LA - Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette, 19 May 2012 - #15

[BayouBecky]

What I continued to be intrigued by is what the allowed amount of actual lying is allowed.

For example, they claim there is no additional footage of Mickey. And then A.C.I. says there is continuous footage somewhere down on St. Landry. So would they lie or can we then conclude that she did divert her path right there or was hit right there somewhere.

It's clear they withold info. But how much outright lying would they do. If they can just lie for undisclosed reasons, I feel like a lot of us are wasting our time trying to even do any brainwork based on the tiny bits of info released.

THIS! This is what I was trying to say when A.C.I. mentioned the continuous footage. I know that info gets withheld, but just to what extent does misdirection go when working with LE?

Not angry, just curious about what lengths they can go to, that's all.

 

[nutkin]

THIS! This is what I was trying to say when A.C.I. mentioned the continuous footage. I know that info gets withheld, but just to what extent does misdirection go when working with LE?

Not angry, just curious about what lengths they can go to, that's all.

There have been instances where LE releases wrong or misleading information purposely in hopes that the responsible party will contact them to "correct" the information.

 

[justwannahelp]

The log initially refused to answer questions without an attorney present. :banghead:

LOL !

seriously though, they said the stump was submerged and was 30 feet from where the bike was, so im guessing they knew there was an object and figured they should get it. the water is too muddy to determine what the object is until its removed from the water first.

 

[nutkin]

I don't believe sonar is extremely useful in cases where there are lots of debris in the water, unfortunately.

 

[Foxfire]

Mickey's family did not contact LE until around 6:30 the night of the morning she was last seen. I'm under the impression that organized searches did not begin until Sunday. If my memory serves me correctly, it stormed in Lafayette on Sunday evening. I don't think the St. Landry Street area was searched with canine before the rain. Would the rain effect a canine search?

Great link that may answer your questions Creole Sleuth:

http://www.k9sardog.com/usesardog.html


K9 SAR site

What hurts scent? Heavy vehicle and human traffic contaminates the scent. Heavy rains of 3" per day may wash the scent down. Heat dries out the scent and the search dogs nasal scent receptors making it harder for the search dog to track.

 

[bessie]

Perhaps I'm focusing on minutiae, perhaps not, but: has LE taken into consideration the variance between timestamps? (IE the clocks on the two cameras/recorders not being perfectly synched -- to each other and/or to Atomic Clock time?)

It's not minutiae, and I certainly hope the timers have been compared to each other. In the Lauren Spierer case, a discrepancy in surveillance camera timers presented a false impression leading LE to believe initially that a white truck had circled the block near LS's apartment the morning she disappeared. The error was later revealed, and the truck's driver ID'd and cleared by LE.

 

[GulfCoastKAT]

Virtually every missing person investigation has its pitfalls. Although the MS investigation got off to a slow start due to several factors, LPD & the Schunick family have done a great job & should be saluted for bringing in additional professional resources, imo.

The resources brought in; FBI BAU, TES, PI, and the many other LE agencies within the first few days after her disapperance. And let's not forget the thousands of volunteer searchers from the community. Many are retired or off duty public safety, military, etc..

The awareness generated in the Mickey Schunick has been no less than amazing.

I agree. I think LPD is doing its best at the moment. While I would like more info from them, I totally understand the need to keep things pertaining to the investigation quiet. I want Mickey found, recovered, rescued.. Whatever the case may be. Her family deserves answers- in any form.

 

[SurfieTX]

Mickey's family did not contact LE until around 6:30 the night of the morning she was last seen. I'm under the impression that organized searches did not begin until Sunday. If my memory serves me correctly, it stormed in Lafayette on Sunday evening. I don't think the St. Landry Street area was searched with canine before the rain. Would the rain effect a canine search?

Damp ground is actually best for the dogs. It helps to retain the scent better. We talked a lot about that with our SAR posters (Oriah and Sarx) in Sierra LaMar's case.

 

[tezi]

this lands at random/gentle reminder: please attack the post not the postER

Sorry nursebeeme, I will try to restrain myself. I just upset at the same questions being asked over and over again, after they've been answered over and over again. From now on, I'll sit on my hands.

Once again, my apologies.

 

[JW1893]

Great link that may answer your questions Creole Sleuth:

http://www.k9sardog.com/usesardog.html


K9 SAR site

What hurts scent? Heavy vehicle and human traffic contaminates the scent. Heavy rains of 3" per day may wash the scent down. Heat dries out the scent and the search dogs nasal scent receptors making it harder for the search dog to track.

Well, that's good...we didn't have anywhere near 3" of rain, though it was hot. I wonder how high of heat they're talking--I think we were around the very upper 80s all week last week?

 

[amysmom]

A little bit of personal info re: a vehicle hitting a pedestrian:

My dad was hit by a car (while walking along the side of the road) & killed 13 yrs ago..Normally he would always walk AGAINST the traffic which is thought to be much safer then having the traffic coming from behind..In that scenario you're really at the mercy of the drivers..Btw! I totally agree with this & here in MA that is what's normally seen by walkers & bike riders..On that particular day (it was the middle of the afternoon) we believe he chose to walk with the traffic most likely cos that side of the road/sidewalk didn't have the snow banks (due to a snow storm just the night before) that across the street did.

The man that hit him was elderly & impaired with medical issues..He should never have been even driving that car..Similar to a drunk driver so I think a connection can be made..What was told to us by LE was often times a driver will be looking at something or someone & the car will veer in that same direction..The driver is not even aware of this happening..It's kinda like the mind & body are in tune with each other so as the driver is intently looking in a certain direction he will steer the car towards it..I don't believe it happens that often & most of the time my guess is the driver realizes it before it's too late..Unless, of course, they are impaired for whatever reason..Our belief is this particular driver was focused on my dad so that he would NOT hit him..In Mickey's case it could go either way IF she was, in fact, hit by whatever vehicle.

I just wanted to throw this possible & probably unlikely scenario out there even tho I fear we'll never know what really did happen to her that awful night.

 

[megsy]

Locard’s Exchange Principle. This principleamplifies one of the most salient points in criminology, and that is “every contact leaves a trace.”
http://www.scribd.com/doc/13221197/Crime-Scene-Reconstruction-and-Analysis-

"Using this principle, for the life of me I can't understand why the exact location of the abduction of Mickey Schunick hasn't been located by investigators'. Seems that K9s could have easily identified the spot, as well as MS's route within the 1st or 2nd day.
Here we are 12/13 days out without this critical info, that would be very important for receiving public tips.

That was such an interesting read. Thanks for linking it!

 

[hollyblue]

i have a question regarding the hand-grips being found... if it has been cleared up, i could not find where...

were they found on the bike or separated (cut off)?

if they were cut off, it should be easy to tell if they were cut with a pocket knife or a utility blade based on pressure applied (based on the markings left on the handles)...

the reason i ask is many people do not carry a utility knife in their vehicles aside from painters, construction workers, etc...

if cut with a pocket knife, we might be able to assume that the bike was loaded up and grips were cut in-route or under the bridge...

if a utility knife was used, that might imply that they were cut off at a residence/business implying a stop may have been made somewhere in between... or at least be a clue as to perps profession.

i know it is thin... but these little details might mean something to someone whereas they might mean nothing to someone else...

thx...

Old lady here and I have a utility knife in my house for opening or destroying boxes...and cared one in my car before I bought a little pocket knife for my key chain to just open little snacks pkgs that were stubborn because of long nails. Just sayin'

 

[JW1893]

Spending time to get second and third opinions in normal in other professions too, but seriously how much time can a family being victimized by an abduction seriously take to find 'the right' PI. If I need a surgeon, I get whoever is on staff; not the 'right one'; but then again the medical profession takes care of this in its own way by ranking 'the smartest'. lol...

I would assume the family picked who they did based on recommendations from others. It only takes 5 minutes to google 'private investigators' and check out reviews of them--with the internet team that was working on spreading the word about Mickey, someone could have easily said 'let me find a good P.I.' and did the search work for the Shunicks.

 

[justwannahelp]

Handgrips are hard to clean. They are usually porous or have a lot of little grooves for "gripping". If the perp grabbed the handgrips at some point to put them in his truck he realized that there would be DNA and skin cells trapped in there. The bike body could be cleaned a variety of ways, but the handgrips would be tough.

is it "clever thinking" to remove the grips. i'm not a criminal, but removing the grips makes me think this may have been more than the "oops i hit someone, get rid of the evidence" scenario. it makes me think more serial or organized crime. if it were the accident scenario, i don't think they would have thought to remove the grips.

 

[slowlybutshelly]

I suppose all LEO's are different but ours were exceptional when our son went missing. They were thorough and precise. They worked diligently and came to our home numerous times each day and night. They allowed me to work the phone records myself, since AT&T didn't want to release the cell records without a lot of paperwork. I finally broke down, cried and pitched a fit then begged....and some sweet lady gave in and sent them to me.

When our son was found, they allowed my husband (who was/is a chaplain with the sheriff's department), to wear a Kevlar vest and go in with them to retrieve him. It was pretty amazing for him to be a part of that recovery. I can't say enough good things about our Police Department.

I am so sorry that you have had to go through something like this. But I imagine everyone who is on WS has been touched in some way or another tragically. I did not expect to end up here although I found the website a year or so ago. But MS could have been me. So I am here.

 

[A.C.I]

Does anyone know if artmosphere uses wrist bands for patrons? If so what do they typically look like and/or what did they look like the night of the show Mickey went to.

 

[nursebeeme]

http://texasequusearch.org/2012/05/missing-michaela-mickey-shunick-22-yrs-lafayette-la-051912/

TES page for Mickey (are they still boots on the ground there?)

 

[megsy]

A little bit of personal info re: a vehicle hitting a pedestrian:

My dad was hit by a car (while walking along the side of the road) & killed 13 yrs ago..Normally he would always walk AGAINST the traffic which is thought to be much safer then having the traffic coming from behind..In that scenario you're really at the mercy of the drivers..Btw! I totally agree with this & here in MA that is what's normally seen by walkers & bike riders..On that particular day (it was the middle of the afternoon) we believe he chose to walk with the traffic most likely cos that side of the road/sidewalk didn't have the snow banks (due to a snow storm just the night before) that across the street did.

The man that hit him was elderly & impaired with medical issues..He should never have been even driving that car..Similar to a drunk driver so I think a connection can be made..What was told to us by LE was often times a driver will be looking at something or someone & the car will veer in that same direction..The driver is not even aware of this happening..It's kinda like the mind & body are in tune with each other so as the driver is intently looking in a certain direction he will steer the car towards it..I don't believe it happens that often & most of the time my guess is the driver realizes it before it's too late..Unless, of course, they are impaired for whatever reason..Our belief is this particular driver was focused on my dad so that he would NOT hit him..In Mickey's case it could go either way IF she was, in fact, hit by whatever vehicle.

I just wanted to throw this possible & probably unlikely scenario out there even tho I fear we'll never know what really did happen to her that awful night.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your dad

 

[Questioning]

Does anyone know if artmosphere uses wrist bands for patrons? If so what do they typically look like and/or what did they look like the night of the show Mickey went to.

Yes they do whenever there is a paid show, which is typical for a Friday night. I don't know what they looked like that night but they are always simple colored paper ones.