Michaela Shunick Body Found: Missing Student's Remains Discovered In Louisiana

LAFAYETTE, La. -- Police in Louisiana say a body found this week has been identified as that of a college student who had been missing since May.

Lafayette police say the body was that of Michaela "Mickey" Shunick. She had been last seen riding her bicycle from a friend's house early May 19, days before her 22nd birthday. Eight days later, the bike was found partially submerged in a swampy area under a highway bridge.

Her decomposed remains were found Tuesday near a cemetery north of Lafayette. Police have said a "credible witness" led them to the spot.

Authorities have not said whether that witness is 33-year-old Brandon Lavergne, a registered sex offender who is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in Shunick's death. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond.

Comments

[Happy scotty]

10:38 PM on 08/14/2012

May her killer be found and punished.

[harley creel]

10:13 PM on 08/14/2012

A society that engenders such evil, more than sad, how preventable?

[mushinwarrior]

09:58 PM on 08/14/2012

WHAT A SHAME. THIS HAPPENS WAY TO OFTEN. LET'S STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE REST OF THE WORLD AND TRY AND STOP THE SENSELESS KILLING AND TORTURING OF OUR OWN CITIZENS.

[Matti MartinCroft]

11:49 AM on 08/14/2012

Now she can be laid to rest with prayer and proper burial... I hope her family can find a little bit of comfort knowing she's home now. RIP Mickey.

[Sweet-Marie]

11:38 AM on 08/14/2012

I am so sorry, her family had high hopes she would be found alive.

[TheGuide]

09:46 AM on 08/14/2012

I searched for Brandon Lavergne's picture in Yahoo! and found it right away. He's a very goodlooking man. I can see a young woman stoping to talk. A cute guy always supercedes common sence.

[Lyn Slayton]

11:44 AM on 08/14/2012

Yeah, if only women would stop being so gullible, I'm sure men would stop abducting and murdering us. *facepalm*

[tlcpro]

12:29 PM on 08/14/2012

Why is it the woman's fault? Men are the attackers, why doesn't the blame fall to them? They are the ones who do the seducing.

[Brian Ranzoni]

10:09 PM on 08/14/2012

Why the facepalm? One of the foundations of self-defense is situational awareness and personal initiative. I see it in action on college campuses--female students using their heads to protect themselves instead of waiting for the big bad wolf to come to his senses, or the handsome woodcutter to come to their rescue. Are you saying that women are too weak to take on the burden of personal defense, so you should depend on men to do the thinking for you?

[Dogmudgeon]

09:26 AM on 08/14/2012

"Authorities have not said whether that witness is 33-year-old Brandon Lavergne, a registered sex offender who is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in Shunick's death."

And if he isn't the perp, he and RIchard Jewell can commiserate about it at the next meeting of "Survivors of Irresponsible Press Outrage Campaigns".

[Kimiko Austin-Rijs]

04:50 AM on 08/14/2012

Poor thing. She must have been frightened out of her mind and I feel so badly for her parents, friends and others that knew and loved her. I pray that she died quickly and that she was met by loved ones to comfort her. I also pray for justice!

[Hawkson]

03:47 AM on 08/14/2012

Alot of good hearted people leaving kind comments. RIP Michaela Shunick
To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord...once we take our last breath, our next awakening is in the arms of our Saviour

[iwascreated1]

01:59 AM on 08/14/2012

Michaela R.I.P

I pray authorities has the right man and that justice be found for your family's peace...

God Speed!

[icanhazemail]

12:45 AM on 08/14/2012

My heart goes out to her family. How devastating and sad.

[Ralph Pena]

12:33 AM on 08/14/2012

The death penalty is meant as a deterrent to murder but how can it be expected to work on twisted, ill, perverted minds? We, meaning society as a whole, are to blame. Americans, particularly the young, have been calloused to violence due to over-exposure to it. My heart breaks for this innocent woman whose life was senselessly taken from her.

[philoec]

12:11 PM on 08/14/2012

HOW RIGHT YOU ARE!
"...the young, have been calloused to violence due to over-exposure to it."
IF THEIR CROOKED "LEADER" DISMEMBERS MERCILESSLY, THE INNOCENT IN THE WOMB, PAYING PLAN PARENTHOOD WITH YOUR TAXES, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO HAPPEN TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU OR ME?
A NATION DOES NOT RESPECT LIFE
WILL NEVER AT PEACE
BECAUSE THERE CANNOT BE OTHER RIGHTS!!!

[bansheeboy]

02:31 AM on 08/15/2012

Men were raping, torturing and murdering women in this country long before ROE vs. WADE. Find another place to set your soap box, pal.

[littlechanges]

11:08 PM on 08/13/2012

Lotta really sick, useless men in this country.

[kleermind]

10:40 PM on 08/13/2012

It is terribly sad and a tragedy in all ways but would there be as much sorrow if this were not a pretty blonde white girl but a fat black girl instead?

[Kelly Hogan Johnson]

11:05 PM on 08/13/2012

I wouldn't care if she had been black blue green. It's sad that any child should go through something like that...........why in the helll make it a color thing.........I have cried for both .......SMDH

[techie20032000]

11:46 PM on 08/13/2012

Sadly I feel the same as you do. A life is a life. Somebody has lost a daughter, a sister, a friend, a cousin. It shouldn't matter to any of us what color she is or how "pretty" she was.

[Sue Watton]

01:29 AM on 08/14/2012

WHO CARES IF THEY ARE GREEN, BLUE YELLOW, BLACK OR WHITE. SOMEONES LOVED ONE IS DEAD. SHOW SOME RESPECT

[Rianna]

10:37 PM on 08/13/2012

It is sad to think this young lady was doing a harmless, normal, activity, when she was horribly taken away. It is also sad that our young people, are not safe in their own neighborhoods anymore, and has to limit their movements, because sick, dangerous, criminals walk among us.