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

[FlamingoLady]

Anyone suspect that they have the actual truck (exact one) already? They are quite insistent about looking for a Z71, yet the picture they released to the public it's impossible to definitely see any markings signifying Z71, thus all the debate yesterday about vehicle types and if they were right/wrong. We do know they have actual video footage, and that video may show more detail (Z71 marking) or even a license plate.

Perhaps they have the vehicle, but not the occupants. If it was some sort of fleet/shared vehicle and the owner doesn't have an audit process in place to record who exactly has which particular vehicle when, it could be the occupants who they are really looking for. If they have the actual vehicle but not the occupants, at least they would have a definite pool of people to investigate.

I just think they've got information they're not sharing. IMHO, them ruling the other two vehicles out so quickly after releasing descriptions of them could mean they already knew who to look for/where to look for them and could have already been in contact. The release of information could have been only for public appearances/to make the true suspect think they were getting no where. That was just a very quick rule-out, considering they couldn't have a had an alibi that placed them elsewhere since they were captured on camera.

No, I have not seen any info to lead me to believe they have the "exact" one yet. I just thought it (OnStar) could be helpful in the future, if the truck has it.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

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.

Sometimes I wonder about the methods LE uses because some of the cases I've been following aren't getting solved. So why not tell the public everything they know and see if that helps to catch the perp. At this point, what difference does it make since the perp is still on the street anyway?

Then I remember that LE has to think ahead as far as they can, all the way into the courtroom. If they handle things willy-nilly, the defense lawyers will have a field day defending a guilty perp and the case will become based on loopholes and how LE messed up, etc. LE's job is made more difficult, just like government, because things are too complicated. Make sense? That's my grade school level explanation of conclusions I've come too. :blushing:

 

[hollyblue]

TDWTIQ could also be this truck, but I am not sure if anyone has thoroughly thought this through yet. maybe we can do so now.

Chicken fried and I both think it may be the truck in question and may have been circling back after taking MS. Think she would have ducted in to the parking lot---he followed and trapped her somehow...or the truck may have driven and lay in wait where she would have exited.

I was never hit, but almost did hit a child in a urban setting. I was driving down a small downtown side street and the child came out of nowhere from an alley. Didn't slow down or look. You talk about heart failure! This could work in reverse also...car coming out of an alley and may have struck her back wheel. Also had a near miss where I was driving down an alley looking at property for sale and a homeowner pulled out of his driveway without looking first... our cars were within a inch of each other after we stopped..and I had just purchased mine that week.:what: Many alleys in that area of Landry?

 

[A.C.I]

Found what I was looking for. Dead end
Thanks for trying

 

[Foxfire]

Is it possible to imagine that MS was strong enough to hold her own on that bike and that the PERP had to tear her hands off that bike handlebars to do whatever he did? Could MS have her hands on those grips and holding on for dear life until she could not hold anymore.

OR

PERP wanted to get fingerprint evidence off and something stopped him (new car, being seen?) that prevented him from tearing them off completely?

OR

bike was on the ground in scuffle and got ripped off by pavement?

Can anyone think of anything else?

Could she have gripped them tightly bracing for the impact by the vehicle?

 

[fleurdenola]

No, I have not seen any info to lead me to believe they have the "exact" one yet. I just thought it (OnStar) could be helpful in the future, if the truck has it.

I'm sorry, I should have been more general, I used your quote as a jumping ground to pose the question to the wider group. I also have not seen anything that hints that they have the "exact" vehicle, but I would not be at all surprised if they do. I think there is a whole lot going on that we don't know about. That Whiskey Bay search last night is a pretty possible indicator of major things going on behind the scenes.

 

[JMI]

I disagree with your timing for these reasons.
1. there is no time on the truck of interest
2. both the pic of MS and the truck of interest have the same cars at the gas station. Not only that there is yet another pic of the same two cars at that gas station (in which there is again no time). When I am gassing up it is quick; I rarely see the same car by me when I am pumping as when I am returning from payment (and I usually use a debit card). So what I am saying is that there is a long span of time in which these pics were in the vicinity of the gas station; and for that reason I think the truck of interest may be going as slow as MS on her bike. Which would freak me out as a bike rider. If the truck was going that slow and MS was slow, I am not surprised they did not make it to the next camera; truck and MS at same pace, ripe for BAD STUFF.

In response to #2, While there is no time given on the photo, all we can deduct from the fact the same car is in the photo is that the time between the two pics is relatively short. This adds to the idea that the truck was not far behind MS.
As for the time it takes the car at the pump to gas up, we have to consider what the driver of that vehicle did while in the store. Did he use the bathroom, search for the cheapest six pack, did he flirt with the attendant? There are many unknowns. At 1:40 in the morning, I highly doubt he had some place to be and was likely in no hurry to get anywhere fast.
I think we are thinking along the same lines. I am suggesting that Mickey, in an attempt to either flee or throw off the trailing vehicle diverted into the parking lot of the funeral home and may have been abducted there.
The exit to Parkside and ensuing backroads would lead the vehicle to Cameron St. From there, access to the interstate via Ambassador (least likely), University (Quickest access) or all the way to Evangeline or Louisiana Ave. The last two would really be "below the Radar" so to speak.
There are so many possible scenarios in this theory.
http://www.lafayettela.gov/trafficcameras/Thruway_TrafficCameras.aspx
This site shows cameras all over Lafayette and many of the streets mentioned have cameras.
Curious to know if LE has been able to "follow" this truck on any of these cameras that evening...

 

[EBR]

A.C.I. and I have been debating that.

Between us, we agree that by far the likeliest scenario MS likely turned either on Brashear or into the Lafayette Consolidate Government parking lot to access Azalea from the back. Our inability to reach total accord stems from the fact that A.C.I. thinks she wanted to use Brashear as a cutover to Johnston St., while I disagree that she wanted to go even farther out of her way to the south.

That's a key argument. A key piece of info not released is whether the suspect truck appeared on the samw 224 St. Landry camera that MS didn't. If it did, the truck is likely in the clear. If it didn't the truck likely follwed her either left down Brashear or right into the LCG parking lot and got her there, or chased her down Azalea into the neighborhood (or circled her and cut her off by continuing a bit, passing the lot, and turning right onto St. Mary.

It was great meeting you! The problem with the theory of her taking the shortcut through the LUS/LCG parking lot is that the building has cameras on all sides of it. For her to use any part of the parking lot to slip over to azalea she would have been picked up by multiple cameras.

If you are looking at the LUS/LCG building from St. Landry, I think you believe she would have gone to the left of the building through the parking lot and out the back to Azalea. She would have had to pass directly in view of TWO security cameras on that side of the building. There are no pics of her there. The police say the pic of her in front of Circle K is the last known pic of her. That pic was taken by one of the cameras on the LUS/LCG building.

I believe she would have had to take Brashear because of this.

 

[zenithzuzu]

A.C.I. and I have been debating that.

Between us, we agree that by far the likeliest scenario MS likely turned either on Brashear or into the Lafayette Consolidate Government parking lot to access Azalea from the back. Our inability to reach total accord stems from the fact that A.C.I. thinks she wanted to use Brashear as a cutover to Johnston St., while I disagree that she wanted to go even farther out of her way to the south.

That's a key argument. A key piece of info not released is whether the suspect truck appeared on the samw 224 St. Landry camera that MS didn't. If it did, the truck is likely in the clear. If it didn't the truck likely follwed her either left down Brashear or right into the LCG parking lot and got her there, or chased her down Azalea into the neighborhood (or circled her and cut her off by continuing a bit, passing the lot, and turning right onto St. Mary.

What I don't like about Azalea (I used to walk/bike this 'hood often - never at night) is that where Azalea crosses over St. Mary is usually a cluster $@$$&! Pardon my French. Even in a car its difficult. It's like bent 4 way on a curve with no one able to really see plus the cars traveling on St. Mary are going FAST.

 

[A.C.I]

It was great meeting you! The problem with the theory of her taking the shortcut through the LUS/LCG parking lot is that the building has cameras on all sides of it. For her to use any part of the parking lot to slip over to azalea she would have been picked up by multiple cameras.

If you are looking at the LUS/LCG building from St. Landry, I think you believe she would have gone to the left of the building through the parking lot and out the back to Azalea. She would have had to pass directly in view of TWO security cameras on that side of the building. There are no pics of her there. The police say the pic of her in front of Circle K is the last known pic of her. That pic was taken by one of the cameras on the LUS/LCG building.

I believe she would have had to take Brashear because of this.

^ this. I stated earlier that if she cut through that parking lot she'd be on camera. But who knows. Chicken Fried still has a good theory

 

[JMI]

It was great meeting you! The problem with the theory of her taking the shortcut through the LUS/LCG parking lot is that the building has cameras on all sides of it. For her to use any part of the parking lot to slip over to azalea she would have been picked up by multiple cameras.

If you are looking at the LUS/LCG building from St. Landry, I think you believe she would have gone to the left of the building through the parking lot and out the back to Azalea. She would have had to pass directly in view of TWO security cameras on that side of the building. There are no pics of her there. The police say the pic of her in front of Circle K is the last known pic of her. That pic was taken by one of the cameras on the LUS/LCG building.

I believe she would have had to take Brashear because of this.

What about the possibility of her going through the funeral home parking lot? This lot also gives access to the neighborhood...

 

[fleurdenola]

This could work in reverse also...car coming out of an alley and may have struck her back wheel.

You could be on to something there. We've stuck pretty closely to the assumption of a straight hit from behind when we've been assessing the damage to the back wheel happening when getting hit. Maybe they clipped it from the side and sent her tumbling.

I still think the accidental hit and cover is a very viable possibility. People do crazy, extreme things when they feel like they've got a lot, or everything to lose. I have a tendency to be a bit of a "optimistic realist" (hard to describe it that way given the situation) though, so that's definitely influencing my theory.

 

[EBR]

What about the possibility of her going through the funeral home parking lot? This lot also gives access to the neighborhood...

she would have been picked up on camera, the one that caught the old vehicle. She would have had to pass that one.

 

[LafayetteMom]

Unless they had been replaced by someone who did not know what they were doing, I am pretty sure they'd have to be cut off to be removed.

Not so sure about this! Someone (here? don't remember) claimed to have biked with Mickey shortly after she bought this Schwinn Madison and said to remember her hand grips being black at the time, and that if they were the glittery gold ones shown in more recent pics of her bike, she had changed them.

 

[GulfCoastKAT]

Sometimes I wonder about the methods LE uses because some of the cases I've been following aren't getting solved. So why not tell the public everything they know and see if that helps to catch the perp. At this point, what difference does it make since the perp is still on the street anyway?

Then I remember that LE has to think ahead as far as they can, all the way into the courtroom. If they handle things willy-nilly, the defense lawyers will have a field day defending a guilty perp and the case will become based on loopholes and how LE messed up, etc. LE's job is made more difficult, just like government, because things are too complicated. Make sense? That's my grade school level explanation of conclusions I've come too. :blushing:

I think it's a perfect conclusion. We would like to know. We would like all the answers or leads RIGHT NOW.. A lot of civilians (for lack of a better term) just want to see the perp caught and arrested but thats just one step in the ultimate goal: CONVICTION. I think we tend to not look that far ahead while we are all anxious to find Mickey but its a good goal to hold on to: LE has to do the best they can to try to ensure a clean investigation that a defense lawyer cannot win against.

 

[Redgoblin]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before..

About the hand grips:

I always remember seeing abandoned bikes as a kid and they never had hand grips left on them.

If the bike was submerged in water it is possible that the grips may of become loosened and come clean of the bike and floated downstream. I would think that having a bike left in water for some time would probably render the grips useless from a DNA point of view?

They may be useful if they can be located as a body may end up being in the general area where the grips might end up?

Also:

If the grips are newer than the bike (bought separately) the perp may have gotten rid of them to try and make it seem as if the bike is a different bike / older bike left in the water for some time?

 

[A.C.I]

she would have been picked up on camera, the one that caught the old vehicle. She would have had to pass that one.

Right. If she's not on the camera further down St. Landry (where the car was picked up) then she either went down Brashear or into the LCG parking lot to azalea. Thats the only way to avoid the camera. OR into the parking lot itself where the camera is located because it only points at the street.

 

[EBR]

Also that whole neighborhood where Brashear is is made up of weird streets. If she felt someone was following her she would know that you can lose someone following you by crossing those barriers they have in that area that only allow bikes to pass. The vehicle following her would be forced to turn and she could continue straight to Johnston.

 

[Cazzie]

FMSN FB saying they need "foot soldiers and searchers" now (10 mins ago)...

https://www.facebook.com/findmickeynow

 

[A.C.I]

Also that whole neighborhood where Brashear is is made up of weird streets. If she felt someone was following her she would know that you can lose someone following you by crossing those barriers they have in that area that only allow bikes to pass. The vehicle following her would be forced to turn and she could continue straight to Johnston.

Unfortunately not one security camera in that neighborhood that I saw. It's a fairly nice quite neighborhood though