LA - Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette; 19 May 2012 - #23

[nerdita]

Well, why would someone in a truck offer a bicyclist a ride, during the middle of the day? And why would that bicyclist accept the ride? Could be that she was not riding her bike, but standing at/on a corner, waiting for something, and he misinterpreted....I don't think she's ever said why she accepted the ride.

I can't explain what I was saying because I think my initial comment was taken the wrong way lol

 

[ashola_nola]

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Why would he think that?

He doesn't have to think she's a sex worker to be a skeez toward her.

 

[Jefferson]

This is what Brettly told Nancy Grace:

BRETTLY WILSON, FRIEND OF MISSING WOMAN: We entered (ph) a Taco Bell because at that point, it was too late to go and bike (ph) and sit down in there. She had ridden her bike all the way from home to the venue (ph) we went to. So I offered to drive her there.

We picked up the food. We drove back here. She ate. At that point, a friend from the venue earlier got in contact with me. My phone died. They then called Mickey, touched base, checked that -- where we were. She told them, I`m with Brettly, went to Taco Bell, we had some food.

They then decided that they were going to, as we originally planned, go to a diner. Mickey said she -- you know, she had food. She was tired. She didn`t feel like going.

In addition to her graduation (ph), me and Mickey had planned on going out earlier that day before and videotaping her doing some riding on a horse she was trying to sell. So she had really just been ready to get to bed at that point.

She finished eating. She went to the bathroom before she rode (ph). She checked her bike, talked a little bit more. She took out her mace. She made sure that it was on. She checked it.

I walked her to the back door. She went out. I told her to be safe. I watched until she got to the driveway, and I closed the door, locked it, and that was the last time that I saw her.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1205/24/ng.01.html

The diner he refers to is Mel's which is just past Cajundome Drive on Johnston and it's possible she was heading that way. But she was tired. Unless she had a reason to stop by and talk/see her friends.

The mace comment makes me think MS was at least somewhat on guard for her safety. Why not use it? Did the guy have a gun?

 

[ladycleo]

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Why would he think that?

You'd have to ask him!

 

[ashola_nola]

This is what Brettly told Nancy Grace:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1205/24/ng.01.html

The diner he refers to is Mel's which is just past Cajundome Drive on Johnston and it's possible she was heading that way. But she was tired. Unless she had a reason to stop by and talk/see her friends.

The mace comment makes me think MS was at least somewhat on guard for her safety. Why not use it? Did the guy have a gun?

Either:
- The mace wasn't as handy as we think it should be
- She was not in a state to use it (injured)
- She didn't think she needed to use it because she felt somewhat comfortable with the perp
- She didn't get a chance to use it, everything happened too quickly

 

[concentric]

Well, why would someone in a truck offer a bicyclist a ride, during the middle of the day? And why would that bicyclist accept the ride? Could be that she was not riding her bike, but standing at/on a corner, waiting for something, and he misinterpreted....I don't think she's ever said why she accepted the ride.

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Why would someone in a truck offer a bicyclist a ride, during the early hours of the morning?

I thought that this was an area where students rode their bikes at all hours? And, even though they might have stopped for some reason, doesn't make them a sex worker, does it?

 

[mamamia54]

This is what Brettly told Nancy Grace:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1205/24/ng.01.html

The diner he refers to is Mel's which is just past Cajundome Drive on Johnston and it's possible she was heading that way. But she was tired. Unless she had a reason to stop by and talk/see her friends.

The mace comment makes me think MS was at least somewhat on guard for her safety. Why not use it? Did the guy have a gun?

Had he hit her rear wheel on the bike, and her mace was inside her backpack, she may not have had a chance to grab it. MOO

 

[HouDat]

Wouldn't her carrier have the number from which the text was sent? That appears on my bill.

Yes. And, depending upon the carrier, they may have access to the content of said text message.

What is unclear is whether the text was deemed irrelevant to the case, or it was deemed highly relevant/sensitive info, and was thus not released to the public.

 

[ashola_nola]

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Why would someone in a truck offer a bicyclist a ride, during the early hours of the morning?

...because she was injured and/or her bike was damaged.


Or (less likely) he was just a creepy cat-caller. I really don't think MS would have taken the driver up on that.

 

[concentric]

...because she was injured and/or her bike was damaged.


Or (less likely) he was just a creepy cat-caller. I really don't think MS would have taken the driver up on that.

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Then, why did the young woman bicyclist during the afternoon hours, accept a ride from the man in the white truck?

From reading the news stories and from my own experience: because she was tired, trusting and thought he was helping her.

 

[HouDat]

Either:
- The mace wasn't as handy as we think it should be
- She was not in a state to use it (injured)
- She didn't think she needed to use it because she felt somewhat comfortable with the perp
- She didn't get a chance to use it, everything happened too quickly

Agreed. I'll add as possible options:

-possibly impaired (substances, her referenced "not feeling well" state, etc.)
-accosted at knifepoint, or held at gunpoint

 

[JennyDent]

Had he hit her rear wheel on the bike, and her mace was inside her backpack, she may not have had a chance to grab it. MOO

Did anyone ever say what type of a container it was or have pics? If I was out late and was using mace as a sort of protection then I'd probably want it readily available. Just wondering if it had a strap that was attached to her wrist or if it was inside her bag? I know nothing of hers has been found so far but if she was holding it and was bumped maybe it went flying quite far. Just kind of thinking out loud.

 

[ashola_nola]

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Then, why did the young woman bicyclist during the afternoon hours, accept a ride from the man in the white truck?

From reading the news stories and from my own experience: because she was tired, trusting and thought he was helping her.

...Right. I've said that I think there was a similar trust factor with the perp that made MS get in.


Are you saying something new or just restating? What are you getting at?

 

[typasus3]

As you can see from mamamia's pic, those houses are close, with not much space between. I can't remember if there was a rain & the ground was soft enough. God, I hate even thinking that... But we GRITS are, as has been said before, a chatty lot, we're also nosy too. Could that have been done without dogs, motion-sensing cameras from next-door neighbors or anything/anyone else not noticing? Especially in middle of night? sat night, along w/ Friday is party time, visit, hang-out time. Had to be people hanging around??

My neighboring houses are within 10 feet of my house. I have an 8 ft wooden privacy fence. If I were the perp I would go to local home depot on Saturday morning for concrete mix and mulch. My neighbors would not think it out of the ordinary for me to haul that into my back yard and then hear music and shoveling all day long. They couldn't see me burying a body in broad daylight and probably wouldn't read too much into my newly paved garden path. People in older neighborhoods with a bit of cash are always working on home improvement projects. I would also feel better knowing I had control over who goes in and out of my yard. Hunters won't stumble across the body which probably has my DNA on it.

 

[raeann]

There is one primary possibility in speculating about what would make a cautious young woman who carried mace accept help with a disabled bike from a stranger in the middle of the night......and that would be if there was another female present in the vehicle when the help was offered.

 

[Jefferson]

I really don't understand why LE isn't being more forthcoming with what they know. I realize there is a fear of disclosure jeopardizing the case but the fact that most of this city has her on their minds and any clues might lead to someone remembering more. The reward outweighs the risk.

For instance, LE has said they have surveillance from inside a building or buildings which may show a bicyclist on the street but they can't determine if it's MS. Why not tell us which building? Let's say a bicyclist was caught on one of these inside cameras on Congress near Adrien's Supermarket which would be her route just after the bike path ends. If LE would tell the public this, then if the bicyclist is not MS but someone who recognizes himself/herself as being out there at that time, then that would help the investigation.

 

[ashola_nola]

Did anyone ever say what type of a container it was or have pics? If I was out late and was using mace as a sort of protection then I'd probably want it readily available. Just wondering if it had a strap that was attached to her wrist or if it was inside her bag? I know nothing of hers has been found so far but if she was holding it and was bumped maybe it went flying quite far. Just kind of thinking out loud.

I believe we only know it was in a hot pink container...

Probably something like this, on a keychain:
https://www.google.com/search?q=hot...A&biw=1280&bih=593&sei=xX_PT5mKCoee2QXQo9jdDA

 

[mamacat]

The problem with mace spray is that it can end up temporarily blinding the person who is spraying it, which may have happened in Mickey's case.

 

[kgeaux]

Had he hit her rear wheel on the bike, and her mace was inside her backpack, she may not have had a chance to grab it. MOO

I think BW has stated that the mace was clipped to Mickey's clothing, not inside her backpack.

Just as an aside: I know a young woman who carried mace and deployed it once when she felt like she was in danger. The wind carried the mace straight into HER face, and while she was incapacitated, the guy she was afraid of took off! (With her purse!)

We don't know if Mickey tried to use her mace or not. Regardless, it doesn't appear to have helped her.

 

[cluciano63]

JMO, but I would be very surprised if a man who made it a habit to tell women that he trolled for pretty girls would abduct one a few months later...especially telling this to a girl he obviously intended, and did, let go without incident. She could easily have taken his plate number, for all he knew, and I am not sure why she didn't, anyway.