LA - Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette 19 May 2012 - #31

[chicken fried]

Well IMO 50 ft is a good ways. The 2 lanes of of highway going in each direction can't be wider than 50 ft. I really can't estimate the distance between two sets of roadway without like.....looking. anywho, I don't know how you know the precise spot where the bike was found but ill take your word for it that you know what you're talking about.

Do you think its possible that the bike wasn't hit by a vehicle at all but instead maybe intentionally damaged as to let the air out of the tire to make real sure that the air in the tire didn't cause it to float and drift. IMO the perp may have had a last minute thought to dent or bend the rim so that the tire wouldn't hold air and cause it to float or drift more easily? Or.was damage to the tire consistant with being definately hit by a vehicle?

I'm not quite sure what you're driving at, and why 50 feet matters. The WBay Bridge is very narrow - I estimate under 25-ft. wide in each direction.

I have a couple reliable sources that peg where the bike was found - a newspaper reporter who went out to cover its recovery, and also a local who lives a short distance away and was familiar with the recovery location.

My point is that it is very unlikely that the bike was thrown off the bridge, for reasons detailed above. I have personally inspected the scene, and the proximity of the bike to the bridge pillar, the difficulty of targeting that location dropping it from the bridge at night, plus the dual risk to the perp(s) of having to stop on that bridge with no shoulder and the possibility of LE seeing a stopped vehicle, plus the ease of dropping the bike by land, militate very strongly toward a land drop. My independently derived theory also matches LE's theory, so they and I are thinking alike.

Additionally, I use Occam's Razor: any perp(s) familiar enough with the area to set up a situation in which the bike was dumped in a specific area from the bridge, would likely be familiar enough with the exit that he/she would know how much less visible they would be to dump from land. A daytime dump is eminently possible. The bridge-pillar area is very isolated even in daytime, with little risk of being seen. The area is not visible from the bridge, and, once a vehicle pulls off Hwy. 975, not visible from there either. The only challenge for the perp(s) would be light. There are no lights in the area. There was no moon when Mickey went missing. The perp(s) would have to have used a dimmed flashlight or the light from a smart-phone to walk out on the pillar - OR, was very familiar with the path out onto the pillar, from having been there before.

Putting myself in the perp(s) shoes, yes, if I were familiar with the area and had specifically been out on that pillar before, I could theoretically have tiptoed out there with no light..... BUT - it would not have been easy. I'm pretty fearless about nighttime, and have a good sense of direction - yet, it would have been VERY dark down under that bridge - dark enough where I would have had to operate basically by feel. Doable - technically - but I would have felt much more comfortable having a partner with a dimmed flashlight or (more likely IMO) light from a smart-phone to help me see while I carried the bike. In essence, a night-time bike dump from the back of the bridge pillar tells me that almost certainly two people dumped the bike. A daytime drop could have been accomplished by a lone perp(s).

A note about the tire tracks referred to by LE: I believe that they referred to by LE only to explain that the area was accessible by vehicle - not that they truly had a lead from tire tracks. The area is full of tire tracks of varying ages, and if the bike was dumped a week earlier, as LE said, the original tire tracks would likely have been criss-crossed by other vehicles, AND, it rained hard a couple days after Mickey went missing - and so I have a hard time believing that LE was able to pick out any useful tracks.

 

[chicken fried]

Do you think its possible that the bike wasn't hit by a vehicle at all but instead maybe intentionally damaged as to let the air out of the tire to make real sure that the air in the tire didn't cause it to float and drift. IMO the perp may have had a last minute thought to dent or bend the rim so that the tire wouldn't hold air and cause it to float or drift more easily? Or.was damage to the tire consistant with being definately hit by a vehicle?

I have no idea about the nature of the damage to the rim. That info has been held closely. It would be easy to let the air out of the tires by pushing the valve stems. I cannot speculate, as I don't have enough info.

 

[concentric]

http://www.katc.com/news/one-dead-in-taco-bell-parking-lot-shooting/
Lafayette Police are investigating a shooting that happened around 2:30am in the Taco Bell parking lot on Congress St.


It has been rediculous with all of the shootings and such. More people need to be aware of what is going on. It is just scary!:what:

----------------
There was a case where an elderly woman was leaving a Taco Bell in TX, and a teen dared a younger teen to snatch her purse, thus completing a gang initiation rite.

The elderly woman was thrown to the ground, and died.

 

[concentric]

I agree with you up to a point, but there are predators who seek out certain types of women. Most just seek out women in general, but there are a few who prefer a certain haircolor or body type.

-----------
And, who is to say that the abduction "perp" is the end of the road?

I think there are multiple possibilities here that need to be investigated simultaneously. The problem is financing, manpower, jurisdiction, etc. in the investigations. Here are a few of the many possibilities, IMO:

1. There could be several persons who are paid to abduct these women and eventually take them far away (trafficking).

2. However, there are also cases where someone like a wealthy, John Jamelski, will build a dungeon and keep them for himself for years.

3. Serials, like Gacy, who will rape, kill and keep the bodies hidden in their home or on their property.

4. Different perps. or serials, who rape and murder, then leave the victims' bodies.

It is the 4th scenario above that seems to get focused on, and that bothers me, because there are a large number of missing blonde petite young women who have not been found.

 

[NewYork625]

I'm not quite sure what you're driving at, and why 50 feet matters. The WBay Bridge is very narrow - I estimate under 25-ft. wide in each direction.

I have a couple reliable sources that peg where the bike was found - a newspaper reporter who went out to cover its recovery, and also a local who lives a short distance away and was familiar with the recovery location.

My point is that it is very unlikely that the bike was thrown off the bridge, for reasons detailed above. I have personally inspected the scene, and the proximity of the bike to the bridge pillar, the difficulty of targeting that location dropping it from the bridge at night, plus the dual risk to the perp(s) of having to stop on that bridge with no shoulder and the possibility of LE seeing a stopped vehicle, plus the ease of dropping the bike by land, militate very strongly toward a land drop. My independently derived theory also matches LE's theory, so they and I are thinking alike.

Additionally, I use Occam's Razor: any perp(s) familiar enough with the area to set up a situation in which the bike was dumped in a specific area from the bridge, would likely be familiar enough with the exit that he/she would know how much less visible they would be to dump from land. A daytime dump is eminently possible. The bridge-pillar area is very isolated even in daytime, with little risk of being seen. The area is not visible from the bridge, and, once a vehicle pulls off Hwy. 975, not visible from there either. The only challenge for the perp(s) would be light. There are no lights in the area. There was no moon when Mickey went missing. The perp(s) would have to have used a dimmed flashlight or the light from a smart-phone to walk out on the pillar - OR, was very familiar with the path out onto the pillar, from having been there before.

Putting myself in the perp(s) shoes, yes, if I were familiar with the area and had specifically been out on that pillar before, I could theoretically have tiptoed out there with no light..... BUT - it would not have been easy. I'm pretty fearless about nighttime, and have a good sense of direction - yet, it would have been VERY dark down under that bridge - dark enough where I would have had to operate basically by feel. Doable - technically - but I would have felt much more comfortable having a partner with a dimmed flashlight or (more likely IMO) light from a smart-phone to help me see while I carried the bike. In essence, a night-time bike dump from the back of the bridge pillar tells me that almost certainly two people dumped the bike. A daytime drop could have been accomplished by a lone perp(s).

A note about the tire tracks referred to by LE: I believe that they referred to by LE only to explain that the area was accessible by vehicle - not that they truly had a lead from tire tracks. The area is full of tire tracks of varying ages, and if the bike was dumped a week earlier, as LE said, the original tire tracks would likely have been criss-crossed by other vehicles, AND, it rained hard a couple days after Mickey went missing - and so I have a hard time believing that LE was able to pick out any useful tracks.

On the day Shunick's bike was found, police have also revealed their discovery of off-road tire tracks nearby.
'We strongly believe that the person, or perpetrator, drove down to the edge of the water and dumped the bike into the water for it not to be found.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...or-says-identified-suspect.html#ixzz1zTewlZFy


"Police are planning to perform a grid search of the area where the bike was found on ATVs. Officers are searching the Atchafalaya River by boat, but the river's current was too strong to allow for divers this afternoon, police said."

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com...nick-missing-students-bike-found-under-bridge

I also read on another site that the shore drops off abruptly to deep water there. I hope that Mickey is found alive, but isn't it possible that Mickey was left there with her bike, and the current may have carried her further downstream?

 

[redhairedgirl]

I'm not quite sure what you're driving at, and why 50 feet matters. The WBay Bridge is very narrow - I estimate under 25-ft. wide in each direction.

I have a couple reliable sources that peg where the bike was found - a newspaper reporter who went out to cover its recovery, and also a local who lives a short distance away and was familiar with the recovery location.

My point is that it is very unlikely that the bike was thrown off the bridge, for reasons detailed above. I have personally inspected the scene, and the proximity of the bike to the bridge pillar, the difficulty of targeting that location dropping it from the bridge at night, plus the dual risk to the perp(s) of having to stop on that bridge with no shoulder and the possibility of LE seeing a stopped vehicle, plus the ease of dropping the bike by land, militate very strongly toward a land drop. My independently derived theory also matches LE's theory, so they and I are thinking alike.

Additionally, I use Occam's Razor: any perp(s) familiar enough with the area to set up a situation in which the bike was dumped in a specific area from the bridge, would likely be familiar enough with the exit that he/she would know how much less visible they would be to dump from land. A daytime dump is eminently possible. The bridge-pillar area is very isolated even in daytime, with little risk of being seen. The area is not visible from the bridge, and, once a vehicle pulls off Hwy. 975, not visible from there either. The only challenge for the perp(s) would be light. There are no lights in the area. There was no moon when Mickey went missing. The perp(s) would have to have used a dimmed flashlight or the light from a smart-phone to walk out on the pillar - OR, was very familiar with the path out onto the pillar, from having been there before.

Putting myself in the perp(s) shoes, yes, if I were familiar with the area and had specifically been out on that pillar before, I could theoretically have tiptoed out there with no light..... BUT - it would not have been easy. I'm pretty fearless about nighttime, and have a good sense of direction - yet, it would have been VERY dark down under that bridge - dark enough where I would have had to operate basically by feel. Doable - technically - but I would have felt much more comfortable having a partner with a dimmed flashlight or (more likely IMO) light from a smart-phone to help me see while I carried the bike. In essence, a night-time bike dump from the back of the bridge pillar tells me that almost certainly two people dumped the bike. A daytime drop could have been accomplished by a lone perp(s).

A note about the tire tracks referred to by LE: I believe that they referred to by LE only to explain that the area was accessible by vehicle - not that they truly had a lead from tire tracks. The area is full of tire tracks of varying ages, and if the bike was dumped a week earlier, as LE said, the original tire tracks would likely have been criss-crossed by other vehicles, AND, it rained hard a couple days after Mickey went missing - and so I have a hard time believing that LE was able to pick out any useful tracks.

Is it possible that the perp would take the bike down there at night, and pull his vehicle as close to the bank/pillar as possible to provide light? He could have left his lights on to shine towards the embankemnt and taken the bike down and tossed it in the water. That way, he would have his hands free to carry the bike down and get back up the embankment.

 

[Foxfire]

-----------
And, who is to say that the abduction "perp" is the end of the road?

I think there are multiple possibilities here that need to be investigated simultaneously. The problem is financing, manpower, jurisdiction, etc. in the investigations. Here are a few of the many possibilities, IMO:

1. There could be several persons who are paid to abduct these women and eventually take them far away (trafficking).

2. However, there are also cases where someone like a wealthy, John Jamelski, will build a dungeon and keep them for himself for years.

3. Serials, like Gacy, who will rape, kill and keep the bodies hidden in their home or on their property.

4. Different perps. or serials, who rape and murder, then leave the victims' bodies.

It is the 4th scenario above that seems to get focused on, and that bothers me, because there are a large number of missing blonde petite young women who have not been found.

RE: It is the 4th scenario above that seems to get focused on, and that bothers me, because there are a large number of missing blonde petite young women who have not been found.

'concentric, I think this is what has many of us scratching our heads in bewilderment'..

Many of these petite blonde victims have been missing for months or years, yet no known witnesses of their abductions, no sightings while in captivity, no clue as to their final destination locations, and complete silence by those in authority..

 

[aussie_girl88]

Has a new thread started? Can't find it

 

[liltexans]

I was watching On the Case on ID about serial killer Bobby Joe Long. Really caught my attention when they were talking about Long's surviving victim, Lisa McVey. She was riding home from work on her bicycle at 2 in the morning in Tampa when Long abducted her.
Scary stuff.

While on her way home from work during the evening of November 3, 1984, Lisa was grabbed off her bicycle and tied up by someone hiding in the bushes along the road. He had a gun and said that he also had a knife. He quickly blindfolded her and forced her into his car. She was certain he meant to kill her.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/long/5.html

 

[Foxfire]

Is it possible that the perp would take the bike down there at night, and pull his vehicle as close to the bank/pillar as possible to provide light? He could have left his lights on to shine towards the embankemnt and taken the bike down and tossed it in the water. That way, he would have his hands free to carry the bike down and get back up the embankment.

redhairedgirl, very perceptive comment.. An organized sexual predator will also be equipped with a flashlight. In many of the predators researched, a head band with a flashlight attached was worn as a night visual aid.

There is a variety of these hands free flashlights available; Coleman Caplight Hands-Free LED Flashlight Hat..
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/...e-LED-Flashlight-Hat-with-3-Modes?&cookie=set

One witness I interviewed shared that she kept seeing a light shine up in the top of a tall white pine tree in a vacant lot next to her rural home. It was verified later that it was one of serial killer Gary Hilton's campsite 01/02/2008-GA, while holding Meredith Emerson in captivity.
He had a hands free flashlight and when he looked up, the light would shine in the tree.

 

[chicken fried]

Is it possible that the perp would take the bike down there at night, and pull his vehicle as close to the bank/pillar as possible to provide light? He could have left his lights on to shine towards the embankemnt and taken the bike down and tossed it in the water. That way, he would have his hands free to carry the bike down and get back up the embankment.

Yes, it's possible.
But.... also would have made the perp(s) visible from Hwy. 975.

If it were I, that would be an unneccesary risk.

 

[chicken fried]

On the day Shunick's bike was found, police have also revealed their discovery of off-road tire tracks nearby.
'We strongly believe that the person, or perpetrator, drove down to the edge of the water and dumped the bike into the water for it not to be found.

By off-road, they just mean on the dirt road off of Hwy. 975 - not an "off-road" vehicle. And by the edge, they mean in a general sense. You cannot actually drive down to the edge. Too steep a drop-off - even for an off-road vehicle, and it would have left very distinctive damage to the lip of the drop-off.

As far as a body being carried downstream, yes it's possible, BUT.... it would have been very difficult if not impossible to carry a body around the back of the pillar. A bike, yes - a body, no. Perp(s) would almost certainly fall off the pillar doing that. Carrying a body down to the shore..... too shallow - body would have hung up right away.

I do not believe that the bike and a body were placed simultaneously.

 

[JBean]

I'll make a new thread so hang onand get ready to move on over. I will bring the last page or so of posts over.

 

[justwannahelp]

By off-road, they just mean on the dirt road off of Hwy. 975 - not an "off-road" vehicle. And by the edge, they mean in a general sense. You cannot actually drive down to the edge. Too steep a drop-off - even for an off-road vehicle, and it would have left very distinctive damage to the lip of the drop-off.

As far as a body being carried downstream, yes it's possible, BUT.... it would have been very difficult if not impossible to carry a body around the back of the pillar. A bike, yes - a body, no. Perp(s) would almost certainly fall off the pillar doing that. Carrying a body down to the shore..... too shallow - body would have hung up right away.

I do not believe that the bike and a body were placed simultaneously.

very good point, chickenfried. it would have been difficult to get a body into the swifter part of the water since the bank is steep and the pillar part would be tricky to get to while carrying a body, right?

 

[JBean]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177532"]LA LA - Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette 19 May 2012 - #32 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]