E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSPolice in Louisiana believe buried human remains, discovered in a wooded area near a cemetery, may be the body of missing college student Mickey Shunick. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports.
Police believe human remains discovered Tuesday in Louisiana are those of missing Lafayette resident Michaela "Mickey" Shunick.
The body, found in Evangeline Parish in central Louisiana, was taken to Lafayette by officials with the coroner’s office Tuesday evening.
“The remains do appear to be those of Mickey Shunick,” Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft said Tuesday at a 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.”
Officials say it could take up to three days to confirm the body’s identity.
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 at about 2 a.m. on May 19.
Her family reported her missing on May 20 when she failed to show up for her brother’s high school graduation.
Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter
Convicted sex offender Brandon Scott Lavergne, 33, of Swords, La., was arrested on July 5 in connection with Shunick’s disappearance. A Lafayette grand jury charged him with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the case.
But Shunick’s body was never found.
“We received some information that we followed up on, and that information led us to that location and we have not disclosed the exact location because we are still on scene doing some processing and so forth,” Craft told The Advertiser.
The tip led police investigators to an unpaved road in Evangeline Parish, where 50 to 60 yards down the road they found a cemetery with several older graves, Lafayette police spokesman Cpl. Paul Mouton said.
Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com
Michaela
The body was buried in an overgrown area behind the cemetery, about 100 yards away from the highway, he said. The burial ground is about 35 miles from Lavergne’s home in Swords, La.
Mouton, who was on the scene in Evangeline Parish on Tuesday, would not identify the source of the tip. He also would not say whether the location of the body came as part of a confession by Lavergne or a plea deal worked out between Lavergne’s attorneys and prosecutors.
Lavergne was also indicted for the first- degree murder of Lisa Pate, whose remains were found in September 1999 near where he grew up. He also served more than eight years of a 10-year sentence, from February 200 until August 2008 for the aggravated oral sexual battery of an Evangeline Parish woman.
More content from NBCNews.com:
Leave a Comment:
this brave little lady, put up one hell of a fight, stabbing the rapist with either keys or a sharp object, he had to seek medical attention which caused the police about 120 miles away to doubt his story, he is also charged with another murder, also a repeat sex offender; why they ever let these animals out of jail is beyond belief, they never reform; All Girls out there, remember, never stop fighting, your life depends on it. God welcome her into his arms.
saxon good points all.
FIGHT fast and hard. THAT WILL BE THE THING THAT COULD SAVE YOU.
FAST & BRUTAL
...and go for the eyes if you can.
Exactly! Why are these sub humans ever allowed out of jail? A sex offender is not something you can operate on to treat. It's subconscious mental urges. Death penalty is the ONLY way to get rid of these dangers to society.
I just cannot understand why we allow POS people like this to live. It is ridiculous that we have to walk around in the presence of such scum all the time knowing full well that they will do it again and again until someone kills THEM!!!
Because of the ridiculous legal system we have now.
Many of us are fine with violent first offenders being executed (murderers/rapists/etc).
It would save the states lots of money and save lots of lives.
Most of these people cannot be 'reprogrammed'...
Along with the rest of you, I am infuriated that monsters are allowed to go free to commit other atrocities. But. . . .I must relate an experience:
I reported a registered sex offender in violation of his parole to local police in the small town in which I live. They refused to act. The (then) police chief gave me the same garbage he always did when challenged to do his job. I then called a friend who is a P/P officer for advice. She, in turn, contacted the dirt-bags's P/P who forced him into compliance. However, he was not revoked which he could have been if the local police had done their job.
It took his 14 year old daughter to land him back in jail. She sought help when he tried to rape her. I long believed she was one of his victims. It's my belief that she needed to gain strength and maturity to bring him down.
so, what the hell is wrong with cops who steadfastly refuse to their job? Is this small town especially cursed or does this happen other places?
what a great judicial system they have in La, (no comments needed i was being sarcastic)
The reason they let these animals out of jail is because the law forces them to do so. If you want harsher penalties, get on the telephone or your computer and harass your lawmakers to make the penalties so harsh that these animals don't get out of jail and violate more innocent people. I don't understand why all the prisons are full of drug offenders and these monsters that torture, rape, and dismember innocent women and children are walking the streets. Convicted child molesters are out in two years to do the same thing to other toddlers. Does this seem right? How about some pervert that rapes your daughter? Should he get probation or early release? The average number of years a murderer serves is 8 years!
Exactly why these predators should never be let out of prison
However, everytime that there is a law passed on sentencing these scumbags..... the ACLU steps in and sues in the inmates behalve on cruel and unusual punishment. Everyone forgets about the victims rights in these cases
They let animals like this out of jail so they can make room for other more dangerous criminals.....like potheads. True, I know from personal experience as I actually spent more time for pot that others for more violent crimes.....this was in NY during the 70's, nothings changed.
Out at 2am riding her bike alone was not smart either. He either stalked her or came across her by coincidence. It seems to me that back until the 50s rapists incurred the death penalty, until the liberals thought that was too harsh. Unfortunately in this day and age the perpetrators get more consideration than the victim. In Az after a death sentence these people get 15yrs+ on death row while the court appointed lawyers try to get them off.
So this guy killed two women and sexually assualted another. Why was he out of prison after being convicted for the first murder? Scary to think about who is walking down the street with you.
Mom, he was not convicted in the Pate murder, he was convicted on the sexual battery charges. The Pate girl went missing in 1999, I believe, and Lavergne was under suspicion for her murder but was not charged until police arrested him in the Shunick disappearance.
Still, I agree that he should never have been let out of prison. Had they kept him locked up Mickey would probably still be alive and well with her loved ones.
It is a scary world we live in.
Read up on Kenneth Allen McDuff sometime. I was in Waco during the time this hair-bag was on his run. Thing is, he'd already been in jail for (I think) 2 murders. They let him go! He was convicted to die, then the politicians commuted all death sentences to life, then he got PAROLE!! All the deaths he caused came after his death sentence.
He has NEVER been tried for murder.
He was tried and convicted of oral sexual battery (occurred in 1999, convicted in 2000, released in 2008.)
bobmck, it is incomprehensable that these monsters are let out even after they are convicted and sentenced to death. I believe that if the death penalty is the sentence, give them two weeks, that's it, and then execute. Don't allow them to live on the tax payer dime, with 3 squares a day, room & board, cable tv, internet, etc., for an indefinite period of time. If it is proven beyond a doubt that they did the crime, let them pay for it.
What did Ms. Shunick ever do to this creep that he took her life? And, this happened about 45 miles from my home. She was abducted about 45 miles south and her body was found about 20 north of my home. The guy even visited with my cousin's daughters back in the mid '90's. Talk about freaked out when the story broke. This could have been one of them! It was after that that he abducted and killed Lisa Pate but the police didn't have enough evidence to arrest him in that case.
Reinstate the death penalty! If more criminals were executed, in short order, for their crimes maybe, just maybe, it would deter some of these horrible actions.
This POS should be cut and quartered for what he did. Also for all you folks out there that are going to start in with the innocent until proven guilty nonsense, please spare the rest of us!! This guy did the crime!!
That "innocent until proven guilty" nonsense is in the Constitution. You should read it.
Well convict him legally then Cut and quarter him, I can agree to that.
Well, see, there's that Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Try as hard as we might to be uncivilized, that damn document keeps getting in the way.
I agree with the "innocent until proven guilty," BUT there is a degree that our system has far surpassed the "Required" number of appeals and when evidence is so overwhelming, as in this guy's case, that there is little doubt he committed the crime. There is no doubt this guy, as with Kenneth Allen McDuff, has no possibility of redemption.
I doubt he will plead guilty, that's not how these guys operate. So, Louisiana would still have to go through the motions of the trial, and expense, then he will have the benefit of the appeals process to look forward to.
The concept of "innocent until proven guilty" is misunderstood by a great many people. Surely you would want it for yourself. As such, you must be willing to grant it to others. British law at the time that the Constitution was written in America reflected the view of just the opposite; a defendant was presumed guilty and must prove his innocence. By the way, that force is still in effect in the UK today, though not as imperial as it was then. The motions of the trial, as you put it, are necessary to present the evidence you believe to be so overwhelming. You can't know what that evidence is until it's presented in court. The appeals process is not automatic (except in certain states with regard to capital crimes). If the evidence, as presented, is as overwhelming as you believe it to be, any appeals would be limited to procedure and not the evidence. The "legal system" that so many complain about is precisely what distinguishes this country from dictatorial, tyrannical and scriptural regimes in most parts of the world. I like it. I want to keep it. And I would think you, as a Military Man whose many compatriots died to defend that system, would like to keep it as well. It ain't perfect, and may never be, but it's way ahead of the alternatives.
Cruel and unusual by what standards? Would we not have to have a baseline to determine this? To me, if you shoot someone to death during a robbery, that is uncalled for, but not really cruel and certainly not unusual. Same thing with a stabbing. Just because it hurts doesn't mean it's cruel. So who do we use? Just say ok, what Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer did was cruel and unusual, so everything else above that line is legal? I wouldn't have a problem with that.
So what he did to the 2 women, (that we know of,) was not cruel and unusual punishment. I think a needle in his arm is quite civil enough for this animal. If I had my way the punishment would be quite a bit worse.
When are people going to realize that guys like this are never going to be cured or reformed by any punishment other than the death penalty?
They cannot be fixed. They cannot be cured. Kill them or prison for true life on their first conviction or you can be sure they will do it again and again and again.
well said.
You're 100% correct Vet1..they come out of prison after so many years saying they are reformed and found god..then within twenty hours of release... they rape,rob,murder people still!
When are people going to realize that sex offenders are going to, more and more, murder their victims, knowing the severe reprocussions of being caught? Sex offenders must be treated differently than other criminals. Many of them can not stop, and they are put in the position of 'how can I do this without getting caught?' Murder and disposal of their victims is their only answer.
Or they just don't want to stop.
I think many people realize these individuals will repeat their crimes whether these rabid animals can control themselves or not. It is the officers of our courts who put the rest of us at risk by limply acquiescing to plea bargains and increasingly softer sentences when there is no doubt of the perps guilt or innocence. I can only offer my sincere extreme condolences to Mickey Shunick’s family and friends.
IAMPGA, i totally agree. Also, the only thing life in prison does is sharpen the criminal's resolve to "not get caught next time." They are not remorseful for their acts, they are only sorry they got caught.
Is say, if convicted without doubt of guilt, execution in a swift and timely manner.
If this guy was put to death after the first murder he would not have killed anyone else.
That is a fact!!!!! But no, some Judge probably felt 8 years for killing someone was good enough, if that
is the case the Judge should be held accountable for his actions. If the Judge does not want to except
responsibility don't let him out.
I agree with you 100%.
Your information is badly incorrect. The prison term Lavergne served was for oral sexual battery of the Evangeline Parish woman. Just before that incident, some other person he met was murdered. Police suspected him to be the culprit, but there was never sufficient evidence to try him for murder, until now, after Mickey Shunick disappeared. He has never been to court for Pate's death.
This whole story is just one more example of the broken state of the American judicial system. Like everything else that makes or loses money, the judicial system operates like a business within a capitalistic structure using profitability and marginal costs as a factor which sometimes allows hardened criminals who are impossible to rehabilitate to walk free on the streets. For every 1 of these cases there could be 1,000 more who have not yet committed another crime but have a high risk factor and are likely to do so.
In my neighborhood alone there have been several serial killers on the loose over the past 20 years. When I travel anywhere outside of my own house, I assume the risks of doing that and make the appropriate conscious effort to keep it in mind that you can never really know or trust what or who might be around the next corner.
I'm not a huge fan of the death penalty, but it is the right course of action for this guy. The SPCA will put down a dog if it bites 3 people. This guy is really nothing more than an animal. He doesn't deserve to be given the privilege to live. It's too bad that even if he is executed, he will still be allowed to live until he's at least 50 years old before they execute him due to all of the legal red tape and appeals. In cases like this, there should be a fast track to execution so that it could relieve the burden on the tax payers and the state.
Unfortunately, the system, in this case is designed to fail. Just as in the case of the shooter in Aurora, CO, he just made it below the radar.
Laverne was convicted of a NON-fatal crime, as a result he served his sentence. He was suspected of another disappearance, but no Police force in the country would have the available manpower to monitor this guy, and all the others of a similar disposition. The system is limited, not broken. Unfortunately, the COURT system is broken. When MONEY is the driving force of the political system, just like religion, there is a major conflict of interest. In this case, it comes down to the money to monitor this guy to make sure he stayed out of trouble, but as you know, that money is not making its way into Law Enforcement, only politics.
I totally agree Poor-man....this is just another tragic example, there is no rehabilitating a savage like this. If he does not receive the death penalty this time, there is no hope for our society!!
This should remind women to travel in groups. She rode home alone at 2am. Not the best idea and had probably done it many times and it just took once to end her life. Very sad for her family and friends.
I too agree that these sex offenders will not be rehabilitated. Keep them locked up.
You are offering helpful advice, but no matter what, this tragedy is 100% the fault of the perp.
Absolutely agreed. However, her chances would have been better if she was with someone.
We need to kill animals like this until it is SAFE for women to go where and when they want. Guys have snatched women from busy parking lots and daytime jogging. IT IS THE PERPS' FAULT. Their's alone.
I agree once again. But women have to be smart. Unfortunately, we can't always go where we want. We do have to protect our selves and that is by taking safety measures no matter time of day. I'm not saying not to go out and live life, but there are threats out there and I know I'm still here. Maybe lucky, maybe I just pay attention to my surroundings.
When you think of the millions of women taking public transportation to work, or going shopping alone, or jogging or whatever, incidents like this are still rare. So, lisa, be careful but if someone wants to get you he will. Alarm your house, lock your car, don't go around the corner. He may be there.
IT'S NOT THE VICTIM'S FAULT IN ANY WAY. This turd may have been stalking her and would have nabbed her when she was doing her wash or buying a book or walking to the campus bus. We don't know.
You don't have to scream by using capital letters. I never said it was the victim's fault. Thank you for my concern. I am well aware of all this. I grew up with a Dad that was an officer that he did see this kind of thing happen and he has done his best to make sure I am aware of what goes on around me. That is not to say that something couldn't happen to me.
I agree with the concept that Lisa is addressing. The victim is not to blame; however, riding a bike at two in the morning is a risky behavior. Right, wrong or indifferent the victim is still not alive; bottom line. I rather be wrong and live another day than to ride my bike at two in the morning and risk my safety.
bowknuckles, the sad part is that the friends she had been with that night offered to give her a ride home. She just felt safe enough not to accept. I'm sure the friends will have nightmares; coulda, shoulda, woulda.
My prayers go out to the family and friends of the Shunick and Pate families.
I do have to scream to get the attention of those who want to restrict women. It's a slippery slope that leads to blame the victim.
He is 33 and already out of jail for murder? On top of that he had attacked another woman? This is just disgusting.
Too bad Ol' Sparky has been outlawed, at least where I live. He should have ridden the Lightnin' Bolt after the first murder.
He was in jail for aggrevated oral sexual assault, not murder. He is now CHARGED with two counts of murder. The fact that there are two makes me wonder how many more the police HAVEN'T found out about....
Better yet, where was George Zimmerman? Opps, sorry, I forgot, he only kills young men armed with ice tea and skittles.
Jenn S, there have been 8 women who have gone missing from Jennings, LA., in the recent past. Google the Jennings 8. I just wonder if Lavergne had anything to do with any of those kidnappings/murders. There is no telling how many women he has done this to.
Seems to me the judicial system is beyond help. Maybe the only justice these perps need is final justice at the hands of the people, not some soft headed christian group who have forgotten the passage: AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A LIFE FOR A LIFE.
I agree with you, and I am a Christian.
My only problem with an eye for an eye, if you mean it literally in that a person should suffer the from the same crime they did to someone else, is someone has to recreate/repeat the original crime. Who would that be? And wouldn't they be just as scary? Just a thought. But, overall, I agree - if you kill someone, you should cease to exist.
Hang the "judge" that only gave him 10 years for the 1st murder and then hang the parole board that let him go after 8 years.
He wasn't tried for murder. He was convicted of oral sexual battery on a different woman. Your lack of understanding the facts underscores the importance of the concept of "innocent until proven guilty."
Brad,
I'm sorry but I have to disagree. I am willing to sacrifice a few innocent people every now and then if we can get rid of the scum. Sure, a few mistakes may be made along the way and maybe myself or a family member may be wrongly tried and fried, but to me it is worth it if stems the tide of senseless brutality that is plaguing this country.
Jim, if you're really ready for you and/or your loved ones to be "tried and fried," please take care. Don't you see your attitude is exactly part of the "tide of senseless brutality that is plaguing this country." Take care.
WWJD: Applause
I wish there was a way a judge or Parole Board could suffer reprecussions if someone they either let go or to whom they gave a minimum sentence or if the board released them early.
Love that idea H25. It would make people more accountable for their decisions.
,
How many times can someone murder before the public can be safe from the murderer?
As a parent I am glad that they finally did find her. It's closure, although horrible, but closure is good. Somewhat anyway. Sad story.
this "human" needs to die a slow painful death....
Many condolences to the family.
Using the death penalty prevents murderers from murdering again and again. It is a definite deterrent if used.
Again, to the family of Ms. Shunick, please accept my deepest sympathies.
let me see guy kills girl in 1990s does 8 years of a 10 year term.and then kills another girl..wow.and they wonder why this sh@T happens!!there is peeps in jail for simple drug charge longer than that!an eye for an eye should b the law!!and please dont leave comments bout what the bible says.unreal.them women did not get mercy..so should he??we the people are asleep behind the wheel!!
May Mickey rest in peace. Heartfelt condolences to the family & friends. And may the piece of garbage that did this to her & the other woman, burn in hell when it comes time.. but first, put him in genpop and let Bubba have some fun..
OMG.. what in God's name is this bastard doing out of jail? If I were this poor girls family I'd definitely file charges against the state for allowing this bastard early release and obviously not monitoring him.. OMG OMG.. just sad.
I am not for the death penalty, and I still find myself wishing for five minutes alone with this guy. I would love to take a baseball bat to all his extremities before bashing his skull.
A good ol' blanket party might be in order.
Well, I would like to see his face...
Let me qualify this idea by saying that it would be used when we have clear cut evidence of violent crimes like this, that being said: Why don't we set up an arena where citizens can come and pay say $10 to chuck a rock at this piece of $hit? I certainly would pony up for a couple of throws, we save our tax dollars and could give the money raised to the victims families, kids, ect......
Except for the $10 contribution part, you just endorsed Sharia law. You're ready for that?
Are you kidding me??? This guys has done this before and he was out of prison. There is something "seriously" wrong with our justice system. I believe every state should play by the same rules. Every murderer, thief, rapist and pedophile should know no matter what state they perform their act in you will get the same sentence. In the case of murder, and child molestation its life with no parole, PERIOD!!!
NBC News, please clarify the writing of this article. Many think he was out on murder already when that isn't the case. He was convicted of oral assault. The first murder is associated with the second. IE, they just found out about both.
Please make more clear in the article. Thanks.
"Lavergne was also indicted for the first- degree murder of Lisa Pate, whose remains were found in September 1999 near where he grew up. He also served more than eight years of a 10-year sentence, from February 200 until August 2008 for the aggravated oral sexual battery of an Evangeline Parish"
How much more clear can they make it, one-syllable words?
Oh look, another blame everyone except me clown. How is it NBC's these morons have the reading comprehension skills of a Snuggie? It isn't. Take some responsibility for once, and just admit you misread the article.
The only solution is execution!
The problem here is budget cuts, be it Local, state or federal crunching numbers, releasing people early, shorter sentences to get criminals out of the system ASAP. People we have to fund this and push for harsher punishments or bring back the death sentences in every state or it's just going to get worse
If convicted, with concrete evidence that proves beyond any doubt, and sentenced to death, execute within a couple of weeks. This would save the tax payers a ton of money and would begin to eliminate this scourge on our society.