LA - Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette; 19 May 2012 - #22

[Pacific2011]

1) Having just now read the statement about the condition of Mickey's bike when it was found, I agree with the poster who thinks that BOTH the handlebars AND the hand grips were separated from the main frame of the bicycle. My interpretation is that the hand grips could have been -- and probably were -- still on the handlebars when the bike was found. And I also agree that the handlebars could have been removed in order to fit all the parts of the bike into a car (vs. a truck).

2) Not to stir up any more anxiety, but I remember a poster (much earlier in the threads) wondering if someone could have mistakenly thought Mickey was her sister. I don't recall any further discussion about that possibility, but it could be that anyone who knew her sister could have known that she was planning to be back home in Lafayette for the weekend, to attend their younger brother's graduation from high school that Saturday.

I apologize for not posting at the time about the possibility of a "mistaken identity" but email problems prevented me from doing so.

JMO.

 

[Gapstow]

No...but there was a link on prev. thread that LE did say there is no bed liner on the VOI. Sorry to not have the link.

BBM

It actually has no bed cover - which is very different than a bed liner.

Here is the description from LE:

Lafayette Police have identified the operators and occupants of both the older model 4-door car and the white 4-door pickup truck with the bed cover


http://www.lafayettela.gov/Police/Press_Releases.asp?pr_id=4677

 

[JurysOut]

Once when I was out riding my bike a group of boys rolled a skateboard out into the road. I hit it and took a sudden tumble. I had road rash scars for many years after that fall.
JMO

It doesn't take much to halt and disorient, possibly disable a bicyclist.

 

[Cazzie]

BBM

It actually has no bed cover - which is very different than a bed liner.

Here is the description from LE:

Lafayette Police have identified the operators and occupants of both the older model 4-door car and the white 4-door pickup truck with the bed cover


http://www.lafayettela.gov/Police/Press_Releases.asp?pr_id=4677

I do know the difference. Oops! Thank you for the correction...will delete my post.

 

[LaffySleuth]

Does Borden Ice Cream have cameras?

P.S. On a lighter note, every time I read back a few threads and see the word "hooptie" I lose whatever "it" is left to lose.

 

[clkwrks]

a few people have been asking why there are no photos further down St. Landry St. there are no cameras further down. there is a 'black hole' from where she was spotted until bertrand, then from johnston st to congress. in a little while i will go take some more pictures of the area in that direction and point out the cameras like i did on the downtown side.

i have been studying the truck picture, has anyone else noticed there are only side bars under the front doors? and it does not appear to have a bed liner. what looks like a black boarder on the far side of the bed is actually the gutter drain on the other side of the street. also, that 'light source' under the nearest headlight, at first i thought it was just a reflection of some sort, but if you examine it closely, look at the street. the light is illuminating the street.

anyone have any thoughts on those observations?

I agree mostly. No bed liner except for maybe a liner on the tailgate, or it's a lift gate. Black border does appear to be from the gutter on the other side of the street. I still think the "light source" is a reflection off the road, but could be any number of things. A piece of paper or foil wrapper being blown around the street by traffic. A damaged fog light that's dangling by it's wires. Or a snow plow mount (not likely in LA?)

 

[wfgodot]

It doesn't take much to halt and disorient, possibly disable a bicyclist.

Yep. Would just take a short length of metal or wood between the spokes of a bike in motion. Probably best accomplished by another bicyclist riding adjacent to the victim, were this the method.

 

[crzimmer]

a few people have been asking why there are no photos further down St. Landry St. there are no cameras further down. there is a 'black hole' from where she was spotted until bertrand, then from johnston st to congress. in a little while i will go take some more pictures of the area in that direction and point out the cameras like i did on the downtown side.

i have been studying the truck picture, has anyone else noticed there are only side bars under the front doors? and it does not appear to have a bed liner. what looks like a black boarder on the far side of the bed is actually the gutter drain on the other side of the street. also, that 'light source' under the nearest headlight, at first i thought it was just a reflection of some sort, but if you examine it closely, look at the street. the light is illuminating the street.

anyone have any thoughts on those observations?

I thought the pic of the Z-71 facing away from the intersection looked like it might have a black bedliner, as well. The back left corner does look very dark. Could be a deep shadow cast by the bright Circle K lights.

If its is a black bedliner, it might help to find/identify the VOI.

Easy to remove, however, if the perp wants to obfuscate indentification or hide evidence.

 

[HouDat]

You mean like a large decal in the back window? I'm not sure what I'm seeing here, but it doesn't look like a fleurs de lis to me or a bike wheel (as others have suggested).

I see a wheel-like device of sorts. A couple of possibilities I can think of, here:

a) a decal on the back glass, showing thru the passenger's side rear window; or
b) a reflection of something at roadside.

Anyway, if it is indeed a decal, then that would be fairly distinct. It could narrow down a field of perhaps thousands of potential DQTIQ down to a very small handful, perhaps even to a singular DWTIQ.

That said, I am troubled by the proportionality/symmetry of this "wheel" thing. If it were something on the back glass, it likely wouldn't appear perfectly round in this manner, from this vantage point.

 

[WideOpen]

It doesn't take much to halt and disorient, possibly disable a bicyclist.

The baseball bat thought is terrifying.

It is good to review the possibility of a perp on foot.

JMO

 

[Gapstow]

I do know the difference. Oops! Thank you for the correction...will delete my post.

No worries! :rocker:

I just thought I would post it straight from LE since we don't need anymore confusion.

 

[jennapuppy]

I need to back away from the truck.

I think it may have been a neighborhood person/persons and MS was probably targeted. Although a vehicle was likely involved at some point, I don't think it's the core of the crime.

It's terribly aggravating that the truck hasn't been reported as located, but LE has got to be working with 1000 times more information than I have or will ever have.

This is my thinking, as well. I don't think this was a random crime of opportunity. I think someone had noted her out and about at this time of night before, noted her vulnerability, and formulated a plan that minimized the chances of witnesses. IMO

 

[LaffySleuth]

Thought on the rear window...

Looks like a baby screener.


Oh, does that leave a bad taste in my mouth!

 

[liltexans]

The baseball bat thought is terrifying.

It is good to review the possibility of a perp on foot.

JMO

Or a crowbar/tire iron. She wouldn't have had time or been able to scream if she didn't know what hit her. And blunt force trauma to the back of the head might not result in blood loss or spatter.

 

[saint_streets]

i overlaid the truck over the picture of Mickey, notice the far side of the bed, that black area seems to be from the gutter.

 

[Artis]

Typically when LE doesn't have the victim and/or a perp they only share enough information to the public in hopes that someone has seen something unusual and will come forward. They would be looking for someone that saw the accident or abduction, someone acting unusual for example: not showing up for work, hiding, selling, cleaning a vehicle, basically changes in a persons usual routine. It's totally possible they have a POI and have survailence on the POI hoping that they will lead them to where she is. They very well may have other video also, but don't feel it would be useful to the investigation to release it to the public.

That's a reason that I think it's wrong that LPD doesn't have regular pressers. A couple of people have said that they don't owe the public anything but I completely disagree. They work FOR the public. With frequent pressers, they could be hammering on watching out for any unusual behavior such as you listed in your post. They could also address other issues that people are wondering about, such as cameras ("We have looked at all available surveillance video from such and such a street, from whatever street to whatever street, and we are not commenting at this time because we don't want to compromise our investigation"). Pressers don't mean they have to reveal what they have but keep the public informed. Every presser keeps the case fresh and in the spotlight and helps to alert more people to keep an eye out.

 

[andalso]

It doesn't take much to halt and disorient, possibly disable a bicyclist.

I agree, but I do feel that most scenarios I come up with would leave significant evidence. Baffling. :banghead:

Did Chicken ever tell us exactly how the security guard got to be speaking with MS in the first place? Did he/she wave her down and MS willingly stopped? Would it be easy for anyone to get MS to stop and chat willingly while riding her bike (not judging...just asking).

In the picture with the 25mph sign, the one that has the white blob photoshopped over the sign...where MS is on her bike...is MS stopped talking to someone where the blob is? (Not linking photo, cause I am really bad at that and I will probably blow margins). I am sure this has been discussed, but I may have missed it...although I have been trying to keep up there has been so much to wade through (understatement of the year)!!

 

[audie]

i overlaid the truck over the picture of Mickey, notice the far side of the bed, that black area seems to be from the gutter.

A curb drain, perhaps?

eta: Good catch. Looking at street view, imo, that black area is the curb drain.

 

[keeponsearching]

Can the thing on the back window be a window sticker of some sort of flag?

 

[JurysOut]

Or a crowbar/tire iron. She wouldn't have had time or been able to scream if she didn't know what hit her. And blunt force trauma to the back of the head might not result in blood loss or spatter.

I've personally suffered closed head trauma* -skull fracture- with zero skin damage or blood loss.

It's entirely possible to injure or incapacitate someone without leaving TV-ready evidence.

* Explains a lot, no?