LA - Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette 19 May 2012 - #30

[cluciano63]

I am still stuck on random perp, random victim...

Will we ever know...

 

[Mahouston69]

Speaking of which...I keep circling back to the stables. It's nothing more than pure conjecture on my part, but I truly hope LE and the PI(s) involved have thoroughly investigated the entire stable scene, including the folks who worked there, trained there, stabled horses there, etc.

respectfully snipped.
I certainly hope they checked everyone who knew her, worked with her, hung out with her. I hope they don't have some invisible line blocking them from doing so (like we do here) or biased information from family or friends that don't want to believe it is somebody she or they know. Statistics show it is very likely somebody that knew her, well.

 

[fleurdenola]

I'm just not sold on the idea that the perp is the person who dumped the bike.

But I do agree with the very real possibility that the person who took MS is someone who knew her, or was very familiar with her -- by virtue of living along her preferred route, or frequenting places she routinely visited (Artmosphere, stables, cycling circles, etc.).

Speaking of which...I keep circling back to the stables. It's nothing more than pure conjecture on my part, but I truly hope LE and the PI(s) involved have thoroughly investigated the entire stable scene, including the folks who worked there, trained there, stabled horses there, etc.

And...could Mickey have owed money to anyone? And they'd finally had enough? We know one of the items searchers were told to look for was a pipe. We don't know if it was a tobacco pipe or a marijuana pipe (given what we do know about Mickey, I am going to operate under the assumption that it is not some other kind of pipe). I admittedly don't know anything about how much marijuana might costs or how easily one would rack up a debt worthy of such a crime, but is this possible?

I wanted to throw that out there as a possibility. But, honestly, I don't get the impression she was desperate for money, so this is an out of the box theory. Rich? No. But she comes from a middle class family, seems to have a good head on her shoulders, and from what we know about her wasn't panicy about some urgent situation she needed to address. She was selling a horse, yes, but I don't think it had anything to do with needing money desperately. I think that would have been (still could be?) a normal life event.

 

[Allusonz]

-

I just thought they could be dipped in bleach or something like that. As mentioned before, they are likely DNA areas. The police were coy on weather or not they were removed or still on the bike, think they said they were "with the bike."

We live in a world of DNA. Sneeze around someone and you can bet your DNA is on that individual.

The biggest misconception is that the only thing they would be looking for DNA. Not to say they are not but there are other forensics I am quite certain they would be checking for. The most obvious would be paint if indeed it was an accident.

The fact that you take a bike to toss it means it has probably came in contact with your clothing thus not only DNA but fibers.

As well, if it was put inside a trunk or even the bed of a truck, they would be looking for things such as that which could then tie the bike back to the vehicle.

Taking the hand grips off does not tell me they were taken off to get rid of DNA. It tells me they were probably taken off to get it into a vehicle prior to disposing of it.

 

[cluciano63]

respectfully snipped.
I certainly hope they checked everyone who knew her, worked with her, hung out with her. I hope they don't have some invisible line blocking them from doing so (like we do here) or biased information from family or friends that don't want to believe it is somebody she or they know. Statistics show it is very likely somebody that knew her, well.

I am sure that with the FBI involvement everyone is being looked at...these cases are so hard to solve as it is, it would be ridiculous not to clear everyone she knew first. No reason not to trust these things are being done, in my opinion.

 

[De2385]

IIRC screenshots were taken very early on but I forget who took them. There could of been more than one person but I do recall the post/posts you are referring to.

It is also possible they may of been deleted/edited to remove names.

her fb page is locked down now.

 

[helpwithhope]

The only reason I'm thinking random perp and potential accident are these; I imagine it would be really hard to pinpoint where someone might be riding their bike at any given time. She could have been going home at any hour that night. My other thought is that if she was hit by someone on the street they could easily just leave her there at the scene. But if someone backed into her coming out of a driveway, you can't really do a hit and run, it's in front of your house. They could just check you vehicle for damage. Stuck on this right now but subject to change of opinion.

 

[De2385]

I agree with this notion. I thought it odd that the question was asked, almost as though said reporter either a) overheard LE discussing that fact; or b) had been clued in to that fact by someone in-the-know (LE, family, other).

To me, this was one of the handful of times that LE has acted a bit squirrelly in dealing with the media in this case.

I do not think they were removed too much work

 

[fleurdenola]

We live in a world of DNA. Sneeze around someone and you can bet your DNA is on that individual.

The biggest misconception is that the only thing they would be looking for DNA. Not to say they are not but there are other forensics I am quite certain they would be checking for. The most obvious would be paint if indeed it was an accident.

The fact that you take a bike to toss it means it has probably came in contact with your clothing thus not only DNA but fibers.

As well, if it was put inside a trunk or even the bed of a truck, they would be looking for things such as that which could then tie the bike back to the vehicle.

Taking the hand grips off does not tell me they were taken off to get rid of DNA. It tells me they were probably taken off to get it into a vehicle prior to disposing of it.

Bolding added by me.

I originally thought this too, but, just the grips? Taking the grips off isn't going to do much to ease getting a bike into a vehicle. The handlebars, on the other hand, would definitely help that effort.

Maybe we're giving Cpl Mouton too much credit? We know (whether it be from personal knowledge, reading on here, or research after the fact) that "hand grips" are technically those rubber things that go on the bike's handlebars. But did Cpl Mouton know that? Handlebars are technically ways to grip the bike by hands. He could have accidentally blurted out a term that he meant to stand for handlebars but that term actually had real meaning different from what he intended. Since he refused to re-address the comment, unfortunately, unless LE releases a new statement on the bike we will never know if the entire bike frame was found assembled, with just the hand grips removed, or if the bike frame was found, and then the handle bars were found separate.

 

[Pensfan]

Are A. Says and B. Wilson anthropology majors? What are their majors? TIA

 

[megsy]

Bolding added by me.

I originally thought this too, but, just the grips? Taking the grips off isn't going to do much to ease getting a bike into a vehicle. The handlebars, on the other hand, would definitely help that effort.

Maybe we're giving Cpl Mouton too much credit? We know (whether it be from personal knowledge, reading on here, or research after the fact) that "hand grips" are technically those rubber things that go on the bike's handlebars. But did Cpl Mouton know that? Handlebars are technically ways to grip the bike by hands. He could have accidentally blurted out a term that he meant to stand for handlebars but that term actually had real meaning different from what he intended. Since he refused to re-address the comment, unfortunately, unless LE releases a new statement on the bike we will never know if the entire bike frame was found assembled, with just the hand grips removed, or if the bike frame was found, and then the handle bars were found separate.

This is a really, really excellent point.

 

[De2385]

Also thinking out load here...two things came to mind when reading these posts. helpwithhope, that is an excellent, excellent point. And it made me think that they weren't removed for DNA reasons. They were removed to mask the identify of the bike. It has been stated (by LE and others alike) that WB is a known dumping ground for trash. A generic looking black bike washing ashore is much less likely to raise suspicion than a black bike with gold handgrips.

This also makes me think the person we're looking for is someone very familiar with the fact that Mickey changed out her handgrips to the custom gold ones. Let's take for granted that LE is correct in stating they believe the bike was dumped the morning she went missing...no information about her changing out hand grips from stock to custom had been released at that point. (no information had been released at that point). To strip the bike of the handgrips and throw them into the same murky water you threw the bike...why do that, unless you know that the gold handgrips would be an identifying item at a later date?

HouDat, I've got to disagree a little, but not completely here. It very possibly could have been panic driven. But the more I just look at what we know about Mickey, what we do have confirmed from LE, what lack of developments there have been...I am more and more convinced that this is someone who knew her very well. Whether she knew them very well? I'm still not sure. My gut tells me yes, but my heart doesn't want to believe it.

True. I feel this way as well. I think this person was known to her, and knew her well.

 

[Allusonz]

Bolding added by me.

I originally thought this too, but, just the grips? Taking the grips off isn't going to do much to ease getting a bike into a vehicle. The handlebars, on the other hand, would definitely help that effort.

Maybe we're giving Cpl Mouton too much credit? We know (whether it be from personal knowledge, reading on here, or research after the fact) that "hand grips" are technically those rubber things that go on the bike's handlebars. But did Cpl Mouton know that? Handlebars are technically ways to grip the bike by hands. He could have accidentally blurted out a term that he meant to stand for handlebars but that term actually had real meaning different from what he intended. Since he refused to re-address the comment, unfortunately, unless LE releases a new statement on the bike we will never know if the entire bike frame was found assembled, with just the hand grips removed, or if the bike frame was found, and then the handle bars were found separate.

He was playing it cagey. It was obvious that the reporter had some knowledge. That particular bike had something like a 24 inch span of the handlebars. I would need to look it up again but that is quite a big span and not one which for me at 5 1 I would find comfortable.

I would be more apt to think that the actual handlebars were removed and if the grips did come off it was probably related to extreme heat/moisture.

Simply my opinion though.

 

[mkay882]

Yep, I feel like it's entirely possible that if Mickey is deceased, Mickey is somewhere in or around the Whiskey Bay exit (or was there and has washed somewhere else). I wonder if there were any areas that couldn't be searched or the dogs couldn't be brought onto/into because of standing water (like the area where Caylee Anthony was eventually found- the searchers couldn't search the exact area where she was when they were around it because it was flooded) or private property really close to the highway at the exit or the boat launch that the owners wouldn't okay strangers on to search....

I really feel like if she's passed, she is (or was) at WB.

Your post makes me wonder if whatever happened to Mikey, happened before WB exit and the perp realized her bike was in the back of the truck driving away.
...maybe he takes WB exit only to dump the bike on his way to...?

Exits from West to East in the basin start with #115 and end at #135 (I think)
WB is #127, so those exits before WB need to be searched also.
MOO though

 

[NewYork625]

This is from the Find Mickey Now website:" Update 5/29/12: Detectives with the Lafayette Police Department have released the condition of Mickey Shunick’s bike as it was found. The bike was found to be submerged except for a small section of the frame. The bike’s rear tire was found to be damaged. It is currently being processed by the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. Detectives are hopeful that forensic experts can find evidence on the frame, handle bars and handgrips that were recovered at the scene."
It certainly sounds like the frame, handle bars, and handgrips were found together but apart.

 

[IMPondering]

This is from the Find Mickey Now website:" Update 5/29/12: Detectives with the Lafayette Police Department have released the condition of Mickey Shunick’s bike as it was found. The bike was found to be submerged except for a small section of the frame. The bike’s rear tire was found to be damaged. It is currently being processed by the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. Detectives are hopeful that forensic experts can find evidence on the frame, handle bars and handgrips that were recovered at the scene."
It certainly sounds like the frame, handle bars, and handgrips were found together but apart.

BBM....

That is interesting. Otherwise, they would have included the tires, pedals, kickstand, etc. in that statement. Or so it would seem!

 

[Artis]

I do not think they were removed too much work

I'm inclined to agree. If anything, I could imagine the handle bars being removed. I actually wonder if that's what the cop meant when they said "grips".

 

[cluciano63]

So it sounds as though the bike was at least partially taken apart?
Wonder why that made her family think "accident"...that sounds pretty deliberate to me.

 

[JBean]

This is from the Find Mickey Now website:" Update 5/29/12: Detectives with the Lafayette Police Department have released the condition of Mickey Shunick’s bike as it was found. The bike was found to be submerged except for a small section of the frame. The bike’s rear tire was found to be damaged. It is currently being processed by the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. Detectives are hopeful that forensic experts can find evidence on the frame, handle bars and handgrips that were recovered at the scene."
It certainly sounds like the frame, handle bars, and handgrips were found together but apart.

This is why I think that either the bike was thrown over the bridge or hit (by presumably a vehicle)before it was dumped. There was significant damage to the back section and/or the tire and it was separated from the rim,IIRC or something like that .I will look for a link.
This would not happen if the bike were placed in the water,imo.
So,imo, either it went over the edge and was damaged or it was hit by a vehicle and damaged prior to ending up in the water.
Another possibility is that she used the bike for a defense weapon. I typically bike in the mountains and the general rule is if you find yourself in trouble with a human,a mountain lion,a coyote or anything else use your bike for protection. Throw it, hit with it, or use it as a barrier as long as you can.

The handgrips are interesting though, because while I am not familiar with her handgrip type, mine do not come off easily. Maybe hers just slide off, don't know.
JMHO of course and pur speculation because I don't really know the true condition of the bike.

 

[De2385]

This is from the Find Mickey Now website:" Update 5/29/12: Detectives with the Lafayette Police Department have released the condition of Mickey Shunick’s bike as it was found. The bike was found to be submerged except for a small section of the frame. The bike’s rear tire was found to be damaged. It is currently being processed by the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. Detectives are hopeful that forensic experts can find evidence on the frame, handle bars and handgrips that were recovered at the scene."
It certainly sounds like the frame, handle bars, and handgrips were found together but apart.

BBM....

That is interesting. Otherwise, they would have included the tires, pedals, kickstand, etc. in that statement. Or so it would seem!

I really do not think someone will go to that great of lengths to dismantle a bike. First of all, a lot of bike dismantling and repair needs VERY specific tools. Or so I would think.