A Louisiana college student desperately tried to fend off her killer by spraying him with mace and even stabbing him several times with his own knife before he fatally shot her, according to details revealed Friday in a guilty plea hearing.
Brandon Scott Lavergne, 33, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-degree murder in the death of the student, Michaela "Mickey" Shunick, and the separate July 1999 slaying of Lisa Marie Pate.
Under a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, he was required to give details about both slayings in exchange for a life sentence without parole.
Shunick, a student at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, went missing in the early hours of May 19 after leaving a friend's house on her bicycle. Surveillance videos captured Lavergne following her in a white Chevrolet Z71 pickup truck, changing lanes and turning corners in order to follow her.
Court documents say Lavergne, a registered sex offender, hit Shunick's bike with his truck, throwing her to the ground. Then, Lavergne either forced or persuaded Shunick to get into the vehicle and her damaged bike was loaded into the bed of the truck.
Shunick tried to use her cellphone to call for help but Lavergne, who had a knife and a semiautomatic handgun in his vehicle, threatened to stab her if she continued. Shunick sprayed mace in Lavergne's face and managed to wrestle the knife from Lavergne and stab him several times before he grabbed the knife from her.
AP
Brandon Scott Lavergne, is escorted to the Lafayette Parish Courthouse by Lt. Jack Lightfoot, left, and Detective Stephen Bajat for a hearing Friday, Aug. 17, 2012 Lafayette, La. Brandon Scott Lavergne has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the slayings of two Lafayette Parish women, Michaela "Mickey" Shunick of Lafayette, and Lisa Pate of Youngsville (AP Photo/The Lafayette Daily Advertiser, Leslie Westbrook) NO SALES By Leslie Westbrook August 17, 2012
Close Lavergne stabbed Shunick at least four times before she collapsed. He then drove 30 to 40 minutes to an isolated sugar cane field in north Acadia Parish.
"The Defendant believed that Mickey was dead from the stab wounds he had inflicted upon her. The Defendant drove deep into the sugar cane field and brought the Z71 to a stop, intending to drag Mickey's body into the field," the court documents said.
Shunick suddenly jumped up and stabbed Lavergne in the chest after re-arming herself with the knife. Lavergne then pulled his semiautomatic weapon and shot Shunick in the head. She died instantly.
With fresh wounds, Lavergne drove back to his home in Swords while Shunick's body slumped in the passenger seat. He destroyed his clothing, attempted to clean out his truck and got rid of the empty bullet casing. He then drove to an old cemetery in Evangeline Parish and, unable to dig a grave because of his injuries, covered Shunick under tree branches and debris.
Later, Lavergne dumped Shunick's bicycle under a bridge in Whiskey Bay and drove to New Orleans to stay with a friend, where he checked into a hospital, seeking treatment for his injuries. A day later, Lavergne returned to the cemetery to bury Shunick's body.
Lavergne was arrested July 5 on charges of first degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. Shunick's body was eventually found Aug. 7. The body was in such an advanced stage of decomposition the coroner's office had to send it to forensic experts at Louisiana State University.
Lavergne was the "credible witness" officials say led them to the remains. Prison records show he was checked out of prison hours before her body was discovered.
The Advocate (http://bit.ly/OFrurx ) reports Shunick's sister, Charlene "Charlie" Shunick, said in a written statement that, "my sister, Mickey Shunick, was a warrior. If it wasn't for her, our community never would have been able to bring down a dangerous man that harmed multiple people."
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