American tourist missing in Hungary killed, murder suspect arrested: police

A 31-year-old American tourist in Hungary who had been missing for several days has been killed and a suspect has been arrested for her murder, authorities said Friday.

Mackenzie “Kenzie” Michalski, a nurse, was last heard from early Tuesday while visiting Budapest, according to her friends who announced her disappearance.

According to the Budapest police, the American went missing from a nightclub on Tuesday. While searching for her, investigators identified a man with whom she had been seen at several nightclubs, police said.

The suspect – a 37-year-old Irish citizen – was arrested and is believed to have confessed to killing her, police said. He allegedly showed police where he had hidden her body, police said. The suspect's name, which investigators said was “a few years older than the victim,” was identified only as LTM

Investigators released more details about the murder at a press conference on Saturday.

According to investigators, Michalski and the suspect met at a nightclub and spent the night together visiting other venues. They then went to the suspect's rental apartment and he is said to have killed them there, according to investigators.

The perpetrator then tried to cover up the murder; According to police, he cleaned his apartment and hid the woman's body in the closet while he went out to buy a suitcase.

He then allegedly put the victim's body in the suitcase, rented a car and drove to Lake Balaton with the suitcase in the trunk, the police said.

The suspect allegedly hid the victim in the forest in an area outside Szigliget and then drove back to Budapest, investigators said.

According to investigators, the suspect is said to have conducted several suspicious internet searches, including “Do pigs really eat corpses?” and “Texas woman killed by a wild boar.”

According to ABC Buffalo affiliate WKBW, Michalski lived in Portland, Oregon and was from Fredonia, New York.

A friend told WKBW that she and Michalski traveled through Europe with a group of friends and spent three days in Hungary before parting ways on Monday.

Friend Gretchen Tower told WKBW that Michalski would stay one more night in Budapest before flying out on Tuesday.

When Michalski never checked out of the Airbnb they shared in Budapest, her friend said she began to worry. According to her friends, Michalski also missed her flight.

After not hearing from her, Tower told WKBW she called the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday to report Michalski missing.

The US State Department said on Friday that it was aware of reports that Hungarian police had arrested a suspect in connection with the disappearance of a US citizen in Hungary. It said the U.S. Embassy was in contact with Hungarian police but had no further comment for “privacy and other reasons.”

Michalski's family and friends released a statement Friday saying they were “deeply saddened to confirm a report released by the Hungarian police announcing the death of our beloved Kenzie.”

“Kenzie will forever be remembered as a beautiful and compassionate young woman who was committed to caring for others and making the world a better place,” the statement said. “As a nurse, Kenzie used her humor, positivity and boundless empathy to heal her patients and encourage family and friends alike.”

Her family and friends thanked U.S. and Hungarian authorities for their “quick attention, diligence, care and consideration,” as well as those who helped raise awareness of her disappearance.

“We are grateful that Kenzie’s soul is now at peace,” the statement said. “Her memory and legacy will remain in the hearts of everyone she touched. To understand Kenzie's spirit is to embrace wholeheartedly the great joy and wonder of life. Her wish for the world: fully embrace the present moment, be authentic and practice kindness and always walk in the light.