The distraught ex-boyfriend of an American nurse found dead in a suitcase by a lake in Hungary has claimed she was ‘beaten, raped and brutally murdered’.
Mackenzie Michalski, a 31-year-old from Portland, Oregon, was on vacation in Budapest when she suddenly disappeared after a night out.
Two days after she was reported missing on November 5, Hungarian police arrested a 37-year-old Irishman who admitted the murder and showed where he had hidden the nurse’s body in Lake Balaton.
While the man, identified only by his initials LTM under Hungarian law, confessed to the murder, he insisted the woman’s death was an accident.
Now her boyfriend of six years, Kenton Reichen, has spoken out about his heartbreak and wished he could have “saved her from this.”
Kenton Reichen said after a vigil for Ms Michalski in the Hungarian capital that he wished he could have ‘protected’ his partner of six years
The 37-year-old Irishman suspected of Michalski’s murder (pictured) led police to the area where her body was dumped following his arrest following her disappearance on November 7.
Friends hold candles as they remember Michalski during a candlelight vigil in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, November 9
The couple had planned to travel to the European country together in late October but were “in the middle of a breakup,” so Mr. Reichen decided against the trip.
Instead, Ms. Michalski traveled to the country with a friend, leaving Mr. Reichen behind in Portland.
Mr Reichen, who had traveled to the country with the nurse’s parents to look for her, said after a vigil for Ms Michalski in the Hungarian capital that he wished he “could have protected her”.
He said: “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 accompanied her.
“She was perfect, but I neglected her in many ways,” he added. “It hurts me a lot, and I wish I could have protected her.”
Although the suspect claims that Ms. Michalski’s death was a horrific accident, her ex-boyfriend strongly rejects this.
He added: “Kenzie did not deserve to be so brutally beaten, raped and murdered. I wish I could have saved her from this. This will forever be the biggest mistake of my life.”
CCTV footage showed Ms 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.
Police have not yet confirmed how Ms Michalski died, but revealed 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.
Friend and fellow traveler Gretchen Tower said the group had been traveling together when she lost contact with Michalski. Tower was the one who reported her missing
Ms Michalski (left) was ‘in the middle of a break-up’ with her partner (not pictured) when she traveled to Hungary. “I’m sorry I let you down,” he said in a social media post
Photos of Michalski at a candlelight vigil in Budapest on Saturday, when her father made a heartbreaking statement about her death
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.
Ireland’s Foreign Office said it is “aware of this matter and is providing consular assistance.” “As with all cases, the department does not comment on the specific details of individual cases,” it added.
Ms Michalski was last seen at a club in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter after her friends received photos of her in the bar.
Afterwards, family and friends were unable to contact her and her belongings were found in the Airbnb she was staying in.
She then missed her flight from Hungary to Amsterdam, which was on the route back home.
After hearing that Ms. Michalski was missing, her family flew from the United States to assist in the search for her. While traveling across the Atlantic Ocean, they were told that their daughter’s body had been found.
On Saturday night, Bill Micahalski, Mackenzie’s father, told The Associated Press at a candlelight vigil in Budapest 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.”
Her former partner, Mr Reichen, added in another tribute on social media: ‘I fell in love with you while watching the sunset in Ibiza. You broke your ankle and I carried you. You were everything I needed in life. I’m sorry I let you down.’
Mackenzie Michalski (pictured) had gone to Hungary as a tourist and was last seen at a nightclub before her body was eventually found
Mackenzie’s body was found near Lake Balaton in western Hungary after she went missing on November 5
A statement was released on behalf of the family on a Facebook group set up to support the nurse reading: ‘Dear members of our community, we are deeply saddened to confirm a report published by the Hungarian police detailing the death of our beloved Kenzie is announced.”
The statement further thanked the efforts of everyone, including strangers abroad and officials around the world, for their involvement in helping find 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.”