The American nurse Mackenzie “Kenzie” Michalski, 31, has been found dead in Hungary following her disappearance from Budapest earlier this month. Michalski, last seen on the night of Monday, November 4, had been visiting the city when she vanished, according to information shared by family on a GoFundMe campaign and a Facebook page dedicated to the search.
Authorities report that Michalski went missing from a local nightclub early on Tuesday, November 5. On Friday, November 8, Budapest police confirmed they had detained a 37-year-old Irish man linked to her case. He was observed with Michalski at multiple nightclubs on the night of her disappearance, according to a translated police statement.
After questioning, the man led police to the location of Michalski’s body, identifying himself as a murder suspect. He reportedly admitted to killing Michalski in what he described as an “accident” during an intimate encounter in his apartment. Per The Associated Press, he attempted to cover up the crime, cleaning the scene and concealing her body in a wardrobe while he purchased a suitcase. Police said he later placed her body inside the suitcase, drove approximately 90 miles from Budapest to Lake Balaton, and disposed of it in a wooded area near Szigliget.
The suspect allegedly conducted internet searches on topics related to body disposal, decomposition odors, the effectiveness of Budapest police, and missing-person protocols. Michalski’s parents have since arrived in Budapest, as reported by police. Further details about the case are expected to be released on November 9.
Per The GoFundMe, Kenzie was last seen alive “around 10:00 PM, November 4th at Barack et Szilva Etterem in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest. Her friends received pictures from the bar Szimpla Kert shortly after. Since then, friends and family have received no communication. Kenzie’s belongings were discovered at her Airbnb after the designated check-out time, and she missed her flight scheduled on Tuesday for Amsterdam.”
Michalski was originally from Fredonia, New York. Before she passed away, she was working as a nurse practitioner based in Portland, Oregon. She had worked for Providence healthcare. She had been on vacation in Budapest with a friend, who left for Italy on November 4, according to KGW News.
Rest In Peace.
