VICTIM - Lisa Pate, 32, of Youngsville, LA (Theories)

[Backwoods]

"Remnants of a plastic bag were found around Lisa's skull"...

I know a few people had asked how the ME came to the cause of death
being suffocation.

The cause of death, I believe, was stated as asphyxiation -- which we talked about could be from strangulation but also could be by other means.

I've got to say, I felt very strange when reading the reports today, remembering a hypothetical means of asphyxiation I posted about in a couple of posts, including this one, in July:

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8181033&postcount=1498"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - LA LA - ***ARREST*** Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette, 19 May 2012 #38[/ame]


From what I've read today, it sounds as if he has stated he DID strangle Lisa, but also put the plastic bag on her -- so I guess both could have contributed to the asphyxiation. I still wonder if her hyoid bone was fractured.

 

[gngr~snap]

The cause of death, I believe, was stated as asphyxiation -- which we talked about could be from strangulation but also could be by other means.

I've got to say, I felt very strange when reading the reports today, remembering a hypothetical means of asphyxiation I posted about in a couple of posts, including this one, in July:

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - LA LA - ***ARREST*** Mickey Shunick, 21, Lafayette, 19 May 2012 #38


From what I've read today, it sounds as if he has stated he DID strangle Lisa, but also put the plastic bag on her -- so I guess both could have contributed to the asphyxiation. I still wonder if her hyoid bone was fractured.

IMO I'd venture to say yes. He fractured her face/skull... maybe they just couldn't tell if the injuries were pre or post mortem due to the length of time in finding her remains maybe?
Can't understand why he left the bag on her head. Unless it served to cover her face.

Do you know if with this confession, can the MOD be changed?
I know COD is homocide.

I'm still stunned he admitted to trying to pin it on KA.

 

[kgeaux]

I am not sure Brandon's story is completely inaccurate.

I am in no way disrespecting Lisa at all, nor am i trying to minimize Brandon's crime in murdering her. I am just trying to "merge" some things that we know. Lisa and Brandon both had substance abuse problems in 1999. Lisa had been to rehab a couple of times, Brandon at least once.

I think it IS possible that Lisa left willingly with Brandon, and that she willingly stayed with him for awhile. Lisa was struggling. She was, according to those who knew her, struggling to stay sober from alcohol and drugs. Everyone has remarked that she had really tried to overcome these problems, and that she adored her children and wanted to be the best Momma. But she was struggling.

I think when Lisa realized it was her son's birthday, she wanted to go to his birthday party very badly. Badly enough to request a ride back to Lafayette, and badly enough to attempt to get the keys and get herself home when he refused. IF IF IF there was substance abuse, BSL might have a garbled
memory of what happened.

It's just my opinion, but I believe Lisa died because she wanted to get back to her boys. She would not take No for an answer when it meant missing her baby's birthday party. Even though her family knew Lisa had substance abuse problems, they also knew she would NEVER miss that child's birthday. That is why they reported her missing....I hope her boys realize how much she loved them, how badly she wanted to get home to.....badly enough to challenge a man who was younger and stronger than her.

 

[kgeaux]

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/th...williams&pid=159237391&fhid=10577#fbLoggedOut

Link to Lisa Pate's obituary which appeared in today's Daily Advertiser. There is a lovely new picture of Lisa.

Stupid online link has Lisa's obituary appearing under the name "Alice Williams" and hopefully that will be corrected soon.

 

[Houston Mom]

Speaks highly of Lisa that she fought to be able to see her kids!!

 

[kgeaux]

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/th...williams&pid=159237391&fhid=10577#fbLoggedOut

Link to Lisa Pate's obituary which appeared in today's Daily Advertiser. There is a lovely new picture of Lisa.

Stupid online link has Lisa's obituary appearing under the name "Alice Williams" and hopefully that will be corrected soon.

It feels wrong to quote my own post, but just wanted to let everyone know I emailed the paper at about 8:30 this morning informing them of the error in the obituary link, and they still haven't corrected it. UUUUUGGGGGG

I love the picture of Lisa. She looks so beautiful and happy.

 

[LAFtoSPRING]

I am not sure Brandon's story is completely inaccurate.

I am in no way disrespecting Lisa at all, nor am i trying to minimize Brandon's crime in murdering her. I am just trying to "merge" some things that we know. Lisa and Brandon both had substance abuse problems in 1999. Lisa had been to rehab a couple of times, Brandon at least once.

I think it IS possible that Lisa left willingly with Brandon, and that she willingly stayed with him for awhile. Lisa was struggling. She was, according to those who knew her, struggling to stay sober from alcohol and drugs. Everyone has remarked that she had really tried to overcome these problems, and that she adored her children and wanted to be the best Momma. But she was struggling.

I think when Lisa realized it was her son's birthday, she wanted to go to his birthday party very badly. Badly enough to request a ride back to Lafayette, and badly enough to attempt to get the keys and get herself home when he refused. IF IF IF there was substance abuse, BSL might have a garbled
memory of what happened.

It's just my opinion, but I believe Lisa died because she wanted to get back to her boys. She would not take No for an answer when it meant missing her baby's birthday party. Even though her family knew Lisa had substance abuse problems, they also knew she would NEVER miss that child's birthday. That is why they reported her missing....I hope her boys realize how much she loved them, how badly she wanted to get home to.....badly enough to challenge a man who was younger and stronger than her.

Don't recall reading anything about BSL having been in rehab. Where did that come from?

 

[KateB]

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/th...williams&pid=159237391&fhid=10577#fbLoggedOut

Link to Lisa Pate's obituary which appeared in today's Daily Advertiser. There is a lovely new picture of Lisa.

Stupid online link has Lisa's obituary appearing under the name "Alice Williams" and hopefully that will be corrected soon.

It is lovely. Thank you.
Putting a copy here to save it.

 

[simon magus]

It feels wrong to quote my own post, but just wanted to let everyone know I emailed the paper at about 8:30 this morning informing them of the error in the obituary link, and they still haven't corrected it. UUUUUGGGGGG

I love the picture of Lisa. She looks so beautiful and happy.

thank you for posting this...they still haven't corrected the name in the link you'd think after all this time, they'd at least show her that much respect.

one thing i noticed, and i don't know if it's already been established...assuming the daughter listed is the baby that was still an infant when lisa died, i think maybe that she was adopted by a member of the family, due to the name...if that is so, i am glad of that fact.

 

[ktgirl]

Lisa's obit says they had a memorial service for her this past Friday at 8/17/12. It doesn't say anything about internment of remains (or re-internment), but I wonder if Lisa's remains were disinterred for the investigation (although I don't see why they'd need to be).

I wonder if Lisa's family just decided to have another funeral/memorial service after her killer finally confessed and was sent away to Angola for life Friday morning. That seems like a nice thing to do to remember Lisa and to make Friday about Lisa and Mickey, not all about BSL.

Funerals/memorial services are also very expensive- maybe Lisa's family didn't have the money at the time when she originally died to do this then.

 

[kgeaux]

Don't recall reading anything about BSL having been in rehab. Where did that come from?

Hmmmm. I actually thought I read it here on WS. Maybe it was in a post that was deleted?

The post said that both had been in rehab, postulated that is where they met.

 

[kgeaux]

Lisa's obit says they had a memorial service for her this past Friday at 8/17/12. It doesn't say anything about internment of remains (or re-internment), but I wonder if Lisa's remains were disinterred for the investigation (although I don't see why they'd need to be).

I wonder if Lisa's family just decided to have another funeral/memorial service after her killer finally confessed and was sent away to Angola for life Friday morning. That seems like a nice thing to do to remember Lisa and to make Friday about Lisa and Mickey, not all about BSL.

Funerals/memorial services are also very expensive- maybe Lisa's family didn't have the money at the time when she originally died to do this then.

I'm not sure how unsolved murders are handled, but could it be possible that the family just received her remains? Maybe they had to be held as potential evidence?

 

[Really?]

Anyone else's hinky meter go off a little on his version of what happened with Lisa (not the actual death but that she was staying there willingly at first)?

She may have gone with him willingly but I don't think she stayed willingly for any large period of time. He somehow kept her for days. Was he working then? What did he do to prevent her from leaving when he was at work or gone?

I think she had been pleading with him for days to leave (who knows what he was doing to her), begging that she needed to see her kids, and when she was finally close to being able to escape, he lost it on her. Who knows- maybe he tortured her for days and planned to kill her all along. Maybe that was even his plan with Mickey until she fought back so aggressively.

I'm more of the mind that he was keeping Lisa against her will (however he got her there) for days, raping/torturing her, and then killed her.

this is how I imagined it........way different than his wording....of course IMO

 

[Backwoods]

Lisa's obit says they had a memorial service for her this past Friday at 8/17/12. It doesn't say anything about internment of remains (or re-internment), but I wonder if Lisa's remains were disinterred for the investigation (although I don't see why they'd need to be).

I wonder if Lisa's family just decided to have another funeral/memorial service after her killer finally confessed and was sent away to Angola for life Friday morning. That seems like a nice thing to do to remember Lisa and to make Friday about Lisa and Mickey, not all about BSL.

Funerals/memorial services are also very expensive- maybe Lisa's family didn't have the money at the time when she originally died to do this then.

The date of the memorial service -- though I suppose it could be just coincidence -- makes me think that maybe Lisa's family was being kept up to date to some extent with what was going on in the case and that Brandon likely would plead guilty on that day. I had worried about them perhaps not being kept updated, but, to me, this seems to indicate they probably were.

 

[kjnmom]

There are still conflicting dates of death:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/th...williams&pid=159237391&fhid=10577#fbLoggedOut
"Lisa Ann Pate, 34, who passed away in June of 1999"
then following the link from that obit to:
http://www.delhommefuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1562004&fh_id=10813
"Lisa Ann Pate
(Died July 1, 1999)....Lisa Ann Pate, 34, who passed away in June of 1999."

 

[gngr~snap]

Hmmmm. I actually thought I read it here on WS. Maybe it was in a post that was deleted?

The post said that both had been in rehab, postulated that is where they met.

I saw it somewhere too... but maybe it wasn't "drug" rehab but a place to go as a minor instead of jail?

 

[hsmom2]

Someone with more of a legal background than I have will have to help me with this but what I read in BSL's "confession" is that he did not confess at all to Lisa's murder. Please bear with me, and correct me if I'm off-track, while I point out some wording in the Statement in Support of Plea document.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/assets/pdf/DG193527817.PDF?sf5605673=1

BBM:

On page 4, "The Defendant cannot enter a plea of nolo contendere..."

"The Defendant...plead and consent to the imposition of a sentence of...though he may be unwilling or unable to admit his participation in the acts constituting the First Degree Murder of Lisa Pate. The Defendant has intelligently concluded, and his counsel agree and recommend, that his interests require entry of a guilty plea and the factual basis contains strong evidence of actual guilt...

This sounds to me like he wanted to plead "no contest" to Lisa's murder but couldn't and that he only plead "guilty" because 1) that is all the DA would accept, 2) his lawyers told him to and, of course, 3) it was in his best interest.

IMO, I get the impression that he only wanted to plea guilty to MS.

To me, BSL has disrespected Lisa in death as he did when she was alive. As if saying that she was not important. Further confirmation for me was that he wrote a letter to Mickey's parents but did not, to my knowledge even acknowledge Lisa's mother and family.

RIP sweet ladies! BSL, may you receive true justice at some point in your life.

 

[hsmom2]

Bump for Lisa.

Would really love to read everyone's opinion on BSL's not taking responsibility for the murder of Lisa Pate.

 

[simon magus]

Bump for Lisa.

Would really love to read everyone's opinion on BSL's not taking responsibility for the murder of Lisa Pate.

it saddened me to read the wording of the document...after all this time, i still don't feel like lisa has gotten the justice she deserves...i am grateful that her case is finally closed, but it just doesn't seem like "enough" to me...i suspect the reason he wouldn't admit to it is because he figured his attorneys could discredit the ex-cons he told the story to in prison...ironic that he apparently believes his word is more reliable than any other ex-cons'.

 

[Donamena]

From what I have read online, the boys had an aunt that was killed in the summer of 2010 by her live-in boyfriend in a small apartment/house behind their grandmothers. The article said the grandmother had heart problems so I am guessing they are trying to shield her away from the press & public as much as possible.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20101031/NEWS01/10310328/What-really-happened-Wilcox-Street-

I also heard a rumor recently regarding the placement of the body & items found with it that made me rule out that she died of an accidental overdose and someone just got scared.

I think the grandmother was at the hearing/plea. She sat near Mickey's family, unless I am mistaken. I couldn't see well & inadvertently sat on the defense side. She was led out by a younger person, & they were near Lisa's brother. Not sure.