Mickey Shunick, murdered. 22, La. vanished riding her bike

[Cheyne]

Mickey has been missing over a month now. Her mother spoke to KATC on the one month anniversary of Mickey's disappearance.

Mickey's mom speaks

[NightOwl]

Mickey has been missing over a month now. Her mother spoke to KATC on the one month anniversary of Mickey's disappearance.

Mickey's mom speaks

A month is too long! I'm afraid she isn't coming back to her animals either, very sad for the family. Thanks Cheyne.

[Jezreel]

I saw on one of the Facebook pages that an arrest has been made and there is supposed to a presser tomorrow

[Lady Cop]

The Lafayette Police Department, working with the multi-jurisdiction task force, has made an arrest in connection with the case. Brandon Scott Lavergne is from the Lawtell area. He is a registered sex offender.

LPD and Saint Landry Parish Sherriff Deputies are executing a search warrant of Brandon Scott Lavergne's residence on the 100 block of Elaine Lane in the Swords area. Saint Landry Parish Sherriff Bobby Guidroz says they are there investigating a major crime. He would neither confirm nor deny that the operation was in connection with the Shunick case.

There will be a news conference at the Lafayette Police Department on Friday, July 6, 2012, at 1:00 pm, regarding new information in the Mickey Shunick case. There will be no comment on the investigation until the press conference. The investigation remains ongoing.

Brandon Scott Lavergne
143 Elaine Lane
Church Point LA 70525

Age: 32 Gender: M
Height: 5 ft. 9 in. Weight: 220
Race/Ethnicity: White

Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Hazel

Offense: aggravated oral sexual battery

[Lady Cop]

^ see post above

[RJs-Ex]

^^ Have we seen that name before?

[Lady Cop]

according to arrest affidavit, The warrant for Brandon Lavergne is for 1^st degree murder and Aggravated Kidnapping. NO details were provided in affidavit. there will be a presser at 1 PM friday.

[Jezreel]

So very sad, even though we all knew Mickey wasn't coming home. I don't want to think what this guy did to her, I hope she put up one hell of a fight!

[sharit]

Soooo the white chevy pick up seen in the video was this guys truck. Thought they said the white trucks were cleared.

[Duchess]

Thought they said the white trucks were cleared.

Cops are allowed to lie.

[Adub]

[JsMom]

^ Amen to that.

[Lady Cop]

waiting for police presser.

KATC

Brandon Lavergne appeared before a judge in a video conference this morning. Lavergne will be represented by a public defenders, Clay Lejeune and Burleigh Doga . When asked by the judge if he could afford a lawyer, Lavergne responded with, "Not in a case like this, sir." In addition, Lavergne will be placed in critical care, which sheriff's deputies say is to protect Lavergne from other inmates.
-------------------------------
Deputies in San Jacinto County in Texas tell us they found a burned out pick-up truck in their county on June 14^th. They tell us Lafayette Police are investigating it in relation to Mickey Shunick's disappearance. San Jacinto County is approximately an hour's drive north from Houston, Tx.

[Lady Cop]

presser now

stream is terrible, cuts out. god damn it! i missed half of it. fuckers!

Lavergne is not cooperating with police.
he was arrested on an unrelated warrant during a traffic stop. they do not have a body.
truck found burned in texas.

[Lady Cop]

KATC

During a news conference, Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft said evidence shows Brandon Scott Lavergne's truck was in the Whiskey Bay area where Mickey Shunick's bicycle was found on May 26. Lavergne, a registered sex offender, is charged with first degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. Aggravated kidnapping constitutes a charge of first degree murder, according to Craft. State Police pulled over Lavergne on July 5^th near I-49 and I-10, and he was arrested on an unrelated warrant related to sex offender registration. Lavergne requested an attorney and has since refused to cooperate with the police investigation.

On June 14, police were tipped off about a white truck possibly involved in Mickey Shunick's disappearance. Police say Lavergne's truck, a white Chevy pickup truck, was found burned in San Jacinto County, TX. It was reported stolen in Montgomery County, TX, but the chief wouldn't say whether Lavergne was the person who reported it stolen. Since early in the investigation, detectives have been looking for a person of interest and a white pickup seen on video surveillance in the same area where Shunick was last seen on her bicycle. The truck was seen traveling directly behind her and Lavergne was identified as the driver, said Craft. When Lavergne was arrested yesterday, he was in a new, white Chevy pickup truck. "We continue today with our efforts to locate and bring Mickey home," he said.

Lavergne has been offshore for the last two weeks. Police believe Mickey was taken between St. Mary Street and the Blackham Coliseum, and Lavergne may have been riding around, looking for someone to victimize that night. Police wouldn't indicate if there were signs of a struggle or why they believe Mickey is dead. There's still no word on Mickey's location, and there is no apparent relationship between Lavergne and Mickey. Evidence indicates her bike was hit from behind by a vehicle.

[NightOwl]

Lady Cop, thank you very much for this news report, it's amazing they could identify his face in the truck even from the video.

What a dirty deal to hit her on the bike and be lurking around to prey on young women like this, it's horrible! I'm so sorry for the family.

[Kip]

Love that sign (thanks for posting the pic, Adub).

It's sad that this case turned out the way pretty much everyone expected. But I was afraid that the case might either go unsolved, or that her killer would eventually be caught after doing the same thing to another victim. I'm glad he was caught relatively quickly.

[Lady Cop]

skirting removed to look underneath


presser

[NightOwl]

Brandon and his mother a 2010 picture.

[NightOwl]

On the KATC Facebook Wall a message from Cynthia Lavergne.


"Hello to all.. My name is Cynthia Lavergne. I am the Mother of Brandon Scott Lavergne. There may never be a good or appropriate time for me to send this message but for me this seems to be the time. Brandon Scott Lavergne is my son however, he is an adopted son. I adopted Brandon at birth to give him the family he deserved. I am not saying this to minimize the relationship with my son.. I'm stating this so that no one else has the chance to say or reveal what is rightfully mine to do. I would like to offer my condolences to the Shunick family. I also would like to have closure. I know I'm sorry is never enough however, it is all i have to offer at this moment. I am learning about this case as everyone else is, one news cast at a time, one Facebook post at a time, and one phone call at a time. I am sure I will speak to more people later but at this time this is truly all I can say, I'm so very deeply sorry for the grief everyone is going through, may the angels be beside you through this time and always."
3 hours ago · Like · 77