LA - Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette, 19 May 2012 - #1

[queenofcorona]

Lanie, that's where my mind is going too. The Cajun Heartland State Fair is a two week fair, so they'll be there until June 3rd. I guess all we can do is trust in the police.

 

[Coldpizza]

I very happy the FBI is involved but surprised at the same time. For some reason I thought they got involved when state lines have been crossed?

Do they get involved simply because a LE agency asks?

 

[cluciano63]

I very happy the FBI is involved but surprised at the same time. For some reason I thought they got involved when state lines have been crossed?

Do they get involved simply because a LE agency asks?

Our FBI in NM helps out on any major crimes/incident, it seems. I think the state line thing is outdated, JMO.

 

[WideOpen]

I very happy the FBI is involved but surprised at the same time. For some reason I thought they got involved when state lines have been crossed?

Do they get involved simply because a LE agency asks?

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-108436.html

I found this link while searching re-above question.
Looks like it answers and has good info.
Thanks to the previous poster Calliope

JMO

 

[Coldpizza]

Has anyone on the FB pages or close to the family suggested going to the carnival and passing out fliers and pics of her bike?

I would think asking if anyone has seen the bike it may generate some leads especially if the reward is mentioned.

 

[queenofcorona]

Has anyone on the FB pages or close to the family suggested going to the carnival and passing out fliers and pics of her bike?

I would think asking if anyone has seen the bike it may generate some leads especially if the reward is mentioned.

yeah, they've been out to the carnival and handed out flyers, I'm assuming the police have been talking to them as well. they better be!

 

[queenofcorona]

I know there used to be an astrology forum, but I just saw that it's closed. i know a lot of people don't think psychics hold much water, but I think every avenue should be looked at. can anyone steer me in the direction of someone?

 

[OldSteve]

I think, after years at Websleuths, you just get a skeptical view of everyone...because stats show us that when someone goes missing, we should look at close family and friends first. It is much more likely that someone who knows the missing person has some clue as to what happened. We also, automatically, look at the last person to see the victim.

In doing this, we sometimes read too much into things...and we can certainly get it wrong.

I feel torn. Part of me says that something happened and Mickey never biked home that night. Another part of me says she did and one of the following things happened:
1) She had some type of accident and became incapacitated.
2) She was hit by a driver (drunk or otherwise) and the driver panicked, taking her and
the bike.
3) She met with foul play
4) She left willingly just to get away.

I think the most likely things are 2 or 3...or she never biked home at all.

Good points - especially what I BBM. I would add to that a skepticism of local LE, especially after a case like Shannon Schieber where attacks again women were downplayed...
Shannon's case:
http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/crime/2004/022104inqmain.asp
If Mickey was attacked while riding her bicycle, odds are it was not a perp's first attempt, mostly there would be reports of women being annoyed/accosted..
Of course, with an influx of out-of-town carnival people, the perp may have gained experience elsewhere.

 

[Lato]

Where would carnival people be staying....trailers on the grounds or in local
motels?

When you think that Mickey made this ride many times, you have to think
about what changed this particular night.....the carnival is one thing.

 

[queenofcorona]

Lato, most stay in RVs right near the fair grounds.

 

[OldSteve]

I very happy the FBI is involved but surprised at the same time. For some reason I thought they got involved when state lines have been crossed?

Do they get involved simply because a LE agency asks?

FBI would be most useful at enhancing surveillance camera images! Also tracking cell phone pings.
Oh, checking into the carnival people since they most likely cross state lines...

ETA: Someone from carnival is at the top of my list, however, someone local who has been watching MS might be clever and waited for time when carnival is in town to throw off suspicion...

 

[LanieCoz]

Queen, it looks like (per the FB page) that they have contacted a local psychic.

 

[CCK]

yeah, they've been out to the carnival and handed out flyers, I'm assuming the police have been talking to them as well. they better be!

I agree, the police really need to be talking to those people. I think first they need to confirm if they have seen her on any cameras or not (because that might make the distinction of whether or not she ever left 100 Ryan St) and if they did, yeah, they need to be down at the fair, asking the carnie people to voluntarily let them search their trailers and whatnot. They should be happy to agree if they don't have anything to hide...

 

[nursebeeme]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_...iana-college-student-missing-after-bike-ride/

has hit the national media

 

[kgeaux]

Yeah it seems like it would be less likely to be a spontaneous crime with the bike..because if you're trying to take her, you're going to have to leave the bike, or take the bike. They haven't found it yet, so I doubt it was left. But not only taking a person but their bike takes time, and time means you're more likely to be caught. Considering that bars downtown close @ 2 and people begin to drive home, you'd have traffic passing where you'd expect she would be riding home. So if you're a criminal and trying to quickly abduct someone, having to ALSO mess with their bike at that time is going to lengthen the amount of exposure time that you could be caught. Of course, if she was taken, there are a lot of placed to hide that bike that wouldn't require you to conceal it...we have the Vermilion River, plus tons of ponds & such in this area...but mostly the river. And it runs through a lot of the city. And its deep enough to toss in something like a bike...recently someone accidentally drove a vehicle into the river and when they went to get it out, it turns out that there were MULTIPLE vehicles that had been dumped in the water, like 2-3 others I believe. And no one knew they were there. So a bike could def. be thrown into the river. We also have lots of brushy/overgrown areas it could be concealed...but again, the more you are interacting with the bike, the more likely you are to be seen doing so...

Pleased to meet you, CCK. I'm in Lafayette, too. I've been following this case since the news broke, but this is my first post on the thread for Mickey.

I'm just using your post as a jumping off post, and wondering if you or others might know the answer to a question or two, or three, I have.

#1. Do we KNOW which route Mickey took home? (I am presuming she did leave BW's and head home.) I have a son who is very active with the Lafayette cyclist group, and I've been wanting to ask him this too, but he's away at work and I haven't had a chance to speak with him.

IF IF IF she went from Ryan to Congress and headed toward Ambassador Caffery, she took a well populated, busy route, and it seems to me as though she would have been spotted on her ride home. It also would not have been easy to abduct Mickey without witnesses from this well traveled route.

HOWEVER, if I were on my bike, I think I'd head from Ryan to Souvenir Gate. I'd follow that all the way thru the frat house area, Cajun Dome area, and cross College at the light. Then I'd head to the Congress/College intersection and turn left, following Congress from there to Ambassador......Souvenir Gate is a picturesque area, and much less traveled than Congress. If she took this route, it would set the scene

Both routes would take her past the carnival area, and both would take her past Lafayette High.....and both would take her past the traffic camera at the corner of Congress and Ambassador. But the Souvenir Gate would give someone a chance to abduct Mickey without witnesses.

#2. Does anyone know if BW's house was searched by LE? I don't suspect this young man at all. Like almost everyone else in Laffy, I know somebody who knows this guy....in fact, I know somebody who knows Mickey, too. All I hear about either one of them is that they are both upbeat, gentle souls who would give the shirts off their backs to help someone.....so my question isn't meant to point fingers at Brettly. I am really hoping the investigation was conducted properly.

#3. SURELY the traffic cameras at Congress and Ambassador have been checked out! So can we assume that LE now knows if Mickey made it to that intersection? I hope they know and are just not releasing the info.....

Just to share my thoughts on this: I don't think Mickey is the kind of girl who would disappear on her own. I think something has happened to her. She was either abducted (but why would they take the time to pick up the bike?) OR she was hit by a driver who panicked and picked up Mickey and the bike to dispose of them somewhere else......which would mean, at least in my mind, that the driver would live somewhere in the St. Street, Souvenir Gate area.

 

['Ailina]

Kgeaux, is Souvenir Gate the area that bumps up behind the Cajun Dome from the neighborhood area??

I take that shortcut on occasion and it goes directly past the area inside the Cajun Dome gate where all the carnie activity is heaviest. I saw dozens of them there last night. And the lighting is terrible if not nonexistent.

 

[queenofcorona]

I used to live on Souvenir Gate (in the big house with the balcony on top), and it was insane how crazy people would drive down there late at night. It was down right frightening. I remember once when this kid was speeding through the round about at souvenir and st. patrick, and side swiped the telephone pole, then called his friends to help him push the car to fraternity row so the cops wouldn't find out (we called the police). I hadn't even thought of that area or how people speed through there. Also, like has been said, fraternity row is back there. Lots of young guys. Does anyone know if they live there outside of the school year?

 

[kgeaux]

Kgeaux, is Souvenir Gate the area that bumps up behind the Cajun Dome from the neighborhood area??

I take that shortcut on occasion and it goes directly past the area inside the Cajun Dome gate where all the carnie activity is heaviest. I saw dozens of them there last night. And the lighting is terrible if not nonexistent.

Yes. If you leave Ryan and take Souvenir Gate, you will pass thru a residential area (poorly lit, as you've noted and also heavily populated by both students and families), past the frat houses to the left (some wooded area abuts the frat houses), then a little further along, you'd see the Cajun Dome to the right, pass by the sports field and end up at the light which is across from Drug Emporium. There is an apt. complex right there that caters to UL students.

She would have been in a populated area once she hit the Cajun Dome, but before that, the area is really quiet at night.

I am hearing rumors left and right....with no MSM to back it.

 

[nursebeeme]

full coverage page for Mickey:
http://www.katc.com/full-coverage/seraching-for-mickey-shunick/

 

[kgeaux]

I used to live on Souvenir Gate (in the big house with the balcony on top), and it was insane how crazy people would drive down there late at night. It was down right frightening. I remember once when this kid was speeding through the round about at souvenir and st. patrick, and side swiped the telephone pole, then called his friends to help him push the car to fraternity row so the cops wouldn't find out (we called the police). I hadn't even thought of that area or how people speed through there. Also, like has been said, fraternity row is back there. Lots of young guys. Does anyone know if they live there outside of the school year?

I LOVE that home!

I know UL graduation has already taken place, and I am not sure if there would be people in the frat houses or not.

Are the dogs out yet?

I have driven down SG so many times (I lived in Holden Heights and my sister lived in St. Street area) at all times of the day and night......I totally believe you when you say there is speeding, but my own experience while driving thru at night is that I was the only car on the road, and believe me, I putt-putted around those curves!