BUDAPEST, Hungary — A Hungarian court sentenced an Irish citizen on Thursday to 14 years in prison for strangling an American tourist to death in Budapest in 2024.
The victim, 31-year-old Mackenzie Michalski of Portland, Oregon, went missing on November 5, 2024, after being last seen at a central Budapest nightclub during her vacation.
Local police initiated a missing persons investigation and analyzed security footage from nightclubs, where surveillance captured Michalski, often referred to as “Kenzie,” in the company of a man later identified as the suspect.
The 37-year-old suspect, known to investigators by the initials L.T.M, was detained on November 7 and admitted to the killing during interrogation.
According to authorities, Michalski and the suspect met at a nightclub, danced briefly, then left for the man’s rented apartment. Police stated he beat and strangled her during an “intimate encounter.”
The Budapest Metropolitan Court convicted the man of murder on Thursday, imposing a 14-year sentence without parole. He had already served 14 months in custody prior to sentencing, which will be credited toward his term. The court also mandated his deportation after release.
In addition to the prison term, the man was ordered to pay 2.5 million Hungarian forints ($7,995) in court fees. His legal team has announced plans to appeal the conviction.
Following his 2024 arrest, the suspect initially claimed Michalski’s death was accidental. Police, however, alleged he attempted to conceal the crime by cleaning the apartment, hiding the body in a wardrobe, and packing her remains into a suitcase.
He then hired a vehicle and drove to Lake Balaton, approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Budapest, where he discarded the body in a forested area near Szigliget.
Footage released by police depicted the man directing investigators to the disposal site. Authorities noted he had conducted online searches prior to arrest regarding body disposal methods, missing person case protocols, rumors about pigs consuming human remains, wild boar populations in Lake Balaton, and the credibility of Budapest law enforcement.
Prosecutors also highlighted his internet query about the competence of Hungarian police.
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