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Brandon Lavergne, who is accused of first degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the disappearance of Mickey Shunick, now has a court date.

Lavergne is set to appear in court on Wednesday, July 18th. Our sister station in Lafayette KPEL broke this news:

Brandon Scott Lavergne is scheduled to go before a grand jury July 18th. Lavergne has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of Mickey Shunick. The hearing will determine if there is enough evidence to prosecute Lavergne.

The search for Mickey continues, but legal analyst Tim Meche says authorities must believe there’s enough to go forward.

It’s not necessary to produce a dead body in order to secure a murder conviction in Louisiana, however, there must be sufficient corroborating evidence to demonstrate that the young lady was actually murdered.

Meche says a big pre-trial issue will be whether the trial should be held in Lafayette. Meche says Lavergne’s lawyer will likely seek a change in venue should the trial go forward.

The father of Mickey Shunick, Tom, is holding out hope that Mickey is still alive as he and the family continue to deal with the possibility that Mickey may never come home to them. Tom wonders if the police have information about Brandon Lavergne that they have not made public. He still believes there may have been someone else involved in his daughter’s disappearance

We will keep you updated!

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