A YOUNG COLLEGE STUDENT VANISHES.
I WAS INCOHERENT. I WAS NUTS.
HER FAMILY IS TERRIFIED.
CALL THE TIP LINE AND DROP HER OFF ANYWHERE,
WE'LL FIND HER.
PLEASE, DON'T HURT HER.
IMAGES OF THAT FATEFUL NIGHT
CAUGHT ON CAMERA...
HEY, WHAT'S THAT?
...ARE THE ONLY CLUES POLICE HAVE.
VIDEO SURVEILLANCE AT THIS POINT IS THE ONLY THING
THAT'S PROVIDING LEADS FOR US IN THIS INVESTIGATION.
IT'S THE ONLY THING.
FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2012, LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA.
CHARLIE SHUNICK AND HER MOM, NANCY,
ARE ENJOYING THE WARM SPRING EVENING.
HEY, GUYS. WHAT YA DOING?
MICKEY SHUNICK, NANCY'S OTHER DAUGHTER,
PLANS TO MEET UP WITH FRIENDS.
GOING TO A CONCERT. LOVE YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
LOVE YOU, TOO. BYE, MICK.
SHE SAID, "I'LL BE BACK EARLY."
AND I SAID, "OKAY, MICK, BE CAREFUL."
"MAMA, I ALWAYS AM."
AND THAT WAS IT.
THERE'S LOTS OF GREAT MUSIC IN LAFAYETTE,
AND SHE WAS A BIG PART OF THAT WHOLE COMMUNITY.
SHE WAS HUGE INTO CYCLING.
SHE PRETTY MUCH BIKED ANYWHERE SHE COULD.
MICKEY PLANS ON AN EARLY NIGHT
BECAUSE TOMORROW IS A BIG DAY IN THE SHUNICK HOUSEHOLD.
MICKEY'S YOUNGER BROTHER, ZACH, IS GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
COME ON, EVERYBODY!
LET'S GET MOVING!
WELL, WE'RE ALL GETTING READY FOR THE GRADUATION.
CHARLIE!
IT WAS AT LIKE 10:30 IN THE MORNING,
SOME RIDICULOUS HOUR THAT NO ONE WANTS TO GET READY FOR.
BUT THERE'S ONE MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
THAT ISN'T PART OF THE RUSH TO GET READY.
MICKEY, COME ON, LET'S GO.
I KNEW SHE WENT OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE,
SO I FIGURED SHE WAS JUST KIND OF SLEEPING IT OFF, SLEEPING IN.
MICKEY?
COMING IN.
MICKEY?
MICKEY ISN'T HOME.
MICKEY?
MOM IS TERRIFIED.
IF SHE SAID SHE WAS COMING HOME, SHE CAME HOME.
AND IF SHE SAID SHE WOULD BE HOME EARLY,
SHE WAS HOME EARLY.
I MEAN, WE KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
HER SISTER'S FIRST REACTION IS ANNOYANCE.
WE COULDN'T GET IN TOUCH WITH HER.
IT WAS GOING STRAIGHT TO HER VOICEMAIL,
AND I REMEMBER I TEXTED HER.
I WAS LIKE, "YOU'RE BEING AN IDIOT.
LIKE, YOU NEED TO WAKE UP AND GET HOME
SO THAT WE CAN GO TO ZACH'S GRADUATION."
BUT MISSING HER BROTHER'S BIG DAY
IS A RED FLAG.
SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT.
MICKEY IS A RESPONSIBLE YOUNG WOMAN
ON THE VERGE OF GRADUATING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA,
WHERE SHE'S STUDYING ANTHROPOLOGY.
MICKEY WAS BRIGHT AND BUBBLY AND SASSY,
AND PEOPLE WOULD THINK WE WERE TWINS.
TYPICAL 21-YEAR-OLD.
SHE LIVED A PRETTY FULL LIFE.
SHE WENT TO SCHOOL, SHE WORKED, WENT OUT WITH HER FRIENDS.
SHE WAS A LOT OF FUN.
AFTER THE GRADUATION, THE FAMILY HEADS STRAIGHT HOME,
HOPING MICKEY WILL BE THERE WAITING.
MICKEY? MICKEY?
WHERE IS SHE?
MICKEY'S LITTLE BROTHER'S GRADUATION
HAS COME AND GONE.
SHE ISN'T ANSWERING HER PHONE,
AND NO ONE IN THIS TIGHT-KNIT FAMILY
HAS SEEN HER IN 18 HOURS.
- MY GOD. - SHE'S NOT HOME.
NUMBER'S GOING TO VOICEMAIL. THIS IS BAD.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED CALLING PEOPLE.
MICKEY'S GONE MISSING. HEY, CLAIRE.
I'M SURE IT'S NOTHING... WERE YOU WITH MICKEY?
FRANTICALLY DIALING ANYBODY WE COULD THINK OF.
HAVE YOU SEEN MICKEY? DID SHE STOP BY? HAS SHE TEXTED YOU?
NO ONE HAD HEARD ANYTHING FROM HER AT ALL.
UM, DID SHE GO TO SOMEONE'S PLACE, OR DID SHE STAY WITH YOU?
THEN, A LEAD.
A GIRLFRIEND SAID SHE SPOKE WITH MICKEY THE NIGHT BEFORE.
THEY WERE LIKE, "WELL, SHE WAS WITH BRETTLY LAST NIGHT.
WHY DON'T YOU ASK HIM IF SHE SLEPT OVER?"
FELLOW UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA STUDENT BRETTLY WILSON
IS MICKEY'S BEST FRIEND.
HELLO? BRETTLY, HI, IT'S CHARLIE.
HEY, HOW'S IT GOING? BRETTLY SAYS
HE AND MICKEY WENT TO A BAR,
THEN PICKED UP SOME FOOD
BEFORE GOING BACK TO HIS PLACE.
HE SAID, "SHE LEFT MY HOUSE ON HER BIKE,
AND SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING HOME,"
AND HE JUST KIND OF TRAILED OFF AND LEFT IT THERE.
SOMETHING WASN'T REALLY RIGHT.
BRETTLY CLAIMS MICKEY LEFT AROUND 1:40 A.M.
IT'S A 41/2 MILE RIDE
AND SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MICKEY AROUND 25 MINUTES.
FIRST WE CALLED THE POLICE.
THE POLICE ARE LIKE, "OKAY,
MAKE SURE YOU CALL THE HOSPITALS."
SO WE CALLED THEM, WE GAVE THE DESCRIPTION,
LOOKING FOR AN INJURED BIKER
OR SOMEONE BROUGHT IN WHO CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING.
THERE WAS NO ONE MATCHING THAT DESCRIPTION.
DESPERATE TO DO SOMETHING,
DAD, TOM, AND THE REST OF THE FAMILY
START SEARCHING MICKEY'S LIKELY ROUTE HOME.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, LIKE, CHECKING DITCHES,
CHECKING BUSHES.
JUST, IF THERE'S A BIKER IN THERE,
SHE MIGHT BE KNOCKED OUT, SHE CAN'T GET UP.
CLIMBED EVERY FENCE.
THERE WAS NO TRACE OF -- NO BIKE, NO NOTHING.
NANCY CALLS POLICE AGAIN.
BUT THIS TIME, SHE ASKS THEM TO FIND HER DAUGHTER.
IT'S NOT LIKE HER. SHE ALWAYS COMES HOME.
THEY SENT AN OFFICER OVER TO TAKE A DESCRIPTION.
110, 112 POUNDS.
YOU GUYS MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OVER HERE.
THOSE TWO.
DETECTIVE STEPHEN BAJAT
WILL LEAD THE SEARCH FOR MICKEY SHUNICK.
I WAS QUICKLY ABLE TO SEE
THAT THIS WAS NOT A COMMON THING THAT OCCURRED
AND THAT THEY WERE EXTREMELY WORRIED ABOUT HER.
THE BIG THING WAS THAT SHE MISSED
HER BROTHER'S HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO,
AND SHE JUST DIDN'T SHOW UP.
INVESTIGATORS START WITH THE LAST PERSON
KNOWN TO HAVE SEEN MICKEY -- HER FRIEND BRETTLY WILSON.
VERY QUICKLY, THE POLICE HONED IN ON BRETTLY.
OF COURSE, ANY MALE FRIEND
IS GONNA BE THE PRIME SUSPECT.
BEING THAT IT WAS A MALE AND FEMALE RELATIONSHIP,
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WASN'T ANY ROMANCE BETWEEN THEM
AND THAT IT WASN'T A DOMESTIC ISSUE
OR THAT POSSIBLY BRETTLY HAD MADE AN ADVANCE TOWARD HER
AND SHE TURNED HIM DOWN.
NOW, WHEN SHE WAS LEAVING YOUR PLACE,
DID SHE MENTION THAT SHE WAS MEETING SOMEONE?
MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BRETTLY --
HE SEEMED KIND OF NERVOUS,
WHICH, AGAIN, RAISES SUSPICION FOR US AS INVESTIGATORS.
ANYBODY'S CAPABLE OF MURDER.
AND YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE A HISTORY OF ANYTHING,
THERE'S NO -- NO. NO, NO, NO.
BRETTLY DENIES ANY ROMANTIC INVOLVEMENT
WITH MICKEY.
BUT DETECTIVES ONLY HAVE HIS WORD FOR IT.
HIS STATEMENT GAVE US A TIMELINE UP UNTIL 1:45 OR SO.
HIS TIMELINE OF EVENTS SEEMS INNOCENT.
THEY WERE AT A LITTLE BAR AND THAT THEY LEFT THAT BAR
AND RODE THEIR BIKES BACK TO HIS HOUSE.
THEY GOT INTO HIS VEHICLE
AND WENT TO A RESTAURANT, WHERE THEY PURCHASED FOOD.
AND THEN THEY DROVE BACK TO THE RESIDENCE,
AND SHE GOT ON HER BIKE,
AND THAT WAS THE LAST TIME HE HAD SEEN HER.
POLICE ASK BRETTLY IF THERE'S A FRIEND, A ROOMMATE,
ANYONE WHO CAN BACK UP HIS STORY.
BUT THERE ISN'T.
WITH THE CLOCK TICKING,
THEY SEND CRIME SCENE TECHS TO BRETTLY'S HOUSE.
WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF PLACE,
THINGS THAT ARE BROKEN, POSSIBLY IF THERE'S ANY BLOOD EVIDENCE.
THEY SEARCH FOR ANYTHING CONNECTING HIM
TO MICKEY'S DISAPPEARANCE.
THERE WAS NOTHING OUT OF PLACE. EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER
AND SPOT-ON WITH WHAT HE WAS TELLING US.
POLICE ARE NO CLOSER TO FINDING MICKEY SHUNICK.
AND IF BRETTLY WILSON KNOWS WHERE SHE IS, HE'S NOT TELLING.
POLICE MUST CHECK OUT EACH PART OF HIS STORY,
STARTING WITH THE BAR HE CLAIMS
THEY WENT TO AT A QUARTER AFTER 10:00.
AND WHEN THEY GET THERE,
THEY FIND A WITNESS WHO THEY KNOW NEVER LIES.
YOU GUYS HAVE SOME SECURITY CAMERAS.
I CAN SEE THAT THERE'S ONE RIGHT THERE.
PERFECT.
THE BAR IS RIGGED WITH AN ARRAY OF SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GRAB THAT VIDEO
BEFORE IT GETS ERASED.
FOR DETECTIVES, IT'S A GIFT
THAT MAY CATCH BRETTLY IN A LIE.
NO ONE HAS SEEN OR HEARD FROM MICKEY SHUNICK
IN 36 HOURS.
HER FAMILY IS DISTRAUGHT.
I WAS INCOHERENT. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT DAY IT WAS.
I MET PEOPLE, DIDN'T REMEMBER. I WAS NUTS.
I MEAN, I WAS JUST -- I WAS IN ANOTHER WORLD.
I'M LOOKING -- DID YOU SEE HER?
THE WORST PART ABOUT HAVING A MISSING PERSON
IS NOT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED.
AND YOU WON'T BELIEVE
WHAT YOUR IMAGINATION WILL DO TO YOU.
THE MISSING PART WAS JUST THE WORST.
RIGHT NOW, MICKEY'S BEST FRIEND,
BRETTLY WILSON, IS INVESTIGATORS' ONLY SUSPECT.
HE'S THE LAST PERSON TO SEE HER.
THERE WERE ON OTHER SUSPECTS.
AND THEN WE WENT TO MY PLACE.
WILSON SAYS HE AND MICKEY SPENT THE EVENING
AT A BAR, A FAST-FOOD RESTAURANT,
AND THEN ON TO HIS PLACE.
HE SAYS MICKEY LEFT HIS HOUSE, HEADED HOME ON A BIKE
AT AROUND 1:45 A.M.
POLICE START AT THE BAR.
WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WENT TO ARTMOSPHERE,
WHICH IS A LOCAL BAR AND RESTAURANT IN THE AREA.
IMMEDIATELY, OFFICERS SEE THEM --
SECURITY CAMERAS...
OKAY, YEAH, I SEE YOU GOT ANOTHER ONE THERE.
...A CAMERA OVER THE FRONT ENTRANCE,
SOME ON THE BAR,
AND MORE COVERING THE SEATING AREAS.
WE OBTAINED VIDEO SURVEILLANCE FROM THEIR BUSINESS.
IF BRETTLY WAS HERE WITH MICKEY, AS HE CLAIMED,
THEY SHOULD ARRIVE AT A QUARTER AFTER 10:00.
AND RIGHT ON TIME, THERE THEY ARE.
ALL LOOKS ROUTINE.
THAT'S HER.
NEXT, THEY APPEAR AT THE BAR,
SMILING AND TALKING.
IT LOOKS LIKE NOTHING MORE THAN A FUN EVENING OUT.
POLICE WATCH 21/2 HOURS OF FOOTAGE FROM THE CAMERAS.
THEY SEE NO SIGN OF PROBLEMS.
NO FIGHTS, NO INCIDENTS,
JUST A FEW BEERS.
AT 12:44 A.M., MICKEY AND BRETTLY SIMPLY LEAVE.
THEY DON'T SEEM DRUNK, AND THEY AREN'T HOLDING HANDS.
EVERYTHING SEEMS NORMAL.
WE WERE ABLE TO SEE MICKEY
COME INTO THE BAR AS WELL AS LEAVE.
AND WHAT WAS IMPORTANT ABOUT THAT WAS
THAT NO ONE FOLLOWED HER FROM THE BAR.
THE FIRST PART OF BRETTLY'S STORY
HAS CHECKED OUT.
STILL NO SIGN OF 21-YEAR-OLD MICKEY SHUNICK.
OUTSIDE THE POLICE STATION, MICKEY'S DISAPPEARANCE
IS FAST BECOMING A BIG NEWS STORY.
DESPERATE TO HELP, FAMILY, FRIENDS,
AND WELL-WISHERS SWING INTO ACTION.
WE HAD MISSING PERSON FLYERS.
JUST TAPING THEM ON POSTS,
MAKING SURE PEOPLE KNEW WHAT SHE LOOKED LIKE.
THE WHOLE COMMUNITY WAS INVOLVED,
AND THERE WAS JUST TEAM AFTER TEAM
TO SEARCH THE WHOLE CITY.
MICKEY HAS NOW BEEN MISSING FOR 40 HOURS.
WHILE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY MOBILIZES,
POLICE RACE TO CHECK OUT THE NEXT PART OF BRETTLY'S STORY.
AFTER THAT, WE WENT TO TACO BELL.
OKAY. GOT SOME FOOD, SOBERED UP.
BRETTLY GAVE US AN APPROXIMATE TIMEFRAME
ON WHEN THEY WENT TO TACO BELL.
WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT
BY MATCHING IT TO MICKEY'S BANK STATEMENT.
BUT WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS WHO USED HER CARD
AND WAS MICKEY SAFE WHEN IT WAS USED.
TO FIND OUT, INVESTIGATORS
TURN BACK TO THEIR MOST RELIABLE WITNESS --
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO.
WE OBVIOUSLY WANTED TO CATCH HER ON VIDEO.
WE WENT TO TACO BELL.
THE RESTAURANT SAYS THE PURCHASE
WAS FOR A COUPLE OF SNACKS
AND WAS MADE AT THE DRIVE-THRU WINDOW.
IT HANDS OVER ALL ITS FOOTAGE FROM THE NIGHT.
POLICE STARE AT THE FOOTAGE FROM THE TAKE-OUT WINDOW
AS CAR AFTER CAR COMES THROUGH.
THEN THEY SPOT IT.
RIGHT HERE.
IT'S BRETTLY'S CHEVROLET CAVALIER.
IT'S HARD TO SEE WHO'S BEHIND THE WHEEL.
BUT AFTER REVIEWING THE FOOTAGE, IT BECOMES CLEAR...
...IT'S BRETTLY DRIVING.
WHEN WE WERE REVIEWING IT,
ALL WE COULD SEE WAS BRETTLY AT THE WINDOW
INSIDE OF HIS CAR, PURCHASING THE FOOD.
USING MICKEY'S ATM CARD.
BUT WHERE IS MICKEY?
WE COULDN'T SEE ANYONE ELSE INSIDE THE CAR.
IT'S A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT.
BUT THEY REPLAY THE FOOTAGE
AND THIS TIME SPOT SOMETHING NEW.
HE TURNED AND HANDED IT TO SOMEONE
THAT WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT.
NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES THEY PLAY IT, THE VIDEO
JUST ISN'T CLEAR ENOUGH TO REVEAL THE MYSTERY PASSENGER.
MAYBE MICKEY'S THERE, AND MAYBE SHE'S NOT.
POLICE CAN'T SHAKE THE FEAR
THAT BRETTLY AND AN ACCOMPLICE ARE USING MICKEY'S BANK CARD.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN SOMEONE ELSE THAT WAS THERE
THAT HE'S NOT TELLING US THAT HARMED HER.
THERE'S ONE LAST PART OF BRETTLY'S STORY
TO TRACK DOWN.
HE SAID THAT SHE LEFT THE HOUSE
A LITTLE BIT BEFORE 2:00 IN THE MORNING,
RIDING HER BICYCLE.
AND HE SAID THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THAT HE HAD SEEN HER.
IS THERE A CAMERA THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT A GLIMPSE
OF MICKEY'S RIDE HOME FROM BRETTLY'S HOUSE?
ENTAILS US, YOU KNOW,
DRIVING THE BEAT, KNOCKING ON DOORS,
AND BASICALLY JUST LOOKING AT THE CORNERS OF BUILDINGS
AND INSIDE OF BUILDINGS, LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY CAMERAS.
ACCORDING TO BRETTLY, THE FIRST PART
OF MICKEY'S ROUTE HOME IS DOWN RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
BRETTLY HAD GIVEN US A PATH.
IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE A NORMAL PATH THAT SHE WOULD TAKE,
BUT WE HAD TO GO WITH IT BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY
THAT BRETTLY SAID THAT SHE ALWAYS WOULD TAKE HOME.
AND WE FOLLOWED THAT PATH,
AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND ANY VIDEO SURVEILLANCE.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME BRETTLY'S STORY
DOESN'T CHECK OUT.
THAT'S -- THAT'S IT.
HE COULD BE LYING TO US, EITHER IN THE PATH,
OR COULD BE LYING TO US IN THE SENSE
THAT SHE NEVER LEFT THE HOUSE.
IT'S NOW TWO DAYS SINCE MICKEY DISAPPEARED,
AND THE INVESTIGATION IS STALLING.
BAJAT IS FORCED TO THINK AGAIN.
MAYBE MICKEY LEFT BRETTLY'S HOUSE
HEADED SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN HOME.
SHE COULD HAVE BEEN GOING ELSEWHERE
AND JUST TOLD BRETTLY THAT SHE WAS GOING HOME.
SO AT THAT POINT, WE HAD TO BROADEN
THE SEARCH AREA FOR SURVEILLANCE.
VIDEO IS THE DETECTIVE'S BEST HOPE
FOR FINDING MICKEY.
THEY STARTED ASKING US TO PUT ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES
FOR ANYONE IN THE AREA
TO TURN IN ANY PRIVATE CAMERAS THEY HAVE.
WE GATHERED OVER 300 DIFFERENT VIDEOS
FROM DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, AND WE GOT A SNAPSHOT OF THE CITY.
CAMERA AFTER CAMERA DRAWS A BLANK.
UNTIL, AT LAST, A TINY GLIMMER OF HOPE.
HERE WE GO.
IT REALLY WASN'T THAT CLEAR OF A VIDEO,
BUT YOU COULD SEE THAT IT WAS A FEMALE RIDING A BICYCLE.
YES, SIR, THAT'S OUR GIRL.
21-YEAR-OLD MICKEY SHUNICK
IS MISSING AFTER A NIGHT OUT WITH A FRIEND.
WE WERE A MESS. YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T EAT.
WE DIDN'T SLEEP. WE JUST... WORRIED AND FRETTED
AND WONDERED. THAT'S ALL.
MA'AM, OUR DAUGHTER MICKEY, SHE'S GONE MISSING.
NANCY WAS NOT COPING VERY WELL.
CHARLIE WAS CONTINUALLY UPSET, TOO.
MY MAIN THING WAS TO DO SOMETHING.
I HAD TO DO SOMETHING, TRY AND FIND HER.
HELP THE POLICE ALL YOU CAN.
POLICE SUSPECT MICKEY'S FRIEND BRETTLY WILSON,
BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PROOF.
THEY HAVE VISITED DOZENS OF LOCAL BUSINESSES
THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ON MICKEY'S BIKE ROUTE.
THEIR SEARCH FOR CCTV HAS BEEN FRUITLESS,
BUT AT MIDSOUTH BANK, THAT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE.
FIVE DAYS INTO THE INVESTIGATION,
WE WERE ABLE TO FIND SURVEILLANCE
FROM A LOCAL BANK.
THE BANK HAS FOUR CAMERAS
FACING THE BUILDING AND THE STREET,
ALL RUNNING 24/7.
THEY CUE EACH CAMERA UP TO 1:40 A.M.
THE NIGHT OF MICKEY'S DISAPPEARANCE,
EXPECTING ANOTHER STRIKE-OUT.
THERE.
THAT'S WHEN THEY SEE IT.
IT WAS AT NIGHT. IT WAS AN INFRARED CAMERA.
IT'S BLURRY.
IT'S OFF-CENTER.
WE HAD IT ENHANCED.
BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT.
YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE THAT IT WAS A FEMALE
RIDING A BICYCLE.
THEY SWITCH TO A CAMERA FACING WEST.
THERE SHE IS AGAIN.
AND WHEN THEY CHECK THE NEXT CAMERA,
THIS ONE FACING EAST,
THEY PICK UP ANOTHER DETAIL --
BLOND HAIR.
THAT'S HER. THAT'S OUR GIRL.
BUT IS IT REALLY MICKEY SHUNICK?
JUST HEAD DOWN THERE, PLEASE.
DETECTIVES ASK THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HER BEST.
THEY BROUGHT CHARLIE AND I IN
AND SHOWED US A VIDEO FROM MORE OR LESS A BLOCK OR TWO
FROM WHERE SHE LEFT BRETTLY'S HOUSE.
YES. IT IS! MY GOD!
THAT'S HER BLOND HAIR AND THE FLASHING LIGHT ON THE BIKE.
THAT'S DEFINITELY HER. IT IS HER!
YOU'RE SURE? YEAH.
I REMEMBER LOOKING AT IT
AND BEING LIKE, "THAT'S ABSOLUTELY MY SISTER."
IF IT'S YOUR FAMILY MEMBER OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE,
YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU CAN TELL IT'S THEM FROM THEIR MANNERISMS.
SO WE KNOW SHE WAS SAFE, WE KNOW THAT SHE GOT
OUT OF BRETTLY'S NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS KIND OF AN UPLIFTING MOMENT.
THAT CATCHES HER RIDING HER BIKE PAST
AT ABOUT 1:46 IN THE MORNING. SEE THAT?
THAT'S GOT TO BE -- IT'S DEFINITELY HER.
THAT RULED BRETTLY OUT AS A SUSPECT RIGHT THERE.
IT SHOWED THAT SHE HAD, IN FACT, LEFT THE RESIDENCE
AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME THAT HE HAD SAID SHE DID.
THERE WAS NO MORE INVESTIGATION INTO HIM AFTER THAT.
BUT THAT LEAVES DETECTIVES WITH NO SUSPECTS
AND NO LEADS.
THE INVESTIGATION IS NOW ENTIRELY
ABOUT FINDING MORE CAMERAS THAT SAW MICKEY.
SO WE KNOW THAT SHE WAS GOING THIS WAY.
NOW, FROM WHAT HER FAMILY TOLD US
IS THAT NORMALLY WHEN SHE WOULD TAKE HER ROUTE,
SHE WOULD GO UP THIS WAY TO GET TO HER HOUSE.
SINCE WE HAD HER ON THE VIDEO AT THE BANK,
IT GAVE US A STARTING POINT AND THE PATH
THAT SHE WOULD HAVE HAD TO TRAVEL
IN ORDER TO GET TO HER HOUSE.
POLICE LOCATE A SURVEILLANCE CAMERA
AT A CIRCLE K CONVENIENCE STORE.
THE CAMERA IS SET TO TIME LAPSE,
RECORDING ONE FRAME EVERY SECOND.
IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ABLE
TO DISTINGUISH TOO MUCH OR WHO WAS PASSING BY.
AT FIRST, INVESTIGATORS SEE ONLY CAR HEADLIGHTS.
BUT WATCHING FRAME BY FRAME, THEY SPOT A BLURRY IMAGE.
A LIGHT ON A BICYCLE FLASHES.
MICKEY'S BIKE HAS A FLASHING LIGHT.
IT MATCHES WITH MICKEY'S PATH.
AND IT POINTS DETECTIVES
TO THE NEXT CAMERA LIKELY TO PICK UP HER IMAGE.
WE QUICKLY DETERMINED
THAT OUR CITY HALL WAS IN THAT PATH,
AND WE GOT THE VIDEO FROM THEM.
THIS CAMERA ON CITY HALL FACES THE CIRCLE K.
POLICE SCROLL THROUGH THE FOOTAGE OF THAT CAMERA
TO THE SAME TIME.
YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE HER CROSSING A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE
AND ALTERNATELY GOING OUT OF VIEW.
THE SHOT SHOWS NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
BUT OFFICERS NOW HAVE VIDEO OF MICKEY FROM THREE LOCATIONS,
AND IT CONFIRMS IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
THE MORE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE WE OBTAINED,
WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUALLY CAPTURE HER
AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS
AND SHOW THAT SHE WAS, IN FACT, HEADING TOWARD HER HOME.
POLICE CONTINUE THE ROUTE, LOOKING FOR STILL MORE CAMERAS.
400 YARDS PAST CITY HALL,
THEY FIND A CAMERA POINTING AT THE ROAD.
IT WAS AT A LOCAL ATTORNEY'S OFFICE,
AND WE OBTAINED THAT VIDEO.
RIGHT HERE.
THERE SHE IS AGAIN.
FROM ONE CAMERA TO THE NEXT, DETECTIVES CAN NOW PLOT
ALMOST A MILE OF MICKEY'S JOURNEY HOME.
VIDEO SURVEILLANCE TO THIS POINT IS THE ONLY THING
THAT'S PROVIDING LEADS FOR US IN THIS INVESTIGATION.
IT'S THE ONLY THING.
THE NEXT CAMERA ON THE ROUTE TO MICKEY'S HOUSE
IS ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE AWAY.
WE HAVE AN EVENT CENTER
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN HER PATH
THAT HAD VIDEO SURVEILLANCE OUTSIDE.
SHE WOULD HAVE HAD TO PASS THAT WAY.
OFFICERS CUE THE VIDEO UP TO THE MOMENT
MICKEY SHOULD BE RIDING THROUGH THE FRAME.
SHE SHOULD RIDE RIGHT THROUGH THE PICTURE,
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, AT 1:48 A.M.
THEY WAIT.
BUT MICKEY NEVER APPEARS.
SHE WASN'T CAPTURED ON ANY OF THAT VIDEO SURVEILLANCE.
IT GAVE US THAT QUARTER-OF-A-MILE AREA
WHERE SOMETHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HER.
ONE MOMENT, MICKEY IS RIGHT THERE, RIDING HOME.
AND 400 YARDS LATER, SHE'S VANISHED.
POLICE NOW KNOW THAT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MICKEY
HAPPENED HERE ON THIS SHORT STRETCH OF SAINT LANDRY STREET.
WE PUT OFFICERS AND SEARCH VOLUNTEERS ON FOOT
TO SEARCH THE AREA
AND LOOK FOR PHYSICAL EVIDENCE --
BIKE PARTS OR CAR PARTS OR SKID MARKS.
IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE
THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HIT-AND-RUN
OR THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN SOMEBODY THAT WAS INTOXICATED.
WE COULDN'T FIND ANY REFLECTORS
OR ANY -- YOU KNOW, ANY DEBRIS OR ANYTHING FROM THE BIKE.
SO YOU FIGURE AT THIS POINT, "WELL, SOMEBODY TOOK IT."
AT A LOSS, INVESTIGATORS
TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT ALL THE VIDEO,
THIS TIME LOOKING FOR ANY OTHER CLUES
THE FOOTAGE CAN GIVE THEM.
HAVE THEY MISSED ANYTHING?
ON THE VIDEO, THERE WERE ONLY THREE VEHICLES
THAT WERE SEEN IN THAT AREA.
BEING THAT IT WAS 2:00 IN THE MORNING
AND THAT IT WAS A SIDE STREET,
WE WERE LUCKY THAT THAT WAS THE ONLY TRAFFIC
THAT WAS CAUGHT THERE.
USING THE VIDEO, DETECTIVES
IDENTIFY TWO OF THE VEHICLES, GET THEIR LICENSE PLATES,
AND TRACK DOWN THE DRIVERS.
WE WERE QUICKLY ABLE TO IDENTIFY TWO OF THE INDIVIDUALS
THAT WERE ON THERE AS PEOPLE THAT WERE EITHER DRIVING THROUGH
OR ONE THAT WAS ACTUALLY EMPLOYED
AND DOING WORK ON THAT SIDE STREET.
BUT A THIRD VEHICLES IS UNACCOUNTED FOR.
THE THIRD, WE COULD TELL, WAS A WHITE CHEVY PICKUP TRUCK.
THE TRUCK PASSED CITY HALL JUST FOUR SECONDS
AFTER MICKEY RODE BY.
THE WHITE TRUCK, THAT BECAME,
LIKE, THIS INFAMOUS SYMBOL OF THE WHOLE CASE.
THE VIDEO ISN'T CLEAR ENOUGH TO GET A LICENSE PLATE,
BUT INVESTIGATORS AREN'T ABOUT TO GIVE UP.
HI, THIS IS DETECTIVE BAJAT CALLING.
WE CONTACTED A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP,
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE MAKE, MODEL,
AND YEAR OF THE TRUCK.
IT WAS A CHEVY Z71.
THERE MIGHT BE 3,000 WHITE CHEVROLET PICKUP TRUCKS
IN THIS AREA THAT ARE REGISTERED WITH THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
HOW DO WE ELIMINATE 2,999 OTHER VEHICLES
AND FOCUS ONTO ONE?
DESPITE THE LONG ODDS, IT'S DETECTIVES' BEST LEAD --
A POTENTIAL WITNESS WHO COULD BE THE LAST PERSON
TO SEE MICKEY.
POLICE HAVE A NEW LEAD IN THEIR QUEST
TO FIND MISSING COLLEGE SENIOR MICKEY SHUNICK.
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS CAPTURED A WHITE CHEVY PICKUP TRUCK
THAT WAS ON THE ROAD AT THE SAME TIME
MICKEY WAS RIDING HOME.
POLICE GET THE DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUCK OUT TO THE MEDIA.
WHAT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY
AND ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT STARTED LOOKING FOR
WAS THIS TRUCK.
IT'S NOW SEVEN DAYS SINCE MICKEY DISAPPEARED.
HER FAMILY ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO KEEP MICKEY'S STORY
ON THE FRONT PAGE.
IT'S A STORY TODAY,
BUT IT MAY NOT BE THE STORY TOMORROW.
BUT WHAT THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS DID IN MICKEY'S CASE
WAS IS THEY KEPT IT FRESH.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S ON YOUR SIDE.
THE MAIN THING THAT KEEPS YOU GOING IS THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
EVERYBODY'S BEHIND YOU. EVERYBODY WANTS TO FIND HER.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO FIND WHO DID THIS.
WE TRY TO STAY TOGETHER OUT IN PUBLIC
AND THEN GO HOME AND... FALL APART.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT
TO, YOU KNOW...
TO NOT JUST CURL UP IN A LITTLE BALL
AND...YOU KNOW...QUIT.
REALLY, I WAS THINKING THAT A DRUNK DRIVER HIT HER
AND WAS HOLDING HER.
IF YOU MADE A MISTAKE AND YOU ACCIDENTALLY
PICKED HER UP OR SOMETHING
AND YOU'RE JUST SCARED, I MEAN, IT'S OKAY.
WE WON'T SAY ANYTHING. JUST CALL THE TIP LINE
AND DROP HER OFF ANYWHERE, AND WE'LL FIND HER.
AND, PLEASE, DON'T HURT HER.
WITH THE FAMILY DOING ALL THEY CAN,
POLICE HAVE NOT GIVEN UP SEARCHING FOR MORE CCTV
OF THE MYSTERY TRUCK.
THEIR PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF.
THEY FIND NEW VIDEO OF THE WHITE PICKUP
APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION
WHERE MICKEY WAS CAPTURED ON THE CIRCLE K
AND CITY HALL CAMERAS.
IT SHOWS SOMETHING SMALL BUT STRANGE.
WHEN THE WHITE PICKUP WENT THROUGH THERE,
HE WAS ON A FOUR-LANE ROAD, HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE.
WHICH MEANS THE DRIVER IS PLANNING TO GO STRAIGHT
AT THE INTERSECTION.
BUT WHEN POLICE CHECK THE CONVENIENCE STORE CAMERA,
IT SHOWS HE HAS CHANGED HIS MIND...
AND MADE A SUDDEN RIGHT TURN.
THE QUESTION IS WHY.
MAYBE IT'S A COINCIDENCE.
BUT THAT'S THE EXACT MOMENT WHEN MICKEY RIDES BY.
WHAT WE SAW WAS HER CROSSING THAT MAJOR THOROUGHFARE,
AND THEN RIGHT BEHIND HER, YOU COULD SEE
THAT WHITE PICKUP TRUCK TURN QUICKLY BEHIND HER.
IT ALMOST SEEMED LIKE THAT THE TRUCK HAD SEEN HER
AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO FOLLOW HER.
DETECTIVE BAJAT
NOW BELIEVES THE WHITE TRUCK IS STALKING MICKEY.
IT'S HERE THAT WE HAVE THE TRUCK FOLLOWING RIGHT THERE.
INVESTIGATORS TAKE ANOTHER LOOK
AT THE LAST VIDEO OF MICKEY BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARS...
AND SPOT SOMETHING THAT CHILLS THEM TO THE BONE.
THAT'S DEFINITELY HER. YEAH.
THE LAST VIDEO SHOWS HIM AHEAD OF HER,
AND THEN IT SHOWS HER PASS BY.
AND THAT'S THE LAST POINT THAT SHE'S ON VIDEO.
WE BELIEVE AT THAT POINT THAT HE CONTINUED ON,
FOUND AN AREA WHERE THERE WERE NO LIGHTS,
THERE WERE NO HOUSES OR BUSINESSES OR NO WITNESSES.
THE TRUCK AND MICKEY BOTH DISAPPEAR
ON THE RIGHT PART OF THE FRAME.
MICKEY IS NEVER SEEN AGAIN,
MAKING THE TRUCK DRIVER THE PRIME SUSPECT.
BUT BEFORE THEY CAN LOCATE THE DRIVER,
30 MILES AWAY...
AN OMINOUS DISCOVERY.
WHISKEY BAY IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN,
WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST SWAMPS IN THE AREA.
IT IS AN EXTREMELY DEEP PILOT CHANNEL.
DEFINITELY A GOOD PLACE TO HIDE SOMETHING.
SOME FISHERMEN FOUND THE BIKE OVER THERE.
LUCKILY, THE WATER HAD DROPPED,
AND A HANDLEBAR WAS STICKING OUT.
AND CALLED THE POLICE.
IT WAS FORTUNATE FOR US
THAT IT DIDN'T MAKE IT OUT INTO THE CURRENT
AND THE BIKE ACTUALLY FELL RIGHT THERE ON THE SHORELINE
AND GOT STUCK.
DETECTIVE BAJAT CALLED ME AND MY DAD TO THE POLICE STATION.
HE LOOKS AT ME, HE GOES, "I DON'T WANT YOU TO FREAK OUT,
BUT WE THINK WE FOUND HER BIKE.
THERE'S SOME DAMAGE TO IT. I NEED YOU TO IDENTIFY IT."
AND THEY SHOWED US THE BICYCLE,
AND I, LIKE, ALMOST PASSED OUT.
IT WAS DEFINITELY HER BIKE.
SHE CERTAINLY DIDN'T RIDE HER BIKE
30 MILES ON I-10
AND THEN THROW IT OVER THE BRIDGE.
SO I FIGURED, "WELL, SOMEBODY TOOK HER
AND NOW THEY REALIZE THAT SHE'S A TREASURE,
YOU KNOW, SHE'S A GEM, SHE'S A JEWEL.
THEY'RE HOLDING HER AND WE'RE GONNA GET HER BACK."
SO...
DETECTIVE BAJAT ISN'T SO HOPEFUL.
AT THAT POINT, THAT LED INVESTIGATORS
TO BELIEVE THAT THIS MIGHT NOT BE A VERY POSITIVE OUTCOME.
IT LOOKED LIKE SHE POSSIBLY COULD BE DEAD AT THIS POINT.
OUR CRIME SCENE PERSONNEL EXAMINED THE BIKE.
THEY LOCATED DAMAGE ON THE REAR TIRE,
WHICH WAS CONSISTENT WITH IT BEING STRUCK BY A VEHICLE.
THEY WERE ABLE TO SHOW THAT THE DAMAGE
ON THE TIRE OF THE BICYCLE WAS AT THE APPROXIMATE HEIGHT
OF A FACTORY BUMPER
ON A CHEVY Z71 PICKUP TRUCK.
THAT WAS SOME EVIDENCE THAT WAS TYING
THAT UNKNOWN TRUCK
TO THE BICYCLE AT THAT POINT.
ALL LEADS POINT TO THE WHITE PICKUP,
BUT POLICE STILL HAVE NO IDEA
WHO IS DRIVING IT.
SO WE KNEW SOMEBODY HAD HIT THE BIKE
AND TOOK THE EVIDENCE AND PUT -- YOU KNOW, THREW IT IN THE RIVER.
SO NOW THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW...
YOU KNOW, WHERE'S MICKEY?
BECAUSE THE BIKE WAS LOCATED THERE,
WE DEFINITELY THOUGHT THAT HER BODY COULD BE LOCATED THERE,
SO WE SENT DIVERS DOWN.
AND THOSE DIVERS SEARCHED THE AREA
BUT ULTIMATELY DIDN'T FIND THE BODY.
WE WERE ABLE TO SAY THAT SHE WASN'T IN THAT AREA
WHERE THE BICYCLE WAS FOUND.
YOU KNOW, STILL THERE'S NO EVIDENCE
THAT SHE WAS HURT OR THAT ANYTHING BAD HAPPENED LIKE THAT.
NEVERTHELESS,
NINE DAYS SINCE MICKEY DISAPPEARED,
THE CHANCES OF FINDING HER ALIVE ARE DIMINISHING BY THE HOUR.
YEP. ALL RIGHT, I GOT IT. YEP.
UNTIL A BREAKTHROUGH
FROM OVER THE STATE LINE IN TEXAS.
POLICE THERE HAVE FOUND A TRUCK.
IT'S BEEN ABANDONED AND BURNED.
BUT IT STILL HAS ITS LICENSE PLATES.
ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE LICENSE PLATE
THAT WAS DISPLAYED ON THE BURNED TRUCK,
WE PLUGGED THAT LICENSE PLATE
INTO TRAFFIC CAMERAS THAT WE HAVE IN THE AREA.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE SEVERAL STILL IMAGES.
THIS IMAGE PLACES THE BURNT-OUT TRUCK
IN LAFAYETTE CLOSE TO THE TIME MICKEY DISAPPEARED.
BAJAT CAN'T SEE THE DRIVER,
BUT THE IMAGE DOES REVEAL SOMETHING JUST AS USEFUL.
WE HAD AN IMAGE OF THAT TRUCK
FROM A TRAFFIC CAMERA JUST EIGHT HOURS
BEFORE MICKEY WAS ON CAMERA.
AND THE TRAFFIC CAMERA
SHOWED A 4x4 POST PROTRUDING
OUT OF THE DRIVER'S-SIDE CORNER OF THE BED,
AS WELL AS A FOAM WHITE ICE CHEST
THAT WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BED OF THE PICKUP TRUCK.
DETECTIVE BAJAT HAS SEEN BOTH THESE ITEMS
BEFORE.
WHEN WE TOOK THOSE STILL IMAGES FROM THE TRAFFIC CAMERAS
AND COMPARED THEM TO THE LAST VIDEO
WHERE SHE WAS SEEN, YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE A 4x4 POST
AND A WHITE SQUARE OBJECT IN THE BED OF THAT PICKUP TRUCK.
THE TRUCK IS A MATCH.
BUT WHO WAS DRIVING IT THE NIGHT
MICKEY SHUNICK VANISHED INTO THIN AIR?
POLICE ARE ABOUT TO DISCOVER MICKEY SHUNICK'S FATE.
THAT'S BECAUSE NEW SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE
SHOWS A WHITE CHEVY PICKUP.
THE CONTENTS OF ITS FLATBED
MATCH THOSE IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK
SEEN STALKING MICKEY.
YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE A 4x4 POST
AND A WHITE SQUARE OBJECT IN THE BED OF THAT PICKUP TRUCK.
THAT WAS THE TURNING POINT,
AND WE KNEW THAT WE WERE ON THE RIGHT PATH
TO CATCHING OUR GUY.
DETECTIVES RUN THE PLATE
AND TRACE THE TRUCK TO A LAFAYETTE ADDRESS.
THE DRIVER IS ALREADY KNOWN TO THE POLICE.
HE'S A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER NAMED BRANDON LAVERGNE.
AND NOW ALL OF OUR EFFORTS ARE FOCUSED ON LAVERGNE
BECAUSE WE WERE CONFIDENT AND CERTAIN
THAT THAT WAS HIS TRUCK ON THAT VIDEO.
INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER THAT THE DAY
AFTER MICKEY'S DISAPPEARANCE,
LAVERGNE CHECKED HIMSELF INTO A HOSPITAL IN NEW ORLEANS
WITH STAB WOUNDS,
CLAIMING HE'D BEEN ROBBED AT A GAS STATION.
ONCE WE OBTAINED BRANDON LAVERGNE'S NAME
AND WE STARTED LOOKING INTO HIS PAST
AND LOOKING INTO HIS ACTIONS,
EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE.
IN 2000, LAVERGNE WAS CONVICTED
OF A SERIOUS SEXUAL ASSAULT
AND SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS.
THE MORE WE LEARNED ABOUT HIM, THE BLEAKER IT LOOKED
BECAUSE HE WAS JUST A REALLY BAD GUY.
THERE WAS NOTHING OR NO BIT OF INFORMATION
THAT CAME UP THAT RULED HIM OUT IN THIS INCIDENT.
HIS TRUCK WAS SEEN STALKING MICKEY.
THEN IT TURNED UP BURNED IN TEXAS.
AND LAVERGNE SHOWED UP AT THE HOSPITAL WITH DEEP CUTS.
BASED ON ALL THE EVIDENCE THAT WE HAD IN THE CASE
AND HAD AGAINST HIM,
AN ARREST WARRANT WAS OBTAINED,
CHARGING HIM WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.
WELL, WHEN THEY ARRESTED LAVERGNE, WE KNEW IT WAS BAD.
VERY LITTLE HOPE.
THEY TOOK HIM DOWN TO A POLICE STATION.
THEY STARTED ASKING HIM, YOU KNOW, A FEW THINGS,
AND THEN THEY HIT HIM WITH, YOU KNOW,
THE MICKEY SHUNICK MURDER.
DETECTIVES PUSH LAVERGNE FOR ANSWERS.
BRANDON, DID YOU KILL MICKEY SHUNICK?
DETECTIVES KNOW LAVERGNE KILLED MICKEY SHUNICK,
BUT THEY STILL DON'T HAVE HER BODY.
THE D.A.'s OFFICE HAS A STRATEGY,
BUT THEY WANT NANCY AND TOM TO SIGN OFF ON IT.
IT WAS EXPLAINED TO THEM
IF THE DEATH PENALTY WAS TAKEN OFF THE TABLE,
THAT HE WOULD TELL US WHERE MICKEY WAS.
AND AT THAT POINT,
I MEAN, YOU COULD SEE
THAT THEY KNEW THAT SHE WAS DEFINITELY DEAD.
AS FAR AS WE KNOW, SOMEBODY...
AND HE ASKED US IF WE'D BE WILLING
TO PLEA BARGAIN WITH THIS GUY,
AND IMMEDIATELY, NANCY JUST SAID,
"I WANT THE BODY FOUND.
I JUST WANT THE BODY FOUND."
I MEAN, WE HAD TO -- WE HAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
OTHERWISE, YOU'RE FOREVER JUST WONDERING.
LAVERGNE WILL AVOID FACING THE DEATH PENALTY
IF HE REVEALS WHAT HE DID WITH MICKEY'S BODY.
HE HAD BURIED HER IN A OLD CEMETERY,
SO...
GENIUS.
ONCE THEY POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED THE BODY,
THAT WAS SOME CLOSURE ON IT.
THAT PART OF HER BEING MISSING WAS OVER.
AS PART OF THE DEAL,
LAVERGNE MUST ALSO GIVE A DETAILED ACCOUNT
OF THE NIGHT HE KILLED MICKEY.
LAVERGNE'S ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT
IS THAT HE WAS DRIVING DOWN SAINT LANDRY STREET,
HE SAW HER RIDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND HE STRUCK HER.
WE THINK AT THAT POINT,
THAT SHE WAS UNCONSCIOUS AND WAS PLACED INTO THE VEHICLE
AND CAME TO.
LAVERGNE SAID THAT MICKEY THEN SPRAYED HIM WITH SOME MACE.
HE WAS KNOWN TO HAVE A KNIFE INSIDE OF HIS TRUCK.
SHE TOOK THAT KNIFE AND BEGAN TO STAB HIM.
AND AT THAT POINT, HE SAID THAT
HE WRESTLED THE KNIFE AWAY FROM HER
AND STABBED HER SEVERAL TIMES IN THE CHEST.
HE SAID THAT HE BELIEVED THAT SHE WAS DEAD AT THAT POINT.
HE THEN DROVE OUT INTO A FIELD.
AND WHEN HE STOPPED THE TRUCK,
HE SAID THAT MICKEY CAME TO, JUMPED UP,
HAD THE KNIFE IN HER HAND, AND STABBED HIM IN THE CHEST.
AT THAT POINT, MICKEY TURNED TO TRY TO ESCAPE,
HE GRABBED A GUN, AND SHOT HER IN THE HEAD.
IT WAS A VERY INTENSE MOMENT
TO HEAR HIM SAY THAT HE DID STAB HER,
THAT HE DID KILL HER.
ACTUALLY FINDING OUT HOW SHE DIED WAS REALLY BAD,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SHE KICKED HIS ASS
OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE, SHE BEAT HIM UP,
SHE FOUGHT BACK, SHE ALMOST KILLED HIM.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHE DID EVERYTHING
SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE.
I MISS -- I MISS TALKING TO HER.
SHE ALWAYS HAD SOMETHING FUNNY TO SAY.
AT THE TIME SHE DISAPPEARED,
SHE AND ALL HER FRIENDS WERE IN SCHOOL.
AND NOW THEY'RE -- THEY'RE TEACHING
AND COUNSELING AND, YOU KNOW, DOING OTHER THINGS.
AND...
AND SHE'S FOREVER 21.
WE KNEW THAT SHE PRETTY MUCH HAD SOLVED HER OWN CASE.
WITHOUT THOSE INJURIES, HE WOULD HAVE NEVER GONE TO NEW ORLEANS.
THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN EVIDENCE
IN THE TRUCK FOR HIM TO BURN IT.
SO SHE SET THE EVENTS IN MOTION
THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO HIS SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY.
AND WITHOUT VIDEO SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE
OF THE WHITE TRUCK FOLLOWING MICKEY,
HER TRAIL OF CLUES WOULD HAVE GONE UNDETECTED.
HONESTLY, I BELIEVE WITHOUT THE VIDEO INFORMATION
IN THIS CASE, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO CASE.
BRANDON LAVERGNE WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE
FOR THE KILLING OF MICKEY SHUNICK.