LA - Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette 19 May 2012 - #25

[Zuckerschnecke]

My opinions only, no facts here:

I find it possible, if not likely, that the two white truck surveillance pics are the same vehicle. I am speaking of the white truck that was going in the same direction as MS on her bicycle and the white truck that was going in the opposite direction, both in front of the gas station. I scaled the two vehicles accounting for their being in the near lane and far lane respectively, and their lengths are comparable. They both may have five-hole mag wheels. I know that this model is common, but at this later time of night what are the odds of the same-colored vehicle of the same length, model, and wheel-style passing by within a few minutes? Not that there is any evidence that this vehicle (or these vehicles) have anything to do with this case.

Note that in both pics, there is the same car parked at the gas pumps in the station. These pics are probably captured minutes apart.

Having said all of this, if the white truck is involved, it would require the perpetrator to follow MS, hit her with the truck, grab her and the damaged bike, and return to the same camera view within about five minutes. I have not followed this case as closely as many of you here. Is this time frame possible? Before answering, think about what lies down the road. Is it isolated enough down the road at night that a perpetrator would take the risk of pulling this off?

I have to disagree with them being the same truck for the one reason that one has a rack on the back and one does not, unless it's somehow not in the second picture. I've asked before about the rack but didn't get much of a response. They look the same but there are a few slight differences. JMO.

 

[princesspjs]

One of the sleuthers here called the police and spoke to a detective who told him/her that it was the same truck. LE is trying to find the truck...IMO they are not going to mislead people into thinking it is the same truck if it really isn't.

They want to find Mickey too.

IMO, JMO, MOO

 

[nervous_nellie]

the first thing i thought about in response to hearing of bw bike theft 2 weeks prior, and where it was found was that someone was trying to figure out how long it would take to find or if it would be found... i have no idea who would do something like that... just a thought that went thu my head... or whoever "found" it could be the same person that took it was looking for a way to make friends with bw ... but after it was revealed who found the bike i feel it highly unlikely... this is all purely speculative...

 

[Island hopper]

My opinions only, no facts here:

I find it possible, if not likely, that the two white truck surveillance pics are the same vehicle. I am speaking of the white truck that was going in the same direction as MS on her bicycle and the white truck that was going in the opposite direction, both in front of the gas station. I scaled the two vehicles accounting for their being in the near lane and far lane respectively, and their lengths are comparable. They both may have five-hole mag wheels. I know that this model is common, but at this later time of night what are the odds of the same-colored vehicle of the same length, model, and wheel-style passing by within a few minutes? Not that there is any evidence that this vehicle (or these vehicles) have anything to do with this case.

Note that in both pics, there is the same car parked at the gas pumps in the station. These pics are probably captured minutes apart.

Having said all of this, if the white truck is involved, it would require the perpetrator to follow MS, hit her with the truck, grab her and the damaged bike, and return to the same camera view within about five minutes. I have not followed this case as closely as many of you here. Is this time frame possible? Before answering, think about what lies down the road. Is it isolated enough down the road at night that a perpetrator would take the risk of pulling this off?

I posted a similar opinion in a prior thread. Quite certain that one of the first news articles I read on this case stated that LE is certain that it is the same truck. I assume that is why they have focused so heavily on it. The same article seemed to imply that LE shares our theory.

 

[Lcbrn]

Not sure if someone pointed this out already, so I apologize! But in the two pics of the white truck in question, (to me) it looks like the bed/door at the back of the truck is down in the pic where the truck is heading left. The other pic, in which the same truck is traveling to the right, it looks like the bed/door is now up/closed. Am I just imagining this?

 

[A.C.I]

DTL, was driven underground, yet was eventually captured in Atlanta, GA due to heat being placed on the DTL Task Force via concerned citizens. The one common denominator in cases that I have researched is that once the pressure is placed on the predator/s, no more innocent victim's lives are taken.

Interesting read about the DTL Investigation; deja vu-

In Search of Derrick Todd Lee: The Internet Social Movement that Made a Difference
by Stan Weeber

Amazon.com: In Search of Derrick Todd Lee: The Internet Social Movement that Made a Difference (9780761838425): Stan Weeber: Books

This book is about criminologist Maurice Godwin's Internet social movement that sprang to life during the Baton Rouge serial murder case. The movement was a response to the Task Force failing to find serial killer Derrick Todd Lee, as citizens in Baton Rouge, South Louisiana, and South Mississippi no longer wished to wait in fear. This is a story of citizen empowerment in a time of crisis. Both scholars and ordinary citizens will be inspired by the way the people in Baton Rouge helped themselves by putting pressure on investigators for improved results. Godwin's innovative Internet movement, involving geographic mapping and online discussions with Baton Rouge citizens, developed into a hub of information to expedite the finding and arrest of Lee. The author sociologically describes and analyzes the key players, the major controversies, and the internal dynamics of the movement that led to the arrest of the serial killer on May 27, 2003.

My only regret is that I have but one "thanks" to give for this post

 

[liltexans]

Candella said the search dogs began working Wednesday. Friday would likely be their last day, because trainers and handlers have to take special precautions to make sure the dogs do not get exhausted or overheated.

Searchers concentrated in the water and woods near the Interstate 10 Whiskey Bay exit, as Shunick's bicycle was discovered there about two weeks ago.

Several dogs were used in the search — two in the water and four on land, Candella said.

more here: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/arti...0313/Trained-dogs-aid-search?odyssey=nav|head

 

[Island hopper]

I realize that everyone is tired of hearing about the white truck...sorry... They are everywhere. But, this white truck appears to have a chrome gas cover. That seems to be an unusual characteristic of a typical Z71. I think the Silverado Texas Edition and Harley Davidson editions have them.

And, GMC Sierra's also have a Z71 that has the chrome gas cover. They look almost identical to the Chevy Z71. It even has the Z71 decal on back. ....Tasha Patterson claimed it was a white GMC Sierra that picked her up. Has anything more come of her statement? I did see that there is a sketch of the driver that has been released.

 

[A.C.I]

I realize that everyone is tired of hearing about the white truck...sorry... They are everywhere. But, this white truck appears to have a chrome gas cover. That seems to be an unusual characteristic of a typical Z71. I think the Silverado Texas Edition and Harley Davidson editions have them.

And, GMC Sierra's also have a Z71 that has the chrome gas cover. They look almost identical to the Chevy Z71. It even has the Z71 decal on back. ....Tasha Patterson claimed it was a white GMC Sierra that picked her up. Has anything more come of her statement? I did see that there is a sketch of the driver that has been released.

The truck with the chrome gas cap was ruled out. As well as the truck with the bed cover (LE says they are the same truck). But even if theyre not, when asked about the truck with the chrome gas cap LPD officer told me they already spoke with that driver.

 

[TxLady2]

I'm sure it's been hashed out here, but maybe not... I woke up this morning with a thought in my head.

I wonder if any investigators are working on the possibility that the truck was made to disappear in a body of water in the area?

How long could somebody hide the fact that their truck was missing?

Assuming they have insurance, they could probably theoretically keep renewing their insurance without ever having to have prove they still own the vehicle, maybe.

Heck, I believe in many areas they can even keep renewing license plates & registration without having to show a physical vehicle.

The only thing in my area that I would have to have a vehicle for is mandatory emissions testing, which I think is only for vehicles at least 3 or 4 years old and older. And, we can't renew our registration without this testing.

Anyway, maybe they can find people that own the type of truck they are looking for who don't renew their insurance or registration, or who don't do their vehicle emissions testing.

The possibility exists that the truck was already expired or in arrears in some way before the crime, so maybe investigators could go back up to a year and keep watch for trucks that expire or go into debt somehow for the next couple of years, via state databases and by subpoena of insurance company documents (which hopefully wouldn't be too hard on the insurance angle, my guess is most people use one of three or four top/big insurance agencies).

Does LA requrire yearly inspection stickers like Texas does? If so, then the vehicle itself would have to be inspected by someone licensed by the state. It's possible to keep up the insurance and registration on any vehicle without producing the vehicle but not the inspection sticker. Cops here watch for expired stickers. Any state licensed inspector would risk losing his license plus have to pay a hefty fine if he filled out an inspection sticker for a vehicle he didn't actually see and inspect, and the owner of said vehicle would be fined as well.
Not to mention... I can't picture someone willing to sink an expensive truck like that in a river and then go about their merry way. If I were driving around with expired stickers, and no insurance, and happened to accidentally hit a person on a bike, causing serious injury or death.... I would DRIVE my vehicle into the river and drown myself. I'm not most people though.

 

[A.C.I]

Does LA requrire yearly inspection stickers like Texas does? If so, then the vehicle itself would have to be inspected by someone licensed by the state. It's possible to keep up the insurance and registration on any vehicle without producing the vehicle but not the inspection sticker. Cops here watch for expired stickers. Any state licensed inspector would risk losing his license plus have to pay a hefty fine if he filled out an inspection sticker for a vehicle he didn't actually see and inspect, and the owner of said vehicle would be fined as well.
Not to mention... I can't picture someone willing to sink an expensive truck like that in a river and then go about their merry way. If I were driving around with expired stickers, and no insurance, and happened to accidentally hit a person on a bike, causing serious injury or death.... I would DRIVE my vehicle into the river and drown myself. I'm not most people though.

Everyone and their mom is certified to give inspections around here. You can get it renewed easily. 9 times out of 10 they don't actually inspect the vehicle. You show up, sign the paper and get your new sticker.

 

[paris_paris]

I realize that everyone is tired of hearing about the white truck...sorry... They are everywhere. But, this white truck appears to have a chrome gas cover. That seems to be an unusual characteristic of a typical Z71. I think the Silverado Texas Edition and Harley Davidson editions have them.

And, GMC Sierra's also have a Z71 that has the chrome gas cover. They look almost identical to the Chevy Z71. It even has the Z71 decal on back. ....Tasha Patterson claimed it was a white GMC Sierra that picked her up. Has anything more come of her statement? I did see that there is a sketch of the driver that has been released.

Tasha said it was a white GMC Sierra 2500 Texas Edition. What sketch?

http://m.dailymail.co.uk/mobile/news/article.html?articleID=2156777

 

[Lcbrn]

Wonder if LE has checked for trucks like this for sale? Like on Craigslist type websites..

 

[Island hopper]

The truck with the chrome gas cap was ruled out. As well as the truck with the bed cover (LE says they are the same truck). But even if theyre not, when asked about the truck with the chrome gas cap LPD officer told me they already spoke with that driver.

That would be the driver of the white truck in front of the Circle K? It has a chrome gas cover. The random truck with the bed cover I know was ruled out.

I am almost certain that LE states that the two pics of the white truck passing the Circle K, going in opposite directions, is the same truck. Did I miss something? I was under the assumption they were still looking for that truck.

I apologize if I get a bit carried away with the little details! I have two ex's...one is a County Prosecutor and the other is a Police Chief so I am typically a good researcher

 

[ashola_nola]

Just curious - is Tasha Patterson a truck expert?

Did she label the truck as a GMC Sierra 2500 Texas Edition on her own, or was she shown a bunch of pictures of trucks and told to pick the one she thought was right?

Off the top of my head, I know I wouldn't be able to provide that much information, just "white truck" and how many doors, interior color, maybe a detail about it being "lifted" ... but most likely not make/model/year/edition. (Forgive me, I'm a girl and cars/trucks are NOT my area of expertise.)

If Tasha has the same (lacking) ability to distinguish vehicles, it could be easy for her to mislabel the truck she got into a whole 2 (almost 3 now) months ago.

 

[paris_paris]

Just curious - is Tasha Patterson a truck expert?

Did she label the truck as a GMC Sierra 2500 Texas Edition on her own, or was she shown a bunch of pictures of trucks and told to pick the one she thought was right?

I believe they have a "Texas Edition" emblem on the dash. The X in Texas is a big star.

Emblem here http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=sierra+texas+edition+2500+emblem&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1274&bih=724&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=bM-5zJSvJ19n8M:&imgrefurl=http://www.4autochannel.com/2012-chevrolet-silverado-heavy-duty-texas-edition-truck.html&docid=7BTXuXyMpQ3jLM&imgurl=http://www.4autochannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2012-Chevrolet-Silverado-Heavy-Duty-Texas-Edition-Truck-1.jpg&w=750&h=469&ei=g2PTT8WeAYXC0AGzqcmtAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=951&vpy=194&dur=177&hovh=177&hovw=284&tx=231&ty=134&sig=102217365866938296969&page=2&tbnh=122&tbnw=195&start=13&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:13,i:175

 

[Shaydpines]

Going back to the Versailles picture, I used to think the white blob was a reflection of the gate across the street. However, when looking at the speed limit sign and seeing a little of the white blob (for lack of a better word) carry over slightly, it makes more sense that something was whited out on purpose.

My main point is that whenever I look at this picture, it's hard for me to tell if MS is riding her bike, or if she is looking to her right with her right foot on the ground. IMO (And I apologize if this has been examined extensively already.)

 

[A.C.I]

That would be the driver of the white truck in front of the Circle K? It has a chrome gas cover. The random truck with the bed cover I know was ruled out.

I am almost certain that LE states that the two pics of the white truck passing the Circle K, going in opposite directions, is the same truck. Did I miss something? I was under the assumption they were still looking for that truck.

I apologize if I get a bit carried away with the little details! I have two ex's...one is a County Prosecutor and the other is a Police Chief so I am typically a good researcher

Yeah I think you missed something. LE stated the truck with the chrome gas cap and the one with the bed cover are the same truck, and they have ruled it out.

 

[liltexans]

I watched that show tonight too and thought of Mickey...her name was Ardeth Wood.

I had never heard about this case so I looked it up. Very scary and sad.

Ms. Wood was on leave from her doctoral studies and visiting her family in Ottawa in the summer of 2003. She was riding her bicycle along a path beside the Rockcliffe Parkway in the Green's Creek area when she was last seen on August 6, 2003.

News of her disappearance was reported widely in Canada, and the entire city of Ottawa rallied around a search effort that involved hundreds of volunteers, the police, and the military. Her body was found in the woods around Green's Creek on August 11, 2003.

Manhunt

Ottawa police received many tips that a man on a bicycle was seen luring women into the woods along the path where Ms. Wood had travelled. A composite sketch of the murder suspect was compiled soon thereafter, and was widely distributed across Canada.

Over two years after the murder, on October 20, 2005, police arrested Chris Myers, a 25-year old man, who had been previously charged with assaults in North Bay, Ontario. Staff Sgt. Randy Wisker led the investigation into Ms. Wood's murder, and relied on a loose collection of tips prior to the arrest.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardeth_Wood"]Ardeth Wood - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[monicat]

That would be the driver of the white truck in front of the Circle K? It has a chrome gas cover. The random truck with the bed cover I know was ruled out.

I am almost certain that LE states that the two pics of the white truck passing the Circle K, going in opposite directions, is the same truck. Did I miss something? I was under the assumption they were still looking for that truck.

I apologize if I get a bit carried away with the little details! I have two ex's...one is a County Prosecutor and the other is a Police Chief so I am typically a good researcher

this is absolutely insane that we cant get the vehicles right!!! If the white trucks in front of the circle K on St. Landry are NOT the same, then that means there were actually FOUR vehicles in question and NOT THREE. Please can someone clarify, since we have
1) hooptie
2) white truck with bed cover
3) white truck with chrome gas tank cover heading towards the left.
4) white truck heading towards the right on st landry.

i though 3 & 4 were the same truck