This article was originally published in English
Mackenzie Michalski, 31, from Portland, Oregon, was reported missing on November 5 after she was last seen at a nightclub in central Budapest.
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Friends and family of Mackenzie Michalski held a vigil after the murder of this 31-year-old American nurse in Budapest this week.
The victim, from Portland, Oregon, was reported missing on November 5 after being last seen at a nightclub in central Budapest.
The police officers have viewed security footage from local nightclubs where they saw Mackenzie Michalski with a man – later identified as the suspect – at several of these establishments the night he disappeared.
Police arrested the man, a 37-year-old Irish citizen, on the evening of November 7.
The latter has admitted the facts during his interrogation, but claims that the death of the American tourist was an accident.
Before this confession, Mackenzie Michalski's family and friends had mobilized to find her. Her parents were traveling to Hungary to help with the search when they learned she had been killed.
Attempt to cover up the murder
Investigators say the American tourist met the suspect at a nightclub and they danced before going to the apartment rented by the man.
The latter allegedly killed Mackenzie Michalski while they were engaged in a “intimate encounter”says the police.
Investigators say that the suspect, identified by the initials LTM, attempted to conceal his crime by cleaning the apartment and hiding the victim's body in a wardrobe, before buying a suitcase and placing the body there.
He then rented a car and drove to Lake Balaton, about 150 kilometers southwest of Budapest, where he disposed of the body near the town of Szigliget.
Video released by police shows the suspect leading authorities to where he left the body.
Suspect prosecuted for murder
Before being apprehended, the suspect researched on the Internet how to dispose of a body and police procedures in missing persons casesaccording to investigators.
Crime scene photos released by police show a rolling suitcase, several items of clothing and a small purse next to a credit card bearing Mackenzie Michalski's name.
The suspect is currently in custody and authorities have filed formal charges against him for murderwhile the investigation into the death of Mackenzie Michalski continues in Budapest.
The American tourist had already visited the Hungarian capital, which she particularly appreciated.
ADVERTISEMENT“She loved the history of Budapest and she was so relaxed here”declares the victim’s father. “It was his town”.
