and their family.

They may trust the professionals and LE to be best qualified to give them answers, but they did appeal to the local public and community to help find Mickey,to do searches,to put up flyers, and make donations. They did do TV shows and numerous fund raisers and events to put Mickeys name out in the public. When you draw the public in and ask for help, you open yourself up to honest questions by sincere people who really are trying to help and could care less if Mickey did or didn't do something but are just trying to help, not fill their "morbid curiousity" as you describe it. In Sierra's case her mother didn't get upset when asked why her daughter would have had a whole set of clothes including underwear in her purse and stop answering questions. She understood people had questions. People are trying to help but it appears help is only wanted in ways that the Shuniks can control. Which brings me back again to what I said earlier in my post- I believe they feel like their lives are out of control, so they are taking control of the only thing they can control at this point-and that is how much and what info they allow out about Mickey and their family.

Click to expand...

The family did ask for help and we the public could choose to help or not. I don't understand why so many think we are entitled to every detail of their lives. JMO

BayouBelle_LA said:

The family did ask for help and we the public could choose to help or not. I don't understand why so many think we are entitled to every detail of their lives. JMO

Click to expand...

Who is asking for every detail of their lives? The questions I have seen asked make sense to me.

It makes little sense to me to ask people for help in finding someone then give them very little to find the person with. What if she fell and has amnesia? Would she perhaps be found in a zoo because she likes animals? What if she had a schizophrenic break-does she like music and maybe found her way to a wooded area behind the house of a musician where she hears music often? Seem farfetched? Writer Steve Lopez found Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless schizophrenic that had attended Julliard playing violin on the streets.

Reality is we know NOTHING. We don't know if she was abducted, went willingly with someone she knew,chose to leave the area on her own free will, had a nervous breakdown,fell off her bike,hit her head, got back on and rode off in the wrong direction, or what. Suggestions, or ideas of WHERE the public may find her would be beneficial. I don't think it is too much to ask. But that's just me. If my child was missing I'd be answering any question anyone wanted answered in the hopes that someone, somewhere would find them.

JMO~

Boudin said:

Who is asking for every detail of their lives? The questions I have seen asked make sense to me.

It makes little sense to me to ask people for help in finding someone then give them very little to find the person with. What if she fell and has amnesia? Would she perhaps be found in a zoo because she likes animals? What if she had a schizophrenic break-does she like music and maybe found her way to a wooded area behind the house of a musician where she hears music often? Seem farfetched? Writer Steve Lopez found Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless schizophrenic that had attended Julliard playing violin on the streets.


JMO~

Click to expand...

I was given all the information I needed when I volunteered. It is not believed she had a schizophrenic break so yes it seems far fetched. When there is more to report or when LE and family deem it necessary for the public to have more details I'm sure we will get them. JMO

I was walking home from 4th of July in the park and saw a homeless man playing violin on the street. saddened me...but he made a lot money that day.

I think people feel that if they do their jobs, that someone somewhere will happen upon mickey. We have LE, medical personnel, hospitals, mobile clinics, etc. It is just so hard for people to leave their jobs and their scope of focus to look for her.

I would think the family has already searched any areas that would come to their minds.

Boudin said:

Who is asking for every detail of their lives? The questions I have seen asked make sense to me.

It makes little sense to me to ask people for help in finding someone then give them very little to find the person with. What if she fell and has amnesia? Would she perhaps be found in a zoo because she likes animals? What if she had a schizophrenic break-does she like music and maybe found her way to a wooded area behind the house of a musician where she hears music often? Seem farfetched? Writer Steve Lopez found Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless schizophrenic that had attended Julliard playing violin on the streets.

Reality is we know NOTHING. We don't know if she was abducted, went willingly with someone she knew,chose to leave the area on her own free will, had a nervous breakdown,fell off her bike,hit her head, got back on and rode off in the wrong direction, or what. Suggestions, or ideas of WHERE the public may find her would be beneficial. I don't think it is too much to ask. But that's just me. If my child was missing I'd be answering any question anyone wanted answered in the hopes that someone, somewhere would find them.

JMO~

Click to expand...

This is how I think too, and I was a exhausted mental mess when my loved one was missing for three months. His step dad was LE and I didn't care if his whole family life and mine was laid wide open if it meant bringing him home safe..skeletons..who cares? I also agree details matter! Every detail!

When the young autistic boy went missing a couple years back, and LE was scaring the boy with helicopters and dogs, his Dad I believe had them play his favorite music over loud speakers and the boy came walking out of the woods. Genius. Details!

I also think it is probably easier to garner interest in a missing person if they are a child or even a young teen, like Sierra. Mickey is an adult, and disappeared while doing an adult thing, i.e. coming home from a night out. As another posted said above, he/she has heard people say "well, what did she expect, riding at 2am, etc..." So if there is an attitude like that prevalent, it can't be that simple to drum up huge media interest.

But I really think the total lack of any word at all from LE in such a long time is the worst possible thing for a case like this. The media always pays attention to LE when they have something to say about a case, even if it is very little actual info. I can't imagine the media showing a great deal of interest if the Shunicks call them up and say "hey, she is still missing, can you please report that?" Just not exciting enough...JMO

If the perp was local or known by ANY of MS's friends, then MS's friends would also recognize the white truck that LE is interested in. I am wondering why, if LE is still interested in that truck, LE does not make an announcement of: We continue to look for clues and are still interested in the white truck caught on video. It has been pointed out that the truck possibly has a service box over the right hub with writing on it.

If LE is not interested in the white truck anymore, they could say: Due to further developments in the case, we are no longer interested in the white truck and do not need any more tips called in as that particular item has been crossed off our list.

One way or the other, I believe it is time for LE to make an announcement.

As far as the family goes during a time of emotional upheaval people are allowed to think and say and do out-of-character things. I believe the best thing would be for them to open up and give any clue possible; however in many oher cases I have followed the family tends to close up and refuse to answer personal questions for whatever their reasons are.

I think it is a gamble to disenfranchise the public and depend on LE totally, but I am not in their shoes. The risk of that is losing the public's interest, the case becomes a cold case and in the end the family looks back and thinks "we should have handled it differently, but at the time we made that decision it was the best one we could make, knowing what we knew."

I think we are at a critical point here and now. Either the family and friends give the public more info and keep us in the loop, or public interest will melt away and people will find other more productive ways of spending their time. It is what it is.

danzn16 said:

So very true. I can't talk too much to my family about missing person cases because they look at me like I'm strange that I care about that kind of stuff. And they tell me they dont want to hear about it. I guess its upsetting and its easier to live thinking those things wont happen to you. I just dont understand apathy to matters of such importance.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2

Click to expand...

RE: I just dont understand apathy to matters of such importance

danzn16, unless it happens to their family or friend, then they feel that it simply doesn't affect them or apply. These same folks will read James Patterson or Ann Rule novels, watch Criminal Minds, CSI, or movies such as The Raven or The Frozen Ground. Yet, when the evil crimes depicted in these novels, tv shows, & movies become life's reality, the darkness is well beyond their comprehension.

Guess, there is a time & place to discuss abductions/missing persons, but I learned long ago that a party is prolly not the best place to do it..

This silence descends over so many cases...when is the last time we have heard from Katelyn's father, or Holly's parents, for instance? And yet they could be trying, but just don't know what to do, or are having trouble getting anyone to listen-we just don't know. I don't believe the lack of hearing from any of these families is in any way indicative of their feelings about their loved one being missing. There is always a newer case, a newer story, something to replace their case in the news.

People say negative things about the fundraisers the Shunicks are planning, but what else can they do? If they want to have t-shirts, posters, etc...those things cost money. Plus the fundraisers themselves are a way of creating public awareness. They are planning the one later in July with concerts, etc...if nothing else, it will remind the community that Mickey is still missing and probably get some media coverage.

They may not know any more about the white truck than we do. It is up to LE to give that info to the public-they should be talking about that truck every day until it is located. I don't get LE lack of action and communication in this case at all.