On May 19, Michaela “Mickey” Shunick’s bike ride home turned out to be her last. The 22-year-old anthropology major at University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been missing for over two months, leading friends and family to investigate and search for her alongside police.
On Tuesday, her body was believed to be found near a cemetery, according to Lafayette police.
Cpl. Paul Mouton of the Lafayette Police Department said investigators are digging up the body and looking for evidence.
“We believe strongly it is probably Michaela,” Mouton told the Huffington Post.
Mouton said that the body’s condition suggest it was a homicide.
On July 5, Brandon Scott Lavergne, 33, a registered sex offender, “was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in Shunick’s case,” according to the Huffington Post.
How safe do you feel on campus?
CM has come up with some safety to help ensure that Shunik’s case is not repeated.
1.) Don’t walk alone at night (seriously)
You may just be thinking of those times when you’re a little hazy leaving the bar, but there are other seemingly instances students don’t even realize. I know this rule can be hard to follow when you leave the library at 3 a.m. almost every night. However, most schools have campus escort services where a public safety officer or student volunteer is on call to walk with you back home. The program is there for a reason, so put these people to work.
2.) Download the OnWatch App
This is a campus safety app that enables you to alert authorities and selected friends via email your GPS location if you ever feel that you’re in danger. You can also set a timer when going for a run or at a party for how long you plan on being there. When the timer goes off, three selected friends are texted.
3.) Make them wait
When you are being dropped off at home by a friend, ask them to wait until you are inside your building until they drive away. It only takes a split second to be in danger.
4.) Keep safety in mind when applying to college
Before you even arrive at school, safety should be one of your top priorities. Research the crime rate and on campus safety procedures of your prospective colleges.
Image: http://abcnews.go.com/US/mickey-shunick-missing-students-bike-found-bridge/story?id=16440759
Correction: The original article on this topic stated that Shunick attended LSU. She attended ULL. We sincerely apologize.
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