Lafayette, Louisiana Mickey Shunick 21

[meme]

Shunick family speaks out after Mickey's alleged killer is charged with second murder

Jul 18, 2012 9:43 p.m.

A shocking twist during the grand jury hearing of Brandon Lavergne, the man charged with kidnapping and murdering 22 year-old Mickey Shunick is now also formally charged with the 1999 killing of Lisa Pate. A murder more than a dozen years cold.

"I know what they're going through. It's been what, twelve years or so for them. And something that they were over with and trying to get back to their normal lives and now here they are again back involved in this trial and I feel for them and anyone else out there who has missing children," Tom Shunick, Mickey's father, added.

Tom Shunick has remained positive throughout the entire ordeal. But he said while there's a small chance she may still be out there, the possibility is dwindling.

"Not 100%, but it sure doesn't look very good does it? I mean this guy has murdered and buried a body before. Murdered a girl and buried her body before. It certainly looks like that's his M.O.," Shunick explained.

And still volunteer headquarters remains open. Those in charge say the mission stays the same, if not the end result.

"We're really looking for her body. We need to bring her home. And that's been our motto all along, 'bring Mickey home', " Margaret Bearb, the search volunteer coordinator, added.

The state has already made it clear, they're looking for Lavergne to receive the death penalty if found guilty. Shunick said whatever the punishment, it won't bring his daughter back.

"Is that too quick? I don't know. I'll just have to let the justice system determine that.... whatever they do to him. It's not going to make any difference to what's happened, " Shunick remarked.

m.nbc33tv.com/w/main/story/67787853/

[meme]

Body found yesterday in east Texas not of Mickey Shunick.


Official: Suicide cause of death for body found in woods

Cass County authorities have released the cause of death of a body found in a wooded area in East Texas.

The Cass County Sheriff's Office tells KLTV, the body discovered in a wooded area was that of an 88-year-old man who had committed suicide.

m.kltv.com/autojuice?targetUrl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.kltv.com%2fstory%2f19059013%2fofficials-investigating-body-found-in-east-texas-woods

[meme]

Brandon Lavergne's Legal/ Criminal Timeline

4/12/1999: Brandon Scott Lavergne is accused of oral sexual battery of a woman in Evangeline Parish.

06/1999: Lisa Pate of Youngsville last seen. Family members say she didn't show up for her son's birthday party, which was weird.

07/03/1999: Investigators believe this is around the date Pate was murdered.

09/17/1999: Lavergne marries a woman in Natchitoches, LA.

09/21/1999: Lisa Pate's body is found in the northern part of Acadia Parish.

12/24/1999: Lavergne's ex-wife accuses him, in the divorce records, of domestic violence at Fort Polk. She said she went to the ER at Fort Polk to get a CT scan after being hit several times on the head with his fists. She also says he tried to smother her. We can find no records where Lavergne was charged with this crime; the clerk says they don't keep records past eight years. They say they'll get back to us and will continue looking into it.

02/08/2000: Lavergne's ex-wife accuses him, in the divorce records, of domestic violence. She says Lavergne went to her place of employment at Doctor's Hospital and struck her in the face, grabbed her around the neck, and pushed her down.

02/09/2000: Lavergne booked into the Opelousas jail on a simple battery charge in connection with the claim made by his ex-wife. Police say he was released to Fort Polk officials, but the city clerk says they didn't get notification he was arrested, so his warrant is still active on the battery charge. It is still unclear why the warrant wasn't cleared in city court, why a court date wasn't set in Opelousas, and why a hold wasn't put on him when he was booked into Evangeline Parish two days later. As a result, this case has never gone to trial.

02/11/2000: Lavergne booked into jail in Evangeline Parish on an aggravated oral sexual battery charge where he would serve eight years.

10/16/00: A divorce is granted between Lavergne and his ex-wife in St. Landry Parish.

12/27/00: A judge grants Lavergne's ex-wife custody of their child; today that child is 11 years old.

04/09/2008: A grand jury in Acadia Parish hears a case involving a second degree murder charge against Brandon Scott Lavergne. The victim is identified as Lisa Pate The clerk said there was not enough evidence to issue a true bill or a no true bill in the case.

08/09/2008: Lavergne is released from the Evangeline Parish jail on the aggravated oral sexual battery charge.

05/19/2012, 1:48 a.m.: Mickey is caught on camera, riding her bike, on St. Landry Street. Police say between St. Landry and Blackham Coliseum, Lavergne allegedly kidnapped Mickey. Her bike's damage is consistent with being hit from behind by a vehicle.

05/19/2012, approximately 3:00 pm: According to a police report from Jefferson Parish, Lavergne says he was attacked at a gas station in the New Orleans area, repeatedly stabbed by an unknown man.

05/19/2012, 6:30 p.m.: Mickey's family reports her missing to police.

05/19/2012, 11:00 p.m.: Lavergne is interviewed by Jefferson Parish deputies in connection with an aggravated battery/robbery against him earlier that afternoon. The interview happens at a hospital in New Orleans as Lavergne is being treated, according to a police report. Lavergne can't recall where it happened.

05/25/2012: The video surveillance photos were released to the public.

05/26/2012: Mickey's bike was located under the Whiskey Bay Bridge.

05/31/2012: Lafayette Police say Lavergne's truck was found burned in San Jacinto County, TX.

05/31/2012: Montgomery County Sheriff's Department says Lavergne reports his truck missing.

06/04/2012: Don's Wholesale in Lafayette Parish says Lavergne bought a white, Z-71 pick up truck. Police say the truck is just like his previous truck, found burned in Texas.

06/14/2012: Lafayette Police get the tip the white truck of interest was found burned in Texas. Lafayette Police say it's Lavergne's truck.

07/05/2012: State Police stop Lavergne on a traffic stop in a new white truck and arrest him on a warrant related to registering as a sex offender. He's also booked on first degree murder and kidnapping charges. Police say he is not cooperating.

07/18/2012: Lavergne is indicted in the murders of Mickey Shunick and Lisa Pate.

www.katc.com/mobile/news/brandon-lavergne-s-legal-criminal-timeline/

[meme]

UPDATE: Equusearch still searching for Shunick in St. Landry Parish

4:04 PM, Jul 20, 2012

Crews from Texas Equusearch continued to comb woods and fields in rural Acadia Parish today in the search for missing University of Louisiana at Lafayette student Mickey Shunick.

Texas Equusearch is a nonprofit group that searches for missing people. They have been to Acadiana several times since Shunick went missing on May 19.

The group returned again about a week ago after Lafayette police requested their assistance following the July 5 arrest of Brandon Scott Lavergne, 33, of Swords in St. Landry Parish.

Lavergne grew up in Church Point in Acadia Parish and his father still lives there. He was indicted Wednesday in the first-degree murder of Shunick and Lisa Ann Pate, 34, of Youngsville, whose remains were found in Acadia Parish in 1999.

An Acadia Parish grand jury heard evidence against Lavergne in April 2008 for the second-degree murder of Pate, but failed to indict him.

District Attorney Mike Harson of the 15th Judicial District that includes Lafayette, Acadia and Vermilion parishes, confirmed the 2008 grand jury hearing was about the Pate case.

Lavergne is in the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. He is scheduled for arraignment July 27. No bond was set at his 72-hour hearing today, meaning Lavergne will remain in jail.

www.theadvertiser.com/article/20120720/NEWS01/120720035/UPDATE-Equusearch-still-searching-Shunick-St-Landry-Parish

[meme]

Mickey Shunick, Lisa Pate cases could be tried together

11:03 AM, Jul. 24, 2012

LAFAYETTE -- The murders of Mickey Shunick and Lisa Pate may go before a jury at the same time, District Attorney Mike Harson said.

"As of right now, I believe the two cases will be tried together," he wrote in an e-mail response to The Daily Advertiser's inquiries Monday.

Brandon Scott Lavergne, 33, of Swords in rural St. Landry Parish, was indicted by a grand jury last week for the first-degree murder of Shunick and Pate.

Shunick, who was 21 years old when she disappeared while riding her bike just before 2 a.m. on May 19 near Downtown Lafayette, has not been found.

Pate disappeared in June or July of 1999. Her remains were found in September 1999 near Church Point. Lavergne was a suspect in that case, but a 2008 grand jury determined there was not enough evidence to indict him.

Lavergne is a sex offender who served more than eight years in prison from February 2000 until August 2008 for aggravated oral sexual battery in Evangeline Parish.

Harson also said it could take up to three years to bring Lavergne to trial.

"It is not uncommon to take up to three years to get capital cases to trial so a two-year estimate may, in fact, be optimistic," he wrote.

www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20120724/NEWS03/120724024/Mickey-Shunick-Lisa-Pate-cases-could-tried-together?odyssey=nav|head

[meme]

Shunick Headquarters Moving July 24, 2012 6:50 PM CST

Its day 66 since Mickey Shunick was last seen leaving a friend's house on her bicycle. And since then, it's been the volunteer efforts that have kept Shunick's story on everyone's mind.

Since Shunick went missing, headquarters have changed venues four times. And now, they're headed to a new location soon.

Since June 11th, the volunteer headquarters have been situated in "South College Center" off Johnston Street. The building, however, has been up for lease, and now it looks like they'll be moving to another location once again.

Volunteers are slowly packing up what's been the home base for nearly six weeks. The space was originally donated temporarily while it was vacant and waiting for a business to lease it out.

But soon a business moving in, and the headquarters are moving out. However, the owners have helped secure another spot.

"They have really been so nice to find us another location next door in the finance building. So, we'll slowly move things little by little. But, we'll stay open to the public for another couple of weeks" says Volunteer Coordinator Margret Bearb.

The new location will be a lot smaller and only open Monday through Friday. Even though it will be the fifth move since the search started, it's not the end of the road.

"This is just another move forward. We're not going to close the doors again. We're going to make sure the doors are open there before we close these. So, it's been the same. It's been a positive. We're making the best of it" says Bearb.

The wall of butterflies will be going with them too as a sign of positivity and hope. At day 66, those at headquarters are staying focused.

"We need to bring her home. Her family needs her. It's just at this point, we need good closure and that's to bring her home. So, we have not stopped looking."

They're not sure exactly what the move-in date will be at the new spot at the Landry building. But, they said they will be selling t-shirts, bracelets and other items. Of course, we'll keep you updated as the time comes.

m.klfy.com/default.aspx?pid=2705&wnfeedurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.klfy.com%2fstory%2f19104153%2fshunick%3fclienttype%3drssstory

[meme]

State lays out plan in Shunick, Pate cases

8:39 AM, Aug 3, 2012

UPDATED 11:30 a.m. Discovery documents prosecutors filed Thursday give a glimpse of the state’s case against Brandon Scott Lavergne, 33, of St. Landry Parish, who faces two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Lisa Pate in 1999 and Mickey Shunick in May.

Based on those documents, it appears law enforcement may have placed a tracking device on Lavergne’s white pickup truck while he was working offshore. The search warrant, obtained from the 25th Judicial District Court in Plaquemines Parish, allowed officials to place a tracking device on Lavergne’s 2009 Chevrolet Silverado.

Lavergne drove a white Chevrolet Z71, which was caught on surveillance passing City Hall on St. Landry Street shortly after Shunick. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette co-ed, who was riding her bike, disappeared shortly afterwards.

Just days after police released photos of the white truck, Lavergne reported his truck stolen from Houston. It was recovered, burned, in San Jacinto County, Texas, and Lavergne bought the replacement white 2009 Chevy Silverado June 4 in Lafayette.

The documents filed Thursday state that Lavergne, in buying the truck, altered his driver’s license to hide the sex offender notice. He also allegedly offered $500 to someone with the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles for a license without the sex offender notice.

Lavergne is a Tier III registered sex offender, which means he must register as a sex offender for life. The label is the result of a 2000 conviction for aggravated oral sexual battery, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Law enforcement obtained 36 search warrants in connection with the Shunick and Pate cases. They included search warrants for 1327 Leger Road in Crowley and an Allied Waste front-end dumpster previously located at 1235 Leger Road in Church Point.

A woman who answered the telephone Friday morning for AFG Excavating and Dirt Service, listed online as located at 1235 Leger Road, would not comment and hung up on the reporter inquiring as to whether the company is indeed located at that address.

Law enforcement also obtained search warrants for a host of properties on Jesse B. Road in Church Point. Jesse B. Road leads to Elaine Lane in Swords, where Lavergne was residing when he was arrested July 5 in connection with Shunick’s disappearance.

Jesse B. Road also connects with Brigman Highway/La. 358, which is where Pate’s remains were found in September 1999, three months after she disappeared.

Search warrants also were obtained for two Lafayette addresses and four parcels of land along Leslie Road which intersects with Elaine Lane in Swords. Lavergne owns property and a mobile home at that intersection.

www.theadvertiser.com/article/20120803/NEWS01/120803010/New-document-puts-light-what-prosecutors-think-happened-Mickey-Shunick?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[meme]

New Court Records Reveal What DA's Office Believes Happened In Shunick, Pate Murders

A new document was filed into court today in the case of the State of Louisiana versus Brandon Scott Lavergne. Assistant District Attorney Keith Stutes filed a "Disclosure, Production, Notice to Defendant, and Request for State's Discovery". In it, he outlines what information is available to the defendant's attorneys, but the document also gives clues as to how the murder's of Mickey Shunick and Lisa Pate were investigated by police.

*Intent to seek death penalty: The document clearly states prosecutors plan on seeking the death penalty for the murders of Pate and Shunick. Explaining why the death penalty is wanted, the filing claims that the murders were committed "in an especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel manner" and that Lavergne has "knowingly killed two or more persons" in separate incidents.

*At trial: The state wants to have photographs of the victims, not larger than 8 x 10, introduced into evidence and displayed during the entire trial. The claim is that the victims, through photos, are entitled to be present at the trial.

*The DA's Office outlines what they think happened: The court record filed by the DA's office claims the following information is fact: On or about July 3, 1999, Lavergne met Lisa Pate in Lafayette Parish. It is alleged Pate was persuaded or forced to another location, where she was forced, for her release, to "engage in non-consensual acts, and/or inflicted physical injury, and/or sexual abuse upon Lisa Pate." The document says Lavergne killed Pate and moved the evidence, including the body, "with the intent to distort the results of the criminal investigation."

The court record filed by the DA's office also claims the following information is fact: On or about May 19, 2012, Lavergne forcibly seized Mickey Shunick and carried her to another place where he refused to release her. It is alleged Lavergne "forced her to engage in non-consensual acts, and inflicted physical injury and/or sexual abuse". The document says Lavergne killed Mickey and moved evidence of the murder, including her body and belongings, "to locations with the intent to distort the results of the criminal investigation." Lavergne is also accused of obstruction of justice and the continued tampering of the body of Mickey Shunick. The state also adds that anyone knowing where Mickey's body may be could be charged with Accessories After the Fact.

In the filing, the state claims after Lavergne murdered Mickey, he moved his truck to an out-of-state location, where he intentionally destroyed it. The document alleges Lavergne did so to destroy evidence and distort the results of any criminal investigation. The truck was found May 31, 2012, and that's when Lavergne is accused of providing a false vehicle theft report and a fraudulent claim with State Farm Insurance. The state says Lavergne purchased an identical truck on June 4, 2012 in Lafayette, and in the process, altered his ID to hide the "sex offender" label on his license. Lavergne is also accused of contacting an official at the DMV, offering $500 to get an ID without the "sex offender" label.

*Evidence from the State: Stutes outlines in the document what he is, and is not, required to turn over. Examples of items he says he doesn't have to give include names and address of witnesses or victims or anything that is public record.

Stutes will provide the initial reports, arrest warrants, search warrants, and the crime scene report. He'll also give the transcription of a voluntary statement Lavergne allegedly gave to a deputy in July after he was read his rights.

Stutes does, in this document, list off statements he has from Lavergne that were given to different people/entities. Included in the list are statements Lavergne allegedly made while in jail to different people, at Oschner's Hospital, to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, at Opelousas General, to the San Jacinto Sheriff's Office, to State Farm Insurance, and to family members. Other agencies or people listed as having given statements, are only listed as acronyms. The state says they aren't required to tell the defense what was told to them, only that the statements exist.

The state also lists all the search warrants they executed, including homes in Church Point, Crowley, Lafayette, Duson, and Lawtell. They've served search warrants for Lavergne's financial records, for vehicles belonging to Lavergne and others, medical records, a Church Point dumpster, and OnStar information. There are also two warrants to install tracking devices. One was from the 15th JDC in Lafayette; the other warrant was for the 2009 Silverado, belonging to Lavergne, from the 25th JDC in Plaquemines Parish.

The state also says they'll allow the defense to inspect/copy evidence that belonged to the defendant that they plan on using in trial. They'll also turn over results of any physical/mental examinations or scientific tests done in connection with this case.

Stutes does inform the defense he will be bringing up other crimes Lavergne committed, including his guilty plea of Aggravated Oral Sexual Battery in Evangeline Parish in 1999. The document claims the offense was similar, if not identical, to the Pate and Shunick cases, but without murder.

*Evidence the state requests: The state requests the following from the defense:
1) any documents or tangible objects that they plan to use in the trial
2) reports of examinations and tests
3) mental condition, if the information is to be used in the trial
4) an alibi, if the defense plans on offering up one. It should include date, time, and names/addresses of witnesses.

www.katc.com/mobile/news/new-court-records-reveal-what-da-s-office-believes-happened-in-shunick-pate-murders/

[meme]

Suspect in Mickey Shunick's death may have moved body

7:47 PM, Aug. 4, 2012

LAFAYETTE —A sex offender charged in the deaths of a Louisiana college student and another woman may have moved their bodies, prosecutors said in court filings.

Brandon Scott Lavergne, a 33-year-old from Swords, is charged in Lafayette Parish with murder in the May 19 disappearance of Michaela “Mickey” Shunick and the 1999 death of Lisa Ann Pate. Shunick, a 21-year-old University of Louisiana at Lafayette student, disappeared May 19 while riding her bike in Lafayette. Her body has not been found.

A court filing says the “continued tampering” with Shunick’s body was meant to hamper the investigation.

Lavergne was arrested July 5 and charged with murder and kidnapping Shucik. A parish grand jury later charged him with killing Shunick and Pate.

Lavergne has been a suspect in Pate’s death for years, but an Acadia Parish grand jury declined to indict him in April 2008, citing a lack of evidence. When the grand jury met, Lavergne was serving a 10-year prison sentence for the April 1999 sexual battery of an Evangeline Parish woman. He was released from prison in August 2008.

Court documents filed Thursday reveal more about Pate’s case, noting that Lavergne met the woman in Lafayette Parish and either persuaded her to accompany him elsewhere or forced her to go with him. He then sexually abused Pate and killed her, according to the court filing.

Lavergne then “moved evidence of the first-degree murder and the body of Lisa Pate to locations with the intent to distort the results of the criminal investigation,” Assistant District Attorney Keith Stutes wrote in court records.

Stutes alleges Lavergne took similar action to throw police off the track in the Shunick case, stating that he moved evidence along with Shunick’s body and belongings after killing her.

The court filing lists the existence of a voluntary statement Lavergne made to a lieutenant with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office in July, but it doesn’t provide details.

www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20120804/NEWS03/120804024/Suspect-Mickey-Shunick-s-death-may-moved-body?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[meme]

Missing ULL student presumed dead

08/05/2012 9:09 PM

MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) -New claims are being made about the man charged in the deaths of a ULL student and another woman. Prosecutors say Brandon Lavergne may have moved their bodies in order to tamper with the investigation.

Lavergne is charged with murder in the May 19 disappearance of Mickey Shuckick. Prosecutors say he's also responsible for the 1999 death of Lisa Ann Pate.

Shunick's body has not been found. Lavergne was arrested a month ago and a parish grand jury charged him with killing the two women.

m.knoe.com/knoe/pm_106480/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=jmchxsK3

[meme]

Mickey Shunick's body found

The body of Mickey Shunick has been located, a Lafayette television station reports. KLFY-TV reports a task force set up to investigate the disappearance of the Lafayette woman has found her body in Evangeline Parish.

Mickey Shunick disappeared in Lafayette in the early morning hours of May 19, 2012, while riding her bike home. Hundreds of volunteers helped police in the search.

The first big break in the case came eight days after she disappeared; when fishermen found her bike in a swampy area of the Atchafalaya Basin, 25 miles from where she was last seen.

The FBI joined multiple local agencies in the search, including examining waterways near where the bike was found.

As days passed, police knew chances of finding her alive were fading, but her family held out hope as national media picked up the story and police were flooded with thousands of tips.

Then on July 5, 2012, word came that police had a suspect, Brandon Scott Lavergne. After some investigation, he was charged with the murders of two women, including Shunick.

According to a police report out of Jefferson Parish, Lavergne was treated for stab wounds at a hospital around 10 p.m. on May 19. The report stated Lavergne couldn't remember where he was attacked and he got vaguer as he was questioned.

Deputies said Lavergne told them someone at a gas station attacked him with a knife or sharp weapon when he stopped to ask for directions, but was unable to remember where the alleged attack occurred. They said he couldn't give street names, buildings or any details about the area where he claimed he was attacked.

Investigators said Lavergne eventually stopped cooperating and that's where the investigation into the alleged attack stopped. Lavergne was treated at the hospital and released.

Lavergne, 33, is a convicted sex offender. The Louisiana State Police arrested him during a traffic stop on July 5 in Lafayette. He was taken into custody because troopers said he failed to register as a sex offender from a case dating back to 2000. In that case, he was charged with aggravated sexual battery.

Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft said after being arrested by state police, Lavergne was brought to the Lafayette Police Department and, during initial questioning, Lavergne requested an attorney and refused to answer any further questions.

Lavergne is an offshore worker. Police said he had been working offshore for the past two weeks just prior to his arrest. Investigators spent several hours searching Lavergne's home on July 5.

Surveillance video from a business showed Shunick riding her bike home on May 19. It also showed a white truck in the area at the time. Craft said a burned truck that was discovered near Houston, TX in June was later found to be registered to Lavergne. He added detectives were able to identify the truck found in Texas as being the same truck shown in that surveillance video.

Police say the bicycle that was found in the Atchafalaya Basin had damage consistent with it being hit by a vehicle. Craft said his detectives have evidence showing Lavergne was around the Whiskey Bay near the time that bike was discovered.

At the time of his arrest, Lavergne was driving a white pickup that is the same model as the one he previously owned. Craft said records show Lavergne purchased another truck, almost identical to the first, after Shunick disappeared.

m.wafb.com/autojuice?targetUrl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wafb.com%2fstory%2f19219091%2fmikey-shunicks-body-found

[meme]

Mickey Shunick's body reportedly located

Published On: Aug 07 2012 05:47:44 PM CDT

An ABC affiliate website, KATC.com is reporting that a body was found in a private cemetery on LA 10 heading toward Oakdale in Evangeline Parish. The body could possiby be that of missing University of Lafayette student, Mickey Shunick.

Sources close to Mickey Shunick's family say they have not been notified by authorities of any new developments in the case today. Rumors are running rampant that Mickey's body has been found in Evangeline Parish. Family says they're also hearing rumors.

However,TV10 website, KLFY.com has reportedly confirmed through multiple law enforcement sources that Shunick's body was found. Stay with KTBS.com and KTBS 3 News for more details as they become available.

www.ktbs.com/news/Mickey-Shunick-s-body-reportedly-located/-/144844/16007578/-/ib67ddz/-/index.html

[meme]

Police not 100 percent sure but believe remains are those of Mickey Shunick

Lafayette Police Cpl. Paul Mouton confirms that police believe remains found in Evangeline Parish are Mickey Shunick's. However, Chief Jim Craft stresses they are not 100 percent certain.

Mickey Shunick's family released this statement:

We appreciate all the efforts of the law enforcement agencies, Searchers and Volunteers. We know that the media has reported that Mickey Shunick's body was found in Evangeline Parish, however, as of right now, and until an official press release is made by the proper officials, we cannot report, either way, that a body found was that of Mickey. Also, we ask that you please respect the Shunick family by allowing them the privacy they need at this time. It has been, and still is, a long journey in the search to find Mickey, so we truly feel that they deserve some time alone until they are ready to respond to the current rumor.

www.katc.com/mobile/news/police-not-100-percent-sure-but-believe-remains-are-those-of-mickey-shunick

[meme]

Shunick body found

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

[UPDATE: Independent sources close to the investigation, who asked not to be identified, say Lavergne told authorities where to find Shunick's body. This story has been altered to reflect new information.]

A body found in rural Evangeline Parish near a small family cemetery off La. 10 is believed to be that of missing UL Lafayette student Mickey Shunick.

Law enforcement officials say a female body has been found, and they are confident it is that of Shunick. However, the scene is still being processed, and some forensic analysis will likely be needed to confirm the identity of the victim, Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft says. "Hopefully, we'll have additional information by tomorrow morning," Craft says, noting that confirmation could even come tonight.

Craft would not say what information led the task force investigating Shunick's death to the Evangeline Parish site but did reiterate that he believes Brandon Scott Lavergne acted alone when he allegedly kidnapped and killed her. "He operated by himself," the chief says.

It remains unclear to what extent the 33-year-old sex offender accused of murdering the 21-year-old college student is cooperating with authorities. Police said shortly after Lavergne's July 5 arrest that he was uncooperative; however, sources close to the investigation tell The Independent that officials were acting on information they received from Lavergne when they searched the grave site near the small cemetery between Reddell and Oakdale and found the body this morning. Those sources asked not to be identified.

"I can't comment on that," Craft said when asked whether Lavergne led investigators to the location.

Lafayette Police spokesman Cpl. Paul Mouton told The Advocate that investigators found the body after receiving "very credible" information about its location.

The lead prosecutor in the state's case against Lavergne is not talking. "I cannot answer any questions," Assistant District Attorney Keith Stutes told The Independent late Tuesday afternoon.

www.theind.com/news/11139-shunick-body-found

[meme]

Tip leads Lafayette police to body believed to be Mickey Shunick's

9:26 AM, Aug. 8, 2012

VIDRINE —Human remains believed to be those of missing Lafayette resident Mickey Shunick were recovered Tuesday near a cemetery in Evangeline Parish.

The remains were taken to Lafayette by officials with the coroner's office Tuesday evening, Cpl. Paul Mouton, spokesman for the Lafayette Police Department, said. It may take a few days to confirm the identity, he said.

"We believe these remains are Mickey Shunick's, but we are not 100 percent," Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft said.

The discovery comes almost three months after Shunick, a 21-year-old University of Louisiana at Lafayette student, disappeared while riding her bicycle home from a friend's house about 2 a.m. May 19. Brandon Scott Lavergne, 33, of Swords was arrested last month and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the case.

Police received information from a credible source about the possible location of Shunick's body, Mouton said,

That tip led investigators Tuesday morning to La. 10 in Evangeline Parish. About two to three miles west of the intersection of La. 10 and La. 13 is a private, unpaved road. Fifty to 60 yards down that road is a clearing with several older graves, Mouton said.

The body was buried in an overgrown area behind the cemetery, about 100 yards from the highway, he said.

Investigators from Lafayette Police Department, the Lafayette Coroner's Office and the multi-agency task force, along with LSU forensic scientists, worked past sundown Tuesday to recover the remains and other evidence.

Craft said officials will have to conduct additional testing before determining with certainty whether the remains are Shunick's.

"The remains do appear to be those of Mickey Shunick," Craft said at Tuesday night's Lafayette City-Parish Council meeting. "Her family has been notified. We have a lot more processing to do and some scientific identification to do, but we believe those remains are that of Mickey."

Mouton, who was on the scene in Evangeline Parish on Tuesday, would not identify the source of the tip. He would not say whether the tip was left on the tips line or whether it came from Lavergne, or some unknown accomplice.

Read more at the link-

www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20120808/NEWS03/120808021/Tip-leads-Lafayette-police-body-believed-Mickey-Shunick-s

[meme]

'Mickey Shunick' Body Is Excavated, Jewelry and Clothing Found

The body that police believe belongs to missing Louisiana student Mickey Shunick was excavated from a remote wooded area along with some clothing and jewelry.

"Right now, the body is in the hands of the coroner's office and forensic experts," Cpl. Paul Mouton of the Lafayette Police Department told ABCNews.com today. "We feel very strongly that this is Mickey Shunick. We just can't say with 100 percent certainty that it is, in fact, hers."

Mouton said it could take "a day or two" before the body can be positively identified. The body was found in a remote wooded area near a cemetary, about 45 miles from where Shunick disappeared.

"There were some things such as clothing and jewelry that were removed from the site," Mouton said. The site has been fully excavated and the crime scene has already been released, he said.

Mouton said that Shunick's family has not seen the remains or the items that were found, but that police are in "constant contact" with the family.

Shunick, 22, was a senior at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette when she vanished on May 19. She was last seen about 2 a.m. riding her bike from the home of her friend Brettly Wilson.

Brandon Scott Lavergne, a registered sex offender, was arrested and charged with Shunick's murder and aggravated kidnapping last month.

Mouton said authorities were directed to the body on a tip, but did not specify where the very detailed tip came from.

"We received credible information as far as where she could be located, off Route 10 in Evangeline Parish," Mouton said. "It was confirmed there was an area where a body was buried off the roadway and beyond a cemetery."

"It was credible information from a credible source," he said, but could not comment further on the tipster.

Mouton said police followed a private road past a small cemetery of about 30 headstones and into a wooded area to the spot where the body was buried.

Shunick's family released a statement Tuesday night saying it is aware of what the police have found and family members are awaiting positive identification.

"It has been, and still is, a long journey in the search to find Mickey, so we truly feel that they deserve some time alone until they are ready to respond to the current rumor," the family's statement said.

The first clue to solving Shunick's disappearance came when her bike was found beneath a bridge at Whiskey Bay on the Atchafalaya River. The location of the bike was more than 25 miles from where she was last seen.

Soon after Shunick's disappearance, police released a surveillance video showing her on a bicycle the night she disappeared as well as of a white pickup truck.

Lafayette Chief of Police Jim Craft said the video led detectives to identify the truck as belonging to Lavergne, and to place Lavergne in the area on May 19.

Police said the rear rim of her bicycle was consistent with being struck by a vehicle from behind.

"Based on the info we have, and the vehicle seen in the area, [we believe] he was riding around, looking for someone to victimize," Craft said at the time of Lavergne's arrest.

abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=16957845

[meme]

History Behind Cemetery Where Police Believe Mickey Shunick Was Buried

Court documents have shown prosecutors believe Lavergne may have moved the bodies around to hamper the investigation. The remains Tuesday were found near a small cemetery on LA-10 near the intersection of LA-13 between Mamou and Oakdale. Police say they also found clothing and possibly jewelry. We revisited the area in Evangeline Parish where Mickey Shunick is believed to have been buried.

Robert Wilson drives on LA-10 every day on his way to and from work. He's noticed the small cemetery before, but says it's always been a mystery.

"My co-workers and I always talk about it and how we've wanted to go in and check it out," he said.

The cemetery isn't easily noticeable from the road. Trees surround the small unpaved road that leads to it.

"They definitely have to be from around here to know it's there," said Wilson.

We ran across a woman and her family. She cried hearing the news, but didn't want to go on camera. After hearing a body was found, she stopped by to make sure a loved one's grave wasn't disturbed. The Pine Clair cemetery was part of a church called "Our Little Flower of Jesus" in the 1940s. The name was later changed to Saint Theresa and was moved about 30 years ago. It's now a thrift store next to Saint Ann's in Mamou. Any family who was part of the original congregation could bury family at the cemetery for free. The cemetery has been a place to bury loved ones for at least a hundred years. Some graves so old, they're unmarked.

www.katc.com/mobile/news/history-behind-cemetery-where-police-believe-mickey-shunick-was-buried/

[meme]

Mickey Shunick Update: Inmate Reveals Information

August 09, 2012 12:45 PM EDT

Mickey Shunick case update: A man who was in jail with Brandon Scott Lavergne revealed some information about the man accused of abducting and murdering the missing coed in a recent interview. Some of the details of this interview indicate the suspicion that Lavergne is most likely a serial killer. The unidentified man spent some time locked up with Lavergne about seven years ago -- when the suspect was doing time for the sexual assault of a young woman.

The man says that Lavergne was visited by investigators who questioned him for several hours regarding the murders of a few women. This poorly written report tries to share the details, but it's mixing the details from years ago with the details of what happened this week. Apparently the unidentified former inmate asked Lavergne if he killed those girls. He wouldn't answer him.

Now he's being held for the abduction and murder of Mickey Shunick as well as the 1999 murder of Lisa Pate. He pleaded not guilty to both cases, but after yesterday's discovery it's questionable on whether he means that plea seriously.

news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981532043

[meme]

Posted: Thursday, 09 August 2012 6:00PM

Police: Body is Mickey Shunick

The Lafayette Police Department says investigators have positively identified a body found in Evangeline Parish as that of missing ULL student Mickey Shunick.

Shunick, a student at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, disappeared May 19, days before she turned 22. She was last seen riding away from a friend's house on black Schwinn bicycle, which was found in a swampy area at a highway exchange 25 miles away.

Police earlier said that remains believed to be Shunick were found in rural Evangeline Parish off La. 10 near Mamou.

Cpl. Paul Mouton told The Advocate that investigators found the remains Tuesday morning after receiving "very credible" information about its location. The body was found near a grave site in a small cemetery about 100 yards off La. 10, he said. The body was buried near some grave sites in the area, Mouton said, adding he was unsure whether it was a public or private cemetery.

The sex offender charged in the deaths of Shunick and another woman may have moved their bodies, prosecutors recently said in court filings.

Brandon Lavergne, a 33-year-old registered sex offender from Swords, has been charged with both her kidnapping and murder and with the 1999 death of Lisa Ann Pate.

Lavergne is charged in Lafayette Parish with murder in the May 19 disappearance of Michaela "Mickey" Shunick and the 1999 death of Lisa Ann Pate. Shunick, a 21-year-old University of Louisiana at Lafayette student, disappeared May 19 while riding her bike in Lafayette. Her body has not been found.

The Town Talk reports that a court filing says the "continued tampering" with Shunick's body was meant to hamper the investigation.

Lavergne was arrested July 5 and charged with murder and kidnapping Shucik. A parish grand jury later charged him with killing Shunick and Pate.

Lavergne has been a suspect in Pate's death for years, but an Acadia Parish grand jury declined to indict him in April 2008, citing a lack of evidence. When the grand jury met, Lavergne was serving a 10-year prison sentence for the April 1999 sexual battery of an Evangeline Parish woman. He was released from prison in August 2008.

Court documents filed Thursday reveal more about Pate's case, noting that Lavergne met the woman in Lafayette Parish and either persuaded her to accompany him elsewhere or forced her to go with him. He then sexually abused Pate and killed her, according to the court filing.

Lavergne then "moved evidence of the first-degree murder and the body of Lisa Pate to locations with the intent to distort the results of the criminal investigation," Assistant District Attorney Keith Stutes wrote in court records.

Stutes alleges Lavergne took similar action to throw police off the track in the Shunick case, stating that he moved evidence along with Shunick's body and belongings after killing her.

The court filing lists the existence of a voluntary statement Lavergne made to a lieutenant with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office in July, but it doesn't provide details.

www.wwl.com/pages/13945002.php?contentType=4&contentId=11208729

[meme]

Dental records identify Mickey Shunick Remains

According to Lafayette Parish Coroner Chief Medicolegal Investigator Keith Talamo, dental records received today and sent to LSU FACES Laboratory identified the body found in Evangeline Parish as that of Mickey Shunick.

LSU FACES Dir. Mary Manhein told the coroner's office she will complete her examination and determine cause and manner of death in about two weeks and a report will be sent to Lafayette Coroner Dr. Kenneth Odinet., said Talamo. At that point, Shunick's body will be sent to the Lafayette coroner and the coroner's office will turn it over to a funeral home.

www1.katc.com/mobile/news/dental-records-identify-mickey-shunick-s-remains/

[meme]

Did Brandon Lavergne strike deal in Mickey Shunick case?

4:50 PM, Aug. 12, 2012

y be a hot topic of discussion in the community, but attorneys and investigators close to the Mickey Shunick case remain mum on the subject of whether accused killer Brandon Scott Lavergne led them to Shunick's body Tuesday.

They also won't say whether a deal was reached in which Lavergne would plead guilty if prosecutors agree not to seek the death penalty.

Speculation about a plea deal arose last week when it was learned that law enforcement officers checked Lavergne out of the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center for nearly nine hours on Tuesday. That's the same day Lafayette police spokesman Cpl. Paul Mouton said a "credible source" provided information that led investigators to the body buried behind a small cemetery off La. 10 in Evangeline Parish.

The body was positively identified Thursday as Shunick, who had been missing since May 19. It could be another two to four weeks before a cause of death is determined.

A Lafayette grand jury indicted Lavergne on July 18 for the first-degree murder of Shunick and Lisa Ann Pate, whose remains were recovered in September 1999 near Church Point, where Lavergne grew up.

If a deal was reached in which Lavergne agreed to plead guilty, the next step is for him to appear before 15th Judicial District Judge Herman Clause.

"Before a guilty plea can be accepted, the court has to be convinced he's competent," said Kevin Stockstill, a Lafayette attorney who has been involved with capital cases. That means the judge must be sure Lavergne understands all the rights he's giving up, including the right to a trial, the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses and the right to appeal.

Lafayette attorney Tommy Guilbeau, who has defended clients in more than a dozen capital cases, believes a plea date would be set quickly.

"Certainly it would be taken up in the immediate future," Guilbeau said. "It's certainly not something that would drag around."

Friday afternoon, in response to a request for an update on the case, District Attorney Mike Harson wrote, "There have been no new dates set and we have no further comment."

www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20120812/NEWS03/120812011/Did-Brandon-Lavergne-strike-deal-Mickey-Shunick-case-?odyssey=nav|head

[meme]

Statement from Mickey Shunick's mother

11:00 PM, Aug 13, 2012

Editor's note: This statement was submitted by Nancy Anne Rowe, the mother of Mickey Shunick, in response to a story published Saturday in the Daily Advertiser:

I have never, and would never, describe the search efforts for my daughter Mickey as "pointless."

To attribute this thoughtless, heartless, illogical statement to me is an affront to me and to our family, and an insult to the countless caring individuals who have kept the name and face of Mickey Shunick in the forefront of public awareness for nearly three months.

Through this search that began on May 19, we have joined hands and hearts with too many old friends, extended family, acquaintances, and perfect strangers (more perfect than they can imagine) —there are too many to count, too many to thank.

We are comforted by the knowledge that we will walk through life now with these hands and hearts still touching ours. The outpourings of love and support have continued to leave us speechless. We send all that love right back to everyone involved. Always.

www.theadvertiser.com/article/20120814/OPINION/208140319/Statement-from-Mickey-Shunick-s-mother?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

[meme]

Brandon Lavergne has hearing Friday in Mickey Shunick case

1:48 PM, Aug. 14, 2012

LAFAYETTE -- Fifteenth Judicial District Court Judge Herman Clause set an evidentiary hearing for 10 a.m. Friday in the case of Brandon Scott Lavergne, the man accused of killing Mickey Shunick and Lisa Pate.

Assistant District Attorney Keith Stutes, lead prosecutor in the case, requested the hearing this morning.

The request states that the evidentiary hearing be "limited to the perpetuation of testimony."

Lavergne was indicted July 18 by a Lafayette grand jury for the first-degree murder of Shunick and Pate.

Shunick disappeared May 19 from Lafayette. Her remains were found Aug. 7 in Evangeline Parish.

Pate disappeared in July 1999. Her remains were recovered in September 1999. A grand jury failed to indict Lavergne for her murder in 2008.

www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20120814/NEWS03/120814030/Brandon-Lavergne-has-hearing-Friday-Mickey-Shunick-case?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[meme]

New documents give insight into what happened to Lavergne's truck

Newly released documents out of Texas paint a sharper picture of what happened to Brandon Scott Lavergne's truck in May. After several public records requests we've obtained copies of reports from Montgomery County, Texas, where Lavergne said his truck was stolen and from San Jacinto County, where deputies found his burned Silverado. As you recall, Lavergne is being held at Lafayette Parish Correctional Center in connection with the 1999 murder of Lisa Pate and the murder of Mickey Shunick. Lavergne claims his truck, a white Chevy Silverado, was last seen parked in front of his sister's house in Conroe, TX. He says, on May 30th, right before going to bed around 10, it was still there.

In the report filed on May 31st, Lavergne claims when he went to his truck at 6:30 that morning to get his shaving kit, the truck was gone. Also in the truck, his red tool box. The estimated value of the tool box and truck was $34,000.

The same morning Lavergne filed that theft report, his truck was found burned in San Jacinto County, specifically Shepherd, TX. Sheriff's officers in San Jacinto County say they got the call about the burned truck around 4:00 that morning. It is 35 miles from Conroe to Shepherd, TX where the truck was found.

It takes about 50 minutes to drive that distance. Prosecutors have said in court filings they believe Lavergne intentionally set his 2011 Silverado on fire, then purchased a new one in Lafayette on June 4. If this was is the case, police are still not indicating how they believe Lavergne got from Shepherd to Conroe to report the vehicle missing.

www.katc.com/mobile/news/new-documents-give-insight-into-what-happened-to-lavergne-s-truck

[meme]

Texas Cold Case May Have Links to Brandon Scott ..

Aug 15, 2012 7:46 PM CST

State prosecutors are moving forward with their case against Brandon Scott Lavergne. An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 17th. Lavergne says he's not guilty. He's charged with the first degree murders of Mickey Shunick and Lisa Pate. Their deaths are more than a decade apart. Police say this is Lavergne's white pick-up truck seen on surveillance footage the night Shunick disappeared. It was eventually found burned in San Jacinto County, Texas. And that's what caught the attention of a private investigator working a cold case in the area. He's now looking into Lavergne's past.

On April 26th, 2010, 15-year-old Ali Lowitzer went missing near her home in Spring, Texas. She seemed to have vanished without a trace and since then, no clues to her whereabouts have surfaced. But, the Lowitzer family's private investigator, Mac Sanford, seems to think Lavergne may be connected. And it all surrounds Lavergne's white pick-up truck.

For two-and-a-half years, the Lowitzer family has wondered what happened to their daughter. She vanished while walking to work and no evidence has surfaced since. John Lowitzer, Ali's father told Eyewitness News Wednesday, "Nobody knows anything. People don't just disappear, so that's been the most frustrating."

But the family's private investigator thinks a new door has opened. Shunick's alleged killer, Brandon Laverge's truck was found burned in a neighboring county to Spring, where Ali went missing.

"The second I read his truck was found in San Jacinto County, Texas, my blood went cold," said Sanford. "And I immediately started digging for information out of it."

That was a red flag for Sanford because in the days after Ali went missing, two separate tips came through, which reported a white truck pulled over where Ali was walking. "They were saying without a shadow of a doubt, they knew it was Ali once they saw all the missing fliers," said Sanford. "And that they saw a white truck with an extended cab, a domestic truck trying to coax and girl on the side of the road."

And one of those tips identified the first few digits of that truck's license plate number. But after running thousands of Texas plates, none matched up. It wasn't until Lavergne's truck was found burned that Sanford tried Louisiana plates. And what he found, startled him.

"Low and behold, on that hunch, I pulled all the information from the Louisiana DMV on vehicle's Lavergne owned and has owned," said Sanford. "And at the time Ali went missing, he owned a white, GMC 2005 extended cab truck with the same digits that were mentioned in the tip line."

Sanford says Lavergne frequented that area of Texas because of family ties. And now he's working on pinning Lavergne to that spot around April 26th, 2010.

Sanford says he's taken all the information to Harris County Police since Ali's case is in their hands. They say they'll continue to investigate any leads that come their way.

m.klfy.com/default.aspx?pid=2705&wnfeedurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.klfy.com%2fstory%2f19289684%2ftexas-cold-case-may-have-links-to-brandon-scott-lavergne%3fclienttype%3drssstory

[meme]

Lavergne pleads guilty in Shunick, Pate cases

5:10 PM, Aug 17, 2012

Brandon Scott Lavergne pleaded guilty this morning to murdering Mickey Shunick and Lisa Pate.

In court allegedly for an evidentiary hearing, Lavergne admitted killing the two women in exchange for life in prison, saving himself from facing the death penalty.

The admission came as part of a plea agreement in which Lavergne directed investigators to Shunick’s body last week.

As part of his allocution, Lavergne was required to show police where Shunick's body was buried and physically recreate his actions from May 19.

Lavergne signed statements that say he followed Shunick, a 21-year-old University of Louisiana at Lafayette student, 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 said he grabbed the knife back and stabbed Shunick four times until she fell over.

Lavergne said he assumed Shunick was dead at that point, but when he brought her to a secluded cane field in Acadia Parish she jumped up and regained control of the knife. Shunick stabbed him in the chest.

That's when Lavergne says he grabbed a semi-automatic handgun and shot Shunick in the head, killing her instantly.

Lavergne was arrested July 5 in connection with Shunick’s May 19 disappearance. A Lafayette grand jury on July 18 indicted him on two counts of first-degree murder, for Shunick and Pate, whose remains were found in September 1999. Lavergne was a suspect in that case but a 2008 grand jury failed to indict him.

Nancy Rowe, Shunick's mother, said after the hearing that her daughter “went down swinging with everything she could.”

“Maybe he’ll wake up screaming every night, seeing her little hand with a knife plunging into him,” Rowe said.

Clay Lejeune, one of Lavergne’s defense attorneys, said following the hearing that Lavergne has wanted to come clean about Shunick since before his arraignment.

“He showed deep concern for the Shunicks and wanted closure for them,” Lejeune said.

It was Lavergne who approached his attorneys expressing his desire to plea, Lejeune said. Lavergne saw Mickey Shunick’s sister, Charlie, on TV and realized there would be no end to the family’s pain until the case was closed, he said.

Lavergne actually wrote a statement to the Shunick family, Lejeune said. Mickey Shunick’s father, Tom, had the statement in his left pants pocket this morning, but had not read it. He said he didn’t want to read it.

Shunick’s remains were recovered Aug. 7 behind a small cemetery off La. 10 in Evangeline Parish. Police said at the time that information from a credible source led them to the body, which was identified as Shunick on Aug. 9.

Lavergne was checked out of the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center for nine hours on Aug. 7 by members of the multi-agency task force investigating Shunick’s disappearance.

That led to speculation Lavergne had cut a deal with prosecutors in which he directed police to Shunick’s body in exchange for pleading guilty to the murders and not being subject to the death penalty.

www.theadvertiser.com/article/20120817/NEWS01/120817010/Lavergne-pleads-guilty-Shunick-Pate-cases?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|FRONTPAGE

[meme]

August 17, 2012

Mickey Shunick Fought for Her Life, Court Documents Reveal

The man accused of killing Louisiana student Mickey Shunick pleaded guilty today to her murder and the killing of another woman in exchange for life in prison without parole. The court document explaining the plea deal also reveals a blow-by-blow account of Shunick's desperate fight for her life the night she died.

The document details how Shunick fought back against her attacker by spraying him with Mace, stabbing him several times and fighting relentlessly until he ultimately shot her in the head. The court filing was posted online today by ABC News' Lafayette affiliate KATC-TV.

Shunick, 22, was a senior at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette when she vanished May 19. She was last seen about 2 a.m. riding her bike from the home of her friend Brettly Wilson.

Brandon Scott Lavergne, a registered sex offender, was arrested and charged with Shunick's murder and aggravated kidnapping last month. He pleaded not guilty and would have faced the death penalty had he not agreed to the deal.

On the night Shunick disappeared, Lavergne followed her bike in his truck, according to a statement in support of his plea filed in Louisiana's 15th Judicial District Court today. He had been driving around Lafayette, La., using his cellphone to call escort services, the document said. Surveillance footage of the white pickup truck would eventually lead police to Lavergne.

Lavergne intentionally hit Shunick's bike and insisted that she enter his truck, the document said. He put her bike in the bed of his truck and the filing said that Lavergne was in possession of a knife and a semi-automatic handgun, which he kept in his car.

When Shunick attempted to grab her cellphone to call for help, Lavergne threatened her with his knife.

"Micky sprayed mace into the Defendant's face," the court document said. "Micky fought off the Defendant who succeeded in wrestling the mace from Mickey. Micky grabbed the Defendant's knife and proceeded to stab the Defendant several times in what would later be called life threatening wounds."

The court document misspells Shunick's first name throughout.

Lavergne tried to grab the knife from Shunick, which caused him to cut tendons in his hands.

"Micky fought with the much larger and stronger Defendant who succeeded in taking the knife from Micky," the filing said. "The Defendant then stabbed Micky at least 4 times and she fell over. Micky lay motionless. The Defendant felt for a pulse but felt nothing."

Lavergne then drove Shunick's motionless body to a secluded area 40 minutes away, where he planned to dump ber body and escape, according to the filing.

"Suddenly, Micky jumped up, with the Defendant's knife she had regained possession of and lunged at the Defendant stabbing him again in the chest," the court document said. "The Defendant pulled his semi-automatic handgun, which he had armed himself with, and shot Micky in the head, killing her instantly."

With his additional injuries, Lavergne did not leave Shunick's body and instead drove to his home to nurse his wounds, with her still in the passenger seat. At home, he also destroyed the clothes he was wearing.

He then drove to the area of an old cemetery in Evangeline Parish to bury the body, but was unable to dig because of his wounds, according to the filing.

"Instead, he left Micky's body in a nearby tree line, covering her body with branches and debris," the court document said.

Lavergne returned home to clean up more and formulate his plan. He destroyed more evidence and arranged to stay with an out-of-town friend. He dumped Shunick's bike in a river beneath a bridge where it was later discovered and became a key piece of the investigation.

He also disposed of the handgun and the knife, the document said.

When Lavergne returned to Lafayette from his friend's home in New Orleans the next day, he returned to where he had left Shunick's body and buried Shunick's body in a heavily wooded area near the old cemetery.

The body was found there in August 2012 and positively identified by authorities.

"The Defendant, and his counsel, affirm and agree that this factual basis is indeed true, correct, and accurate," the end of the document reads. "The Defendant affirms and agrees that he is, in fact, guilty of the First Degree Murder of Michaela Shunick."

The document is signed by the district attorney, Lavergne and his attorneys.

The Shunick family did not respond to request for comment today, but released a statement after today's court hearing, according to The Advocate newspaper.

"My sister, Mickey Shunick, was a warrior," Shunick's sister, Charlene "Charlie" Shunick, wrote. "If it wasn't for her, our community never would have been able to bring down a dangerous man that harmed multiple people."

Shunick's mother, Nancy Anne Rowe, wrote, "She refuses to be a victim. My courageous child faced down a monster. Now I think I can face monsters too. And so can you."

In the document, Lavergne also plead guilty to killing Lisa Pate in June 1999. He met her in Lafayette, La., and "enticed and persuaded" her to go with him to a place outside of the town. They were together for several days, but when Pate said she wanted to leave, he refused to let her.

Authorities believe Lavergne killed her by putting a plastic bag over her head, the document said. Her body was found in September 1999.

Prosecutor Keith Stutes was not available for comment this afternoon but said in court today that the plea agreement required Lavergne to tell investigators where Shunick's body was and to re-enact the events surrounding the killings, according to The Advocate.

abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=17029059&sid=81

[meme]

Lavergne pleads guilty

1:23 AM, Aug 18, 2012

Three months after Mickey Shunick disappeared while riding her bike in Lafayette, her convicted killer sits behind bars at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.

Brandon Scott Lavergne, 33, of Swords in St. Landry Parish, admitted in court Friday that he kidnapped and killed Shunick in the early morning hours of May 19, stabbing and shooting the 21-year-old University of Louisiana at Lafayette student after she fought him for —and stabbed him with —his own knife.

"My courageous child faced down a monster," Shunick's mother, Nancy Rowe, wrote in a statement read Friday by family spokeswoman Kristen Kordecki.

Lavergne's guilty plea Friday came as a result of a deal he and his public defenders worked out with prosecutors Aug. 7, the day Shunick's body was found in Evangeline Parish.

Clay Lejeune, one of his attorneys, said Lavergne wanted to come clean about killing Shunick since before his July 27 arraignment.

Lavergne approached his attorneys after he saw Shunick's sister, Charlie, on television and realized there would be no end to the family's pain until the case was closed, Lejeune said.

Shunick's father, Tom Shunick, said the plea deal allowed investigators to return Mickey to her family for burial and avoided the years they would have had to wait for a trial.

"I don't know if there will ever be complete closure on this thing, but I feel relief after today," he said.

Plea deal

On Aug. 7, Lafayette police lead investigator Lt. Jack Lightfoot checked Lavergne out of the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center,where Lavergne had been held since his arrest July 5 in connection with Shunick's disappearance. Lavergne was taken to a sheriff's office interview room next to the jail. He was returned to the jail nearly nine hours later.

That day, according to lead prosecutor Keith Stutes, Lavergne and prosecutors secretly signed an agreement in which he admitted to the first-degree murder of Shunick and Lisa Ann Pate, a Lafayette woman who disappeared in June 1999.

As part of the deal, Lavergne showed investigators on an aerial map where to find Shunick's body, which he had buried behind a cemetery along La. 10 (Oakdale Highway) in Evangeline Parish, Stutes said.

As part of the plea deal, Lavergne was required to physically guide law enforcement through both murders, including the beating and smothering of Pate in 1999 and the events of May 19, when he kidnapped and killed Shunick, Stutes said.

In the court hearing Friday in front of Shunick's parents and Pate's family, Lavergne admitted to both murders and agreed to a sentence of life in prison at hard labor without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

Had he sought a trial and been convicted, Lavergne could have faced the death penalty. He has two years to apply for post-conviction relief, 15th Judicial District Judge Herman Clause said.

Security tight

Around 9 a.m. Friday, law enforcement officers removed Lavergne from the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center through a back exit, placed him into a sheriff's office van and drove him around the block to the parish courthouse, while deputies kept other motorists and pedestrians away.

With news reporters, photographers and videographers corralled behind metal barricades, investigators Stephen Bajat and Lightfoot escorted Lavergne, in handcuffs and ankle shackles, toward the back entrance of the courthouse.

Wearing an orange jumpsuit with LPCC on the back and orange rubber shoes, Lavergne did not respond to reporters' questions during the brief walk.

Security also was tight inside the parish courthouse, where Clause declared the entire fourth floor a secure area during the hearing. Clause on Friday morning signed a restrictive and protective order, in part because of intense publicity, that he said was designed to prevent disruption, disorder and distraction during the hearing and to ensure a fair trial.

The order prohibited interviews, recordings, talking and outbursts in the courtroom and prohibited anyone from entering or leaving the courtroom during the hearing or afterward, until Lavergne was safely removed from the courtroom.

With more than 100 people seated in the courtroom and numerous armed law enforcement personnel sitting and standing throughout the room, Lavergne was escorted before Clause at 10:28 a.m. He glanced to his left, toward out a fourth-floor window, as he entered the room.

No one from his family attended the hearing, lead defense attorney Burleigh Doga said.

Standing before Clause, Doga to his left, Lavergne answered "Yes, sir," and "No, sir," to a series of questions the judge posed, saying he understood he was waiving his right to self-incrimination and his right to a jury trial.

Mickey's fight

Stutes read a statement in court Friday as part of Lavergne's plea, detailing events surrounding the murder of Shunick, based upon evidence and statements.

According to Stutes, this is what happened during the final hours of Mickey Shunick's life:

Shortly before 2 a.m. May 19, Lavergne was driving his white Chevrolet Z71 pickup around Lafayette, calling escort services on his cell phone. He was driving south on University Avenue approaching St. John Street near City Hall when he saw Shunick riding her bike and quickly shifted lanes, following her onto St. Landry Street.

Shunick rode down St. Landry Street through a residential neighborhood. Between Dean Street and Coliseum Road, Lavergne struck Shunick's bike with his truck, throwing her from her bike.

Armed with a semi-automatic handgun and knife, Lavergne confronted Shunick and somehow got her into his truck, placing her damaged bike in the bed of the truck, Stutes said.

While Lavergne drove, "Mickey grabbed her cell phone to call for help," Stutes said.

After Lavergne —5 feet 9 inches and weighing 220 pounds —threatened the much smaller Shunick with his knife, she sprayed him in the face with pepper spray, grabbed the knife and stabbed Lavergne several times. As Lavergne tried to grab the knife from Shunick, she cut tendons in his hand or fingers.

He was treated later in the day at a New Orleans hospital for stab wounds to the neck, back and hand.

Lavergne got the knife back and stabbed the 21-year-old at least four times. She slumped over in the passenger seat of the truck, Stutes said.

He couldn't feel a pulse, and Lavergne assumed Shunick was dead. He then drove to a sugar cane field in north Acadia Parish to dump her body.

Deep into the secluded cane field, Lavergne stopped the truck.

"Suddenly Mickey jumped up, with the defendant's knife she had regained possession of" and lunged at him, stabbing him again in the chest, Stutes said.

Lavergne shot Shunick in the head, killing her instantly, Stutes said.

Now with an additional stab wound and a body in his truck, Lavergne drove to his mobile home on Elaine Lane in St. Landry Parish where he nursed his wounds, cleaned out his truck, destroyed his clothes and disposed of the bullet casing, Stutes said.

Looking for a place to dispose of the body, Lavergne drove to a cemetery off La. 10/Oakdale Highway in Evangeline Parish, an area near where he used to live.

The injuries Lavergne sustained scuffling with Shunick prevented him from digging a grave, so he left the body in a "nearby tree line," covered with branches and debris, Stutes said.

Before daylight, he returned home to clean his wounds, destroy additional evidence and develop a plan. Lavergne called an out-of-town friend and arranged to stay with him "to distance himself" from any investigation of Shunick's disappearance, Stutes said.

Lavergne drove east along Interstate 10, took the Whiskey Bay exit and threw Shunick's damaged bike into the water. He continued to his friend's house in the New Orleans area. It was still May 19 when Lavergne went to Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans to see about his stab wounds.

When hospital workers called the police to report the suspicious wounds, Lavergne concocted a story about stopping at a New Orleans gas station for directions when a stranger attacked him, stealing his driver's license and cash and stabbing him.

While in New Orleans, Stutes said Lavergne disposed of the gun and at some point also ditched the knife in a garbagebin.

Lavergne returned home May 20 and buried Shunick's body in a wooded area behind the cemetery, Stutes said. He went to his mobile home, burning evidence such as Shunick's book bag and disposing of her iPod.

On May 24, law enforcement released surveillance photos of the white pickup truck following Shunick. When Lavergne learned of it, he visited his sister in Conroe, Texas, where he reported his truck stolen. It was recovered, severely burned, May 31 in San Jacinto County, Texas.

Stutes said Lavergne set his truck on fire to hide evidence and made a fraudulent insurance claim to replace it.

On June 4, he bought another white pickup truck in Lafayette to defer suspicion, Stutes said.

Lafayette police previously said a June 14 tip regarding his truck led them to Lavergne.

Discovery documents filed by Stutes on Aug. 2 show investigators obtained search warrants to attach a tracking device to his truck while it was in Plaquemines Parish where he parked it before heading offshore to work.

Police also obtained warrants for the On-Star guidance system on the truck he drove the night Shunick was killed.

Cold case solved

Stutes also provided details leading up to and including the 1999 murder of Pate, based on physical evidence and statements from various people.

Lavergne was already in trouble with the law in April 1999 for breaking into an Evangeline Parish woman's home, tying her up and sexually assaulting her. He pleaded guilty in that incident in 2000 and was sent to prison.

But before that case was resolved, in late June 1999, Lavergne met Pate, Stutes said. They met a second time at a Lafayette hotel, where Lavergne "enticed and persuaded" her to accompany him to a location outside Lafayette, Stutes said. Days later,Pate wanted to return home to see her children, but Lavergne wouldn't take her or let her use his vehicle.

Pate tried to take his vehicle while Lavergne was asleep, but he woke up and "beat her about the face, bloodied her nose," then choked and suffocated her by placing a plastic bag over her head, Stutes said.

Lavergne took Pate's body to Acadia Parish, placing her behind the home of a former acquaintance and covering her up with boards to deflect suspicion away from himself, he said.

Pate's skeletal remains were found Sept. 21, 1999, covered by boards behind a rental house on La. 358/Brigman Highway, near Church Point in Acadia Parish, according to The Daily Advertiser news stories from that time.

Stutes said remnants of plastic were found around her skull and the bones of her face were broken.

Former inmates who had been in prison at the same time as Lavergne from July 2000 until August 2008 told investigators Lavergne said he picked up a woman from a Lafayette hotel and later killed her, Stutes said.

Asked by Clause whether he agreed with details in the statement Stutes made, Lavergne hesitated before responding "Yes." It was the only time he hesitated during the court appearance and the only time he did not use "sir" when addressing the judge.

This was a second attempt by the legal system to convict Lavergne for Pate's murder. An Acadia Parish grand jury, in April 2008, declined to indict him, but a Lafayette grand jury on July 18 indicted Lavergne for the first-degree murders of Pate and Shunick.

After the hearing Friday, Stutes said he had decided to look at the Pate case again.

"I looked at the evidence again and information from this investigation made the bond tighter," he said.

Additional circumstantial evidence obtained during the investigation of the Shunick case, combined with previous evidence from the Pate case, resulted in a stronger case against Lavergne for Pate's murder, Stutes said.

He declined to discuss what evidence was found in Lavergne's mobile home in Swords and whether that evidence added to the Pate case.

Evidence found in the house "may lead to other investigations," Stutes said. "Other agencies are interested."

After the plea

Nancy Rowe said after the hearing that her daughter "went down swinging with everything she could."

Shunick's friend, Josh Coen, said he was proud of Mickey.

"We do know she put up one hell of a fight," he said. "I'm not surprised that she showed such resilience and power"» She always had sass to her and to the very last moment, she never gave up."

When Shunick was a baby, her family nicknamed her "Mighty Mick."

The nickname was lost with time.

"From this day forward, we go back to 'The Mighty Mick,'" Rowe said in the statement read Friday by Kordecki. "I am in absolute awe" of her strength.

She added, "Maybe he'll wake up screaming every night, seeing her little hand with a knife plunging into his chest."

Lavergne wrote a statement to the Shunick family and offered to speak with or meet with the family if at any time they want to, Lejeune said.

Tom Shunick said he had Lavergne's statement in his left pants pocket Friday morning after the hearing, but had not read it. He said he didn't want to read it.

Officials told the family they may release Shunick's remains for burial in the next week.

"She's been found. She's not home yet," Rowe said. "When we can stop crying, we want to celebrate her life with the kind of things she liked, dancing, fun, pictures, stories."

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[meme]

UL football team to honor Shunick

11:00 PM, Aug 21, 2012

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football players will carry Mickey Shunick with them for the 2012 season.

Team members will wear a decal portraying a girl on her bicycle on their helmets throughout the season, UL Sports Information Director Brian McCann said Tuesday night.

The name "Mickey" will be spelled beneath the bike.

Shunick, a UL student at the time of her death, was kidnapped while riding her bicycle on a Lafayette street and killed in the early morning hours of May 19.

Brandon Scott Lavergne pleaded guilty Friday to Shunick's murder, and that of another woman, Lisa Ann Pate, in 1999. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, to be served at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.

A football staff member proposed the sticker to Hudspeth and the team, and the Cajuns coach approved it.

"Phenomenal idea," Hudspeth said after practice Tuesday night.

"We're just honored," he added, "to put that on the back of our helmets, to represent our entire student body."

When Lavergne pleaded Friday, court documents showed that Shunick fought him after he followed her and intentionally struck her bike with his pickup truck.

Shunick first sprayed Lavergne with Mace, then stabbed him several times with his own knife.

Taken for dead with stab wounds of her own and driven to a sugar cane field in north Acadia Parish, she later jumped up and stabbed Lavergne several times in the chest.

He then shot and killed her.

"What an inspirational story of courage —someone just fighting for her life," Hudspeth said. "I know our team is just very, very proud to honor one of our own students."

UL opens its season Sept. 1 against Lamar at Cajun Field.

www.theadvertiser.com/article/20120822/NEWS01/208220312/UL-football-team-honor-Shunick?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

[meme]

Mickey Shunick's body released to family

Aug 21, 2012 11:34 AM CST

The body of Mickey Shunick was returned to her family, according to the Lafayette Parish Coroner.

Shunick's family plans to have a private funeral for friends and family and a public memorial to celebrate Mickey's life. The date of the public memorial has not been set.

Shunick was last seen riding her bicycle away from a friend's house May 19, days before she turned 22.

Brandon Lavergne pleaded guilty on Friday to murdering Shunick and Lisa Pate in exchange for a life sentence.

The Lafayette Parish Coroner's Office released Shunick's autopsy results after Lavergne's court appearance. They said she died from a gunshot wound to the head, and several stab wounds were also contributing factors.

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