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Lafayette, Louisiana: Human remains believed to be those of Mickey Shunick (right) were found Tuesday, Lafayette Chief of Police Jim Craft said. "We believe these remains are Mickey Shunick's, but we are not 100 percent," Craft said.
Craft said officials will have to conduct additional testing before determining with certainty whether the remains are Shunick's.
An exact location was not immediately available.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/2...nav%7Chead
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
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I hope for her family's sake they are Mickey's remains. They can give her a proper burial [cremation] and hopefully begin the healing process.
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video:
http://www.kalb.com/story/19220808/polic...Id=7589091
LAFAYETTE, La. – A Lafayette police spokesperson has confirmed with NewsChannel 5/CBS 2 that the task force investigating the disappearance of Mickey Shunick has located a body that's believed to be the missing ULL college student.
Authorities said tests will confirm the identity.
The photo and video show aerial shots of the location where police are investigating a cemetery off La. Hwy 10 east of La. Hwy 13 in Evangeline Parish.
The task force, along with Evangeline Parish Sheriff deputies, arrived in the area around 3 p.m., which is south of Ville Platte, where authorities say the body is located.
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Like Cheyne said, i hope the body is Mickey's, and not a false alarm for the Shunick's. Also i'm curious who the tip came from, wonder if we'll find out? Mainly bc i'd like to know how long they've had the info about where the body was located, and how exactly they knew about it
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i think the suspect Lavergne told them or showed them where. it is suspected by authorities he kept moving the body. he may be trying for a deal.
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Thanks LC. Wonder if maybe this person knows even more, like if they helped lavergne get the truck to texas before burning it? Would Lavergne be dumb enough to let someone who was previously unaware of (or at least didn't have proof of) his (Lavergne's) involvement in the crime?
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clipped the article so as not to repeat the same things 400 times. link to full article is in the headline
![[Image: Michaela-Shunick-01_540x405.jpg]](http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/05/23/Michaela-Shunick-01_540x405.jpg)
Mickey Shunick's Body Positively Identified by Louisiana Police
By CHRISTINA NG Aug. 10, 2012
The remains of missing Louisiana student Mickey Shunick have been positively identified by police.
The Lafayette Coroner's Office sent Shunick's medical and dental records to the Louisiana State University Faces Lab, where the identification was made. Her remains were sent there because her body was in the "advanced stages of decomposition," according to Keith Talamo of the coroner's office.
......
The Lafayette Police Department announced the positive identification in a short, two-line news release.
"Investigators have identified the body discovered in Evangeline Parish as that of Michaela 'Mickey' Shunick," the release said. "There will be no further comment on the Shunick investigation at this time."
Shunick's family has asked for privacy from the media, but told ABC News' Baton Rouge affiliate WBRZ that they can now begin the healing process.
The family said Shunick "deserved a long and happy life filled with love and laughter," according to WBRZ.
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KATC-TV 3: Acadiana's Newschannel
Brandon Scott Lavergne pleads guilty to murdering Lisa Pate and Mickey Shunick in exchange for life in prison. Lavergne was required to show police where Mickey Shunick's body was buried and physically recreate the actions on May 19. Lavergne signed of statements the prosecution presented to the court. Those statements say Lavergne followed Shunick down St. Landry Street in his truck. He intentionally hit her bike and persuaded her into his vehicle. She was able to mace him, grab his knife, and stab him several times, giving him what were described as "life-threatening cuts." He grabbed the knife back and stabbed Shunick four times until she fell over. At this point, Lavergne thought she was dead. However, when Lavergne brought Shunick to a seclude cane field in Acadia Parish, she jumped up and regained control of knife. Shunick stabbed him in the chest. That's when Lavergne grabbed a semi-automatic handgun and shot Shunick in the head, killing her instantly.
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LAFAYETTE -- A Texas private investigator says witness accounts and vehicle records make him suspect Brandon Scott Lavergne is involved in the April 2010 disappearance of a 15-year-old Texas girl.
Lavergne is expected to appear in court at 10 a.m. today in Lafayette. He has been indicted on two first-degree murder charges here, one in the case of Mickey Shunick, 21, and the second in the 1999 death of Lisa Ann Pate. He is currently being held without bond.
The Texas girl, Alexandria "Ali" Lowitzer, was last seen outside a Burger Barn restaurant in Spring, Texas, just three doors down from her home, said Houston-based investigator Mac Sanford. Lowitzer had recently started working at the restaurant and was walking there to pick up her first paycheck, Sanford said.
But Lowitzer never picked up the paycheck, and there has been no trace of her in more than two years.
Sanford said a tip line established shortly after Lowitzer's disappearance yielded calls from two unrelated witnesses who said they saw a girl they believed to be Lowitzer talking to a man in a white, extended-cab pickup. The man appeared to be trying to coax the girl into the vehicle. One of those witnesses was able to get a partial license plate number.
"I've been following the (Mickey) Shunick case since the beginning, and when I saw that Brandon Lavergne was arrested and he reported his vehicle stolen in Montgomery County, that's just a few miles from where Ali went missing," Sanford said.
A search of Louisiana vehicle records showed that Lavergne's vehicle, a white 2005 GMC extended-cab truck, had the same numbers in its Louisiana license plate that one of the witnesses saw, Sanford said.
"From there, it all started falling into place," he said.
Sanford said he learned that Lavergne sold that truck in March. Police in Harris County, Texas, are now following up on the vehicle, as well as any other records that might place Lavergne in the area at the time of Lowitzer's disapperance.
A spokesman for the Harris County Sheriff's Office would not provide additional details on the case Thursday.
This is not the first time Lavergne's name has been associated with other missing person cases. Several local law enforcement agencies have gone on record saying the the 33-year-old St. Landry Parish man has been looked at as a suspect in missing cases in their jusisdictions.
Lowitzer's parents, John and Jo Ann Lowitzer, have a website dedicated to their daughter's disapperance. On the site, they describe her as an artistic teen who enjoyed spending time at home and having friends over. She was also active in softball, Girl Scouts, choir and art.
Several volunteers and organizations searched for Lowitzer in the area in the weeks after her disapperance, but those searches yielded no clues.
"We hope and pray that you would help us by doing what you can," the site read. "Please download Ali's flier, keep it visible, pass the word, say a prayer and keep a watchful eye out for her."
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/2...Texas-girl
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.pdf of statement and plea
http://www1.katc.com/files/lavergne%20statement.pdf
right click and rotate clockwise, then right click and select marquee zoom
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SHE FOUGHT LIKE A TIGER!
AP
BATON ROUGE, La. – A Louisiana college student desperately tried to fend off her killer by spraying him with mace and even stabbing him several times with his own knife before he fatally shot her, according to details revealed Friday in a guilty plea hearing.
Brandon Scott Lavergne, 33, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-degree murder in the death of the student, Michaela "Mickey" Shunick, and the separate July 1999 slaying of Lisa Marie Pate.
Under a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, he was required to give details about both slayings in exchange for a life sentence without parole.
Shunick, a student at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, went missing in the early hours of May 19 after leaving a friend's house on her bicycle. Surveillance videos captured Lavergne following her in a white Chevrolet Z71 pickup truck, changing lanes and turning corners in order to follow her.
Court documents say Lavergne, a registered sex offender, hit Shunick's bike with his truck, throwing her to the ground. Then, Lavergne either forced or persuaded Shunick to get into the vehicle and her damaged bike was loaded into the bed of the truck.
Shunick tried to use her cellphone to call for help but Lavergne, who had a knife and a semiautomatic handgun in his vehicle, threatened to stab her if she continued. Shunick sprayed mace in Lavergne's face and managed to wrestle the knife from Lavergne and stab him several times before he grabbed the knife from her.
Lavergne stabbed Shunick at least four times before she collapsed. He then drove 30 to 40 minutes to an isolated sugar cane field in north Acadia Parish.
"The Defendant believed that Mickey was dead from the stab wounds he had inflicted upon her. The Defendant drove deep into the sugar cane field and brought the Z71 to a stop, intending to drag Mickey's body into the field," the court documents said.
Shunick suddenly jumped up and stabbed Lavergne in the chest after re-arming herself with the knife. Lavergne then pulled his semiautomatic weapon and shot Shunick in the head. She died instantly.
With fresh wounds, Lavergne drove back to his home in Swords while Shunick's body slumped in the passenger seat. He destroyed his clothing, attempted to clean out his truck and got rid of the empty bullet casing. He then drove to an old cemetery in Evangeline Parish and, unable to dig a grave because of his injuries, covered Shunick under tree branches and debris.
Later, Lavergne dumped Shunick's bicycle under a bridge in Whiskey Bay and drove to New Orleans to stay with a friend, where he checked into a hospital, seeking treatment for his injuries.
A day later, Lavergne returned to the cemetery to bury Shunick's body.
Lavergne was arrested July 5 on charges of first degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. Shunick's body was eventually found Aug. 7. The body was in such an advanced stage of decomposition the coroner's office had to send it to forensic experts at Louisiana State University.
Lavergne was the "credible witness" officials say led them to the remains. Prison records show he was checked out of prison hours before her body was discovered.
The Advocate reports Shunick's sister, Charlene "Charlie" Shunick, said in a written statement that, "my sister, Mickey Shunick, was a warrior. If it wasn't for her, our community never would have been able to bring down a dangerous man that harmed multiple people."
Clay Lejeune, one of Lavergne's defense attorneys, says his client is relieved he can bring an end to the Shunick family's suffering.
"I think he had been carrying this. He was very remorseful throughout the process and wanted to bring some closure to the Shunick family. He wanted to give them some closure and recognized that a trial would only serve to create greater harm to them," Lejeune said.
Lavergne also pleaded guilty to the murder of Pate, whose body was found in Acadia Parish in 1999. Court documents say Lavergne and Pate checked into a hotel for several days shortly after they first met in Lafayette. Pate eventually told Lavergne she wanted to leave and see her children but Lavergne refused to give her a ride or let her borrow his vehicle to return home.
Court documents say Pate attempted to surreptitiously grab Lavergne's keys and wallet while he was asleep, but Lavergne caught her and bloodied her face and nose. Pate died a little later and fellow inmates of Lavergne have said Lavergne confessed to suffocating a woman with a plastic bag over her head.
Lavergne later moved Pate's body to Acadia Parish, where remnants of a plastic bag were found around the body's skull.
![[Image: 217941_410836655643318_818253274_n-592x630.jpg]](http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/1079ishot.com/files/2012/08/217941_410836655643318_818253274_n-592x630.jpg)
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From your link, LC:
Clay Lejeune, one of Lavergne's defense attorneys, says his client is relieved he can bring an end to the Shunick family's suffering.
"I think he had been carrying this. He was very remorseful throughout the process and wanted to bring some closure to the Shunick family. He wanted to give them some closure and recognized that a trial would only serve to create greater harm to them," Lejeune said.
Fuck that shit. It's an insult to Mickey, Lisa and their families to say that crap. It's one thing to represent a client and assure they are accorded their rights, but that's where it should end. Lavergne is a psychopathic serial killer and he does NOT feel anything, let alone 'remorse'.
Mickey almost killed that fucker. How I wish she had.
I also took note of another Lisa with a plastic bag over her head :(
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Statement from the Shunick Family
(August 9, 2012)
Our world became a better place on May 21, 1990, when Mickey came into this world. She brightened the lives of everyone she touched. She deserved a long and happy life filled with love and laughter, but unfortunately, today’s news proved otherwise.
Today, we begin our lives without Mickey. We have not just lost our daughter and our children have not just lost their sister; but all of us have lost a part of ourselves. Now, as we begin our healing process, we can only ask for a bit of privacy from the media and the public during this somber time.
We have been so deeply touched by the thousands of strangers who have shown us their support during this difficult journey. We can never begin to repay all of you for your time, generosity, and unending support and love. And we know that Mickey would feel the same.
Also, we have to remember that we are not the only family that has been hurt by this tragedy. Please consider in your thoughts the other families that have unwillingly been made a part of this crisis.
Let us remember to always be inspired by who Mickey was: her contagious smile, her love for all creatures, her devotion to family and friends, her passion for her students (for whom she served as a role model), and last, but not least, the ray of sunshine she projects that will continue to make our world a little brighter.
We thank you for respecting our privacy in this difficult time by allowing us this opportunity to share these words with all of you today. Again, though we may now grieve for the loss of our daughter, let us also move forward by celebrating her life.
Thank you.
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I am both so sad and glad to hear she fought so strongly. I am sad because she didn't get away and she fought so strong proving her will to live, this moved me to tears. I could picture her moves. I don't know glad is the right word but just waking up and it's all I could come up with. I would have been defeated a little to know she hadn't put up some sort of fight but this was a huge sign of I'm not going down unless I leave my name all over you and you go down for it. I wish so badly that those wounds she inflicted on him would have been enough to get out, she tried!
On a side note when this case started and everyone was looking at who did it, I looked at my boyfriend and said to him "I'm really starting to feel like you can't trust anyone anymore going anywhere and I mean anyone." I looked at him and said I could walk out this door and you could be plotting to kill me over my pain medicine. He laughed and I said are you going to kill me? And then I laughed but seriously that's how it is starting to feel, especially when some many people go missing or killed and the first people are the ones closest to them. It is just a scary thing to think about even though I was half joking at the time.
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I'm glad she fought so hard, too. Effer. Hope it hurt him.
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(08-18-2012, 12:45 PM)heartbreaker6713 Wrote: And then I laughed but seriously that's how it is starting to feel, especially when some many people go missing or killed and the first people are the ones closest to them. It is just a scary thing to think about even though I was half joking at the time.
In this case it was a total stranger who habitually stalked and murdered innocent women. More needs to be done to protect society at large from sociopaths whose past records prove they are a threat to us.
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Who knows if the details they got out of Lavergne are the entire story but, with what we know, she didn't get raped. There was certainly a sexual motivation because that sick bastard was calling escort services when he ran across Mickey. It's just terrible to be grateful she was shot in the head, but I am. At least that ended a horrible attack, finally and quickly. If she hadn't hurt him like that (she kicked his ass!) God knows what else he would have done to her out in that cane field. Mickey's mom said it took a truck, a knife and a gun all to take down 5 foot Mickey. Her sister called Mickey a warrior. It amazes me she was able to get that knife from him TWICE, and fight him even after he stabbed her four times and thought she dead.
This story isn't over. There's the young girl, Ali, in Texas, and I'll bet it was him. You know there are more. I also want to how he got from where he burned his truck, back to where he was staying. I believe it was 40 or 50 miles and he managed that while his sister slept.
LC, I read that he is in Angola, now. He may end up in Texas if they connect him to Ali.
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