The body of an American woman who was murdered after a night out in Budapest was dismembered and stuffed into two suitcases, police said today.
Mackenzie Michalski may have died in a sex game gone wrong, detectives in Hungary investigating her murder have confirmed.
They are also investigating whether drugs were used that contributed to her death.
Miss Michalski, a 31-year-old nurse from Portland, Oregon, was reported missing in Hungary on November 5.
Less than 24 hours later, an Irishman – identified only by his initials LTM under Hungarian law – was arrested.
He confessed to the murder during interrogation but insisted it was an accident while the pair were having sex.
Mackenzie Michalski, pictured with her ex-boyfriend, was murdered after a night out in Budapest
A case was recovered after the suspect allegedly put Miss Michalski’s body in a new suitcase
The 37-year-old Irishman suspected of murdering Ms Michalski (pictured) led police to the area where her body was dumped following his arrest following her disappearance on November 7.
Handcuffed and on a leash, the 37-year-old man then dragged police through dense and isolated forest around a lake on the outskirts of Szigliget, a two-hour drive from the capital.
Detectives investigating the murder are now investigating several lines of inquiry to determine how Miss Michalski was killed and try to determine whether the death could have been accidental as the suspect claims.
Police spokesperson Ferenc Rab told MailOnline that the force is investigating whether the victim’s death was caused by “a sex game gone wrong” or whether “poor quality drugs” may have been consumed.
Disturbing new details also reveal that the victim’s body was dismembered and hidden in two suitcases before the suspect drove it to the remote rural lake.
Coroners are still trying to determine the woman’s cause of death.
Meanwhile, LTM remains in custody due to the risk of him escaping or hiding. According to local reports, police also believe there is a risk of him repeating the crime.
It comes just days after Miss Michalski’s ex-boyfriend claimed she was ‘beaten, raped and brutally murdered’ by the suspect.
Kenton Reichen, who had been with the health worker for six years, was said to have traveled to Budapest with his girlfriend but decided against it when they decided to split.
He has since spoken about his heartbreak and wished he could have “saved her from this” and “protected her.”
Ms Michalski was ‘in the middle of a break-up’ with her partner when she traveled to Hungary
Mr. Reichen had traveled from the United States with the victim’s parents when they learned she had been murdered.
“Before the trip, Kenzie and I were in the middle of a breakup. “Originally she wanted me to go to Budapest with her, but I decided not to go with her, so a friend of hers went with her,” he told a local newspaper.
“She was perfect, but I neglected her in many ways. It hurts me a lot, and I wish I could have protected her. …
“Kenzie didn’t deserve to be brutally beaten, raped and murdered like that. I wish I could have saved her from this. This will forever be the biggest mistake of my life.”
The last message the nurse sent to family and friends was a photo of her enjoying a drink in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter. After that, no one heard from her again.
CCTV footage showed Miss Michalski and the suspect dancing in a nightclub before leaving together. They then returned to the suspect’s rented apartment, where she was allegedly killed during an intimate moment.
Family members contacted the Airbnb she was staying in, where the owners found her belongings. She then missed her flight from Hungary to Amsterdam, which was on her route back home.
After her death, the suspect had searched online for how to dispose of a body, what a corpse smells like and whether pigs eat dead bodies. He also investigated whether there were wild boars in the area and later dumped her body.
The suspect then cleaned his apartment before allegedly stuffing the victim’s body into a newly purchased suitcase and rolling it away, along with a purse, clothing and a credit card with Ms. Michalski’s name on it.
He then rented a car and drove to the lake in western Hungary.
Chilling footage later released by police revealed the moment LTM was arrested and taken into custody.
Part of the video shows the suspect being escorted from a police car and officers being led through hedges to the lake.
Mackenzie’s body was found near Lake Balaton in western Hungary after she went missing on November 5
Police dogs watch as specialists in hazmat suits place markers in the ground in the direction of the killer.
Evidence bags labeled ‘one’ and ‘two’ are collected, along with samples of grass and leaves, before the handcuffed Irishman is returned to the police car.
Saturday night at a candlelight vigil in Budapest, Bill Micahalski, her father, told The Associated Press that he was “still overcome with emotion.”
‘There was no reason for this to happen. “I’m still trying to wrap my arms around what happened,” he added. “I don’t know if I ever will.”
As he struggled to come to terms with his daughter’s death, he revealed that Hungary was her “happy place.”
“The history, she just loved it and she was so relaxed here,” he said. “This was her town.”
A statement was released on behalf of the family on a Facebook group set up to find the nurse. “Dear members of our community, we are deeply saddened to confirm a report published by the Hungarian Police announcing the death of our beloved Kenzie.”
It further thanked the efforts of everyone, including strangers abroad and officials around the world, for their involvement in helping find Ms. Michalski.
It continued: “Kenzie will forever be remembered as a beautiful and compassionate young woman who dedicated herself to caring for others and making the world a better place.
“As a nurse, Kenzie used her humor, positivity and boundless empathy to help her patients heal and encourage family and friends.”