KATC found records showing suspect Brandon Lavergne was checked-out of jail for nearly nine hours. In those same nine hours, police uncovered a body they believe is Mickey Shunick. The person accused of killing her, 33-year-old Brandon Scott Lavergne. He was arrested last month, and charged with first-degree in the death of Shunick and the 1999 death of Lisa Marie Pate. He's pleaded not guilty to both charges and remains in Lafayette's Parish Jail.
So where did Lavergne go while he was checked out? Police aren't talking. They won't say why he was checked out of jail or where he was taken. Lieutenant Jack Lightfoot of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office picked up Lavergne at 6:40 Tuesday morning. Lavergne was returned to his cell almost nine hours later, around 3:30 in the afternoon.
During those same 9 hours, police found a body in Evangline Parish they believe is Mickey Shunick, they are waiting on positive identification. LPD's corporal paul mouton says police are not ready to reveal why Lavergne was checked-out. Captain Kip Judice of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office says Lavergne was signed out to go to the Lafayette Sheriff's Administration Building. But, if Lavergne went somewhere else, there would be no paper trail.
KATC reached out to the District Attorney, and one of lLavergne's attorneys, both declined to comment.