A Budapest court has ordered that the alleged murderer of Mackenzie Michalski, a native of Fredonia, NY, remain in custody following his confession to the crime. The 37-year-old suspect, identified by the initials L.T.M., was detained two days after Michalski was reported missing on November 7th.
Michalski, who had been living in Portland, Oregon, was last seen on November 5th at a nightclub in central Budapest during her visit as a tourist. Investigators revealed that she met L.T.M. at the nightclub where they danced before leaving together for his apartment. It was there that the suspect killed Michalski during an intimate encounter, claiming it was an "accident."
Following the incident, L.T.M. attempted to conceal the crime by cleaning the apartment and hiding Michalski's body in a wardrobe. He later purchased a suitcase, placed her body inside, and rented a car to drive to Lake Balaton, approximately 90 miles southwest of Budapest, where he disposed of her remains in a wooded area.
Police released video footage showing the suspect guiding authorities to the location of the body. Equally as disturbing was the suspect's recent internet search history, which included “Do pigs really eat dead bodies?” and “What does a corpse smell like after it decomposes?”
Other searches included:
i. Texas woman killed by wild boar
ii. Wild boar sighting in Lake Balaton coastal towns
iii. Getting rid of the smell of rotting meat
iv. Budapest webcams
v. What happens after a person is reported missing?
vi. How do the police handle missing person cases?
vii. How reliable is the police in Budapest?
In a statement released on Friday, Michalski's family expressed their gratitude to both U.S. and Hungarian authorities for their quick response and diligence in the investigation. They also acknowledged community efforts, both at home and abroad, in raising awareness and contributing to the search for Michalski.
“We would like to express our profound and heartfelt gratitude to the U.S. and Hungarian authorities and local police for their prompt attention, diligence, care, and consideration,” the family stated. “We are deeply appreciative of our Hungarian friends and locals for raising awareness on social media, distributing flyers, offering translation services, and mobilizing a boots-on-the-ground mission to find Kenzie.”
L.T.M. is currently in police custody as authorities prepare to file formal murder charges against him.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $40,000 to assist Michalski's family in bringing her home.
Western New York Native Mackenzie Michalski Murdered during 'Intimate' Encounter with Suspect