LA - Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette, 19 May 2012 - #16

[PHB]

The key to my theory is how the channel bends. Stuff in the water tends to collect there. The interesting coincidence is that if I think like a perp, and don't want to be seen from a camp, I pass the last camp, but don't want to get too close to the bridge... that puts the drop spot in the exact place it needs to be to wash up at the bridge and give a last testament to Mickey's fate.

Karma. He thought the bike would sink.

:frown:

Does anyone know if a bike w/ 1 inflated tire would float? I know from my vol. FF/EMS training that a fully inflated car tire, even mounted on a steel rim will float.
But a bike tire holds much less air. Another variable would be whether Mickey's bike was steel or aluminum. Schwinn is a higher-end mfr, I think, so possibly aluminum?
Any bicyclists care to chime in?

 

[Artis]

Yeah, I've got to lean toward the perp not intending the bike to be found. it causes problems. So, either the perp screwed up, or we're dealing with a taunting psychopath. Either seems possible, but a screwup seems more likely.

What's bugging the HECK out of me is that we have NO good report on where the bike was found. That makes a big difference, as to which waterway it was in - the Pilot Channel, or the Work Canal. Without this piece of info, we can't make much more progress. I would really like to call Amanda McElfresh tomorrow at the Advertiser and personally ask her where - because I'm thinking she herself didn't understand the correct terminology for the location - but I likely can't reach her.

These are photos from the bike dump site. If you've been there, maybe you can tell where this is:

http://mockforums.net/post-251602.html#pid251602

 

[Artis]

You are correct.
He could have put in at Henderson or Butte La Rose.

If he were from Breaux Bridge, and didn't want to get recognized, and didn't want to put in at Whiskey Bay (that would take some stones, if you were going to drop it that close to the boat launch) he could have put in at Butte La Rose, and no one would have recognized or remembered him... and even done it in the middle of the day, depending on whether his boat had a storage space.

If you went to the trouble of using a boat, why put the bike right under the bridge where so many might see it? Wouldn't you dump it in deeper, open water? I'm inclined to think it was a matter of driving a vehicle to the spot and doing it quickly. This may indicate that it DID happen the night of the abduction and the perps came right down the 10 and did what was most convenient in a dark place they thought nobody would see.

 

[Artis]

Yeah, I knew that. I'm going to collectively refer to the LE and say, they said one thing and then said a different thing. If/when KATC and KLFY and the others break the news, they'll be late to the party so they likely will wait to run it when they have something worthy to add.

They did not contradict each other, though. One confirmed it and the other just refused to say.

 

[Lacole]

My thinking about this is that a bike isnt like a car there may not have been that much to pick up I only say this because my kids are always leaving their bikes behind my car and I have ran over it a few times and nothing has broke ... We dont how fast the person was going they could have been driving slow because he wanted to bump her or he just didn't see her ...

 

[Artis]

i dont think i worded my last post good enough. Someone said why would he dump the bike so close to where he lives. I think its cause he is young and unexperienced and he dumped it in a place close to him that he has familiarity with (whiskey bay). Its got dumb kid written all over it imo. In the beginning we thought we had a well seasoned perp on our hands. I think we have a yound dumb sociopath who made a rookie move

^^this

 

[Frogzilla]

Besides the obvious issue of why the bike ended up in a place to be found to begin with, we need to remember that we do not know exactly where the bike was found, how it was placed, what kind of trash was around it, was the trash itself disturbed, did the tracks (going in and out) reveal anything, did the bike have any rust damage, was the bike constructed or defected in a way to let water inside of it, would the perp of needed time to stage it, could it drift into this position, etc... In time LE will KNOW how the bike was damaged and could eliminate scenarios as to how it got there.
Since we don't have the luxury of all the facts, I actually enjoy reading any well thought out theories, but let's not lose sight of the fact that by having the bike found there, it's forcing LE into exhaustive searches and there is always a chance that could of been the intent to begin with.

 

[Artis]

Oh I agree with you. Just wanted to make sure we're all on the same page that this would an "accident" and not some other horrid thing. I use the term "accident" loosely b/c there was no attempt to make it right.

I don't think it was an accident at all.

 

[SoBeCzar]

Does anyone know if a bike w/ 1 inflated tire would float? I know from my vol. FF/EMS training that a fully inflated car tire, even mounted on a steel rim will float.
But a bike tire holds much less air. Another variable would be whether Mickey's bike was steel or aluminum. Schwinn is a higher-end mfr, I think, so possibly aluminum?
Any bicyclists care to chime in?

It would sink like a rock. My son used to have a habit of riding his bike off the dock and even once into the pool. And his bike had both tires inflated. Even with an aluminum bike you have the seat and chain and kick stand and gears etc.

It was no fun getting the bikes out of the water by the way. lol

 

[Artis]

Besides the obvious issue of why the bike ended up in a place to be found to begin with, we need to remember that we do not know exactly where the bike was found, how it was placed, what kind of trash was around it, was the trash itself disturbed, did the tracks (going in and out) reveal anything, did the bike have any rust damage, was the bike constructed or defected in a way to let water inside of it, would the perp of needed time to stage it, could it drift into this position, etc... In time LE will KNOW how the bike was damaged and could eliminate scenarios as to how it got there.
Since we don't have the luxury of all the facts, I actually enjoy reading any well thought out theories, but let's not lose sight of the fact that by having the bike found there, it's forcing LE into exhaustive searches and there is always a chance that could of been the intent to begin with.

Pics of where the bike was found - http://mockforums.net/post-251602.html#pid251602

 

[Artis]

I'm not going to lie, I did a bit of facebook stalking after his name came up, and I think I found who is mother "might" be, if not, she is definitely a close family member, I obviously won't say her name, but she did post some pictures of the McGee kid on May 21st, proudly showing the catfish he and another male had caught.

I looked at his page but it said his pics were private. I saw other peeps on here saying they could see them. Could you?

 

[hollyblue]

This case is so hard to profile, imo. Being the bike was so far from Layfayette, you'd immediately think it was someone local...and knew Mickey, wanting to distance the bike; yet since this is an area where many commute that far with their jobs it could be a random abduction or accident. Then you have the trafficking problem, where the perp could have dumped the bike and travelled on his way; having transferred MS to someone already.

Any thoughts why the parents haven't been on the tube asking for info or assuring Mickey, just the sister and BW?

 

[Frogzilla]

Pics of where the bike was found - http://mockforums.net/post-251602.html#pid251602

Unless I can see the bike in the water for myself, then that is somebodies estimate. If they need to show me eight pictures to describe one place, then they may as well admit they are guessing.

 

[csi22]

According to his girlfriend and sister on FB, they say RM is innocent and does not own a white Z71 truck....but his mom and stepdad own a white Z71 truck...

 

[hollyblue]

It would sink like a rock. My son used to have a habit of riding his bike off the dock and even once into the pool. And his bike had both tires inflated. Even with an aluminum bike you have the seat and chain and kick stand and gears etc.

It was no fun getting the bikes out of the water by the way. lol

Has anyone ever seen a bike floating ...anywhere?

 

[Artis]

New article from The Advertiser includes an interesting new admission:

Image in front of Circle K "and another shot of the truck that has not been released were used to definitively identify the vehicle." Wow -- sounds like that truck might indeed have shown up on either one of those cameras further down St. Landry or the LCG lot.

Hope the link works -- first time I've tried this here.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20120601/NEWS01/206010332/Police-continue-search-white-pickup-driver?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_check=1

Oh, wow! WOW!

 

[Frogzilla]

Has anyone ever seen a bike floating ...anywhere?

Not without serious modifications, plug in floating bicycle into youtube, there are a few videos. Doesn't seem very practical though, unless your city has no bridges.

 

[slowlybutshelly]

I said this earlier and I still suspect it. I think they have the truck. I think (for some reason) a variety of people could have been using it. If they have the truck, they should have a pool of people to investigate, but getting the "public" (someone who knows) to point a finger would speed things up for them I'm sure.

An earlier article said they were looking for the occupant or occupants. That's what made me read into it. I'll try to find that article.

I have been looking closely zooming in from my computer to see if I could identify the occupants in the seats of our DWTIQ. Has anyone else been doing this? I think there are three people in the front seat; and I think the person in the driver seat has short hair cut like a males with a big square face like an older male would have. I think the driver was male and white. Anyone else agree with me?

 

[slowlybutshelly]

I have been looking closely at the truck and its seating. From what I can tell it looks there is a passenger on the right side and perhaps even someone between the passenger and the driver; can anyone else tell anything from this photo?

 

[LafayetteMom]

Ok so we finally do have confirmation of that z71 sticker and 18" alloy wheels, not due of anyone else had beat me to it.