BUDAPEST, Hungary – Hungarian police have detained a 37-year-old Irish man in connection with the murder of Mackenzie Michalski, a 31-year-old American nurse from Portland, Oregon, who was reported missing earlier this week in Budapest.
Michalski, known by friends as “Kenzie,” was last seen on Tuesday night after an evening out in the Hungarian capital.
Her disappearance sparked an extensive search that culminated in the arrest of the suspect, identified through CCTV footage, who later confessed to her death but claimed it had been accidental, according to police reports.
In a detailed statement released Saturday, November 9, 2024, Hungarian authorities stated that the suspect allegedly attempted to cover up Michalski’s death by renting a car, placing her body in a suitcase, and hiding it in a wooded area near the village of Szigliget, located west of Budapest.
Surveillance footage and digital records linked the man to the crime scene, and he was subsequently detained at his rented apartment on Thursday evening.
Police disclosed that Michalski and the suspect had met earlier in the evening at a nightclub in Budapest, where they reportedly danced together before proceeding to the man’s rented apartment.
During questioning, the suspect led officers to the site where he had disposed of her body.
Hungarian authorities provided further details, revealing that the suspect had placed Michalski’s body in a wardrobe while cleaning his apartment to “remove traces” of the alleged crime.
He later transported her remains to a secluded area near Lake Balaton.
The police reported disturbing online searches made by the suspect in the aftermath of the incident, including inquiries on decomposition, disposal methods, and the behaviour of wild boars around the lake area, potentially indicating an attempt to obscure evidence.
Friends of the American nurse, who initially reported her missing after she failed to return to their accommodation, held a candlelit vigil in Michalski’s memory on Saturday, November 9, 2024, near the U.S. embassy in Budapest.
The tragic case has left many in shock, and the investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to gather forensic evidence.
Hungarian police released video footage showing the handcuffed suspect guiding investigators through the forested area, assisted by sniffer dogs and forensic teams.
