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 Mickeys disappearance. She had not returned home, missed her brothers 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, Mickeys 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 Mickeys 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 Marshals Office, LSP, SMSO, SLSO, Iberia SO, Iberville SO, East Baton Rouge SO, Acadia SO, Patterson PD, FBI, US Marshals 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 Mickeys bike was found? What evidence (inaudible)
A: We have some evidence that we cant 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 cant 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 cant go into that at this point.
Q: Was any of Mickeys DNA found inside his home?
A: We cant 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 dont think so at this point.
Q: What (inaudible) believe shes 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 dont think that the people who run the registry would necessarily know that he had altered his drivers 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 its a Z71, white pickup truck, just like the one he had.
Q: Chief, how long can you hold him and whats next?
A: Well, right now hes charged with aggravated kidnapping and first degree murder. So theres 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 theres no bond on a first degree murder warrant so hes going to be held in a correctional center.
Q: Chief if a body isnt found do you expect any problem with that as far as prosecution or anything?
A: I couldnt comment on that. I think thats 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: Weve questioned a lot of people but I dont want to go into who weve questioned or who weve 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: Cant comment on that.
Q: (inaudible)
A: Cant 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 hes 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 FBIs made numerous resources available to us throughout this investigation.
Q: What (inaudible) motive for this crime?
A: Hes a sex offender.
Q: (something about truck on fire)
A: Thats part of the arson investigation thats 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: Were not releasing that right now.
Q: Do you have reason to believe that Mickey Shunick was sexually assaulted in this crime?
A: We dont know that yet.
