Found Deceased UT - MacKenzie "Kenzie" Lueck, 23, Salt Lake City, 17 June 2019 #19 *ARREST*

[Boxer]

Didn't the Lyft driver say at first that the woman got out of the car & helped put Mackenzie's luggage in the back - and then he says HE helped put Mackenzie's luggage in the hatchback - ??

Inconsistencies.
Car not same
Pick up person a woman

Kia optima has a very sloped back for a sedan, i can see a cursory disinterested look at it having it be remembered as a hatch back.
But:
AA would have a hard time to get himself to look like a woman enough to fool anyone.

 

[PommyMommy]

Didn't the Lyft driver say at first that the woman got out of the car & helped put Mackenzie's luggage in the back - and then he says HE helped put Mackenzie's luggage in the hatchback - ??

From Deseret News:

Court documents outline new details in Mackenzie Lueck murder case
When police interviewed the Lyft driver on June 21, he said Lueck was met by a woman who helped her put her luggage into Ajayi’s car, according to the warrants.

From 2KUTV who interviewed the Lyft driver:

Exclusive: Man who gave Mackenzie Lueck Lyft ride before she vanished breaks silence
He parked in the stall next to the Subaru, grabbed Lueck’s bag from his trunk, and put it in the hatchback of the Subaru.

Unfortunately, we don't hear either of those statements made directly by the Lyft driver. He does say in the 2KUTV video that there was only one person in the car. MOO

 

[Kittybunny]

From Deseret News:

Court documents outline new details in Mackenzie Lueck murder case
When police interviewed the Lyft driver on June 21, he said Lueck was met by a woman who helped her put her luggage into Ajayi’s car, according to the warrants.

From 2KUTV who interviewed the Lyft driver:

Exclusive: Man who gave Mackenzie Lueck Lyft ride before she vanished breaks silence
He parked in the stall next to the Subaru, grabbed Lueck’s bag from his trunk, and put it in the hatchback of the Subaru.

Unfortunately, we don't hear either of those statements made directly by the Lyft driver. He does say in the 2KUTV video that there was only one person in the car. MOO

Wow, this is crazy - but it seems that in the darkness and because Ajayi maybe dressed to disguise his appearance, the Lyft driver assumed Ajayi was a woman. I can't imagine if there was an actual woman involved that at this point they wouldn't have found her or had some way of tracking her down. Ajayi did try very hard to cover his tracks in the pickup of ML from the park. It's after he killed her that everything fell apart.

 

[Niner]

Oh good - I did not imagine it all! Thanks for those articles PommyMommy!

 

[Seattle1]

Has anyone found mention of a description of the 'woman' that the Lyft driver saw? So many 'YIKES!' here!!!

^^sbbm

Then he noticed what he assumed to be a woman in the car. He saw one person with dark curly hair in the vehicle.

“I heard a faint voice,” he said assuming it was a woman’s voice.

Canada said the faintness of the voice also led him to believe it was a woman in the vehicle.

Days later, police interviewed him. After that, he learned the suspect was a man. He saw the mugshot of 31-year-old Ayoola Ajayi in news coverage and did not remember seeing him in the car.

Exclusive: Man who gave Mackenzie Lueck Lyft ride before she vanished breaks silence

 

[Seattle1]

Wow, this is crazy - but it seems that in the darkness and because Ajayi maybe dressed to disguise his appearance, the Lyft driver assumed Ajayi was a woman. I can't imagine if there was an actual woman involved that at this point they wouldn't have found her or had some way of tracking her down. Ajayi did try very hard to cover his tracks in the pickup of ML from the park. It's after he killed her that everything fell apart.

No evidence that AA was dressed as a woman in disguise -- only the dark curly hair and voice cited as to why uber driver believed it was a woman.

 

[Peppery]

This leaves me with more questions than answers... I'll be able to research a bit more at work, but my quick searches thus far haven't revealed any 'hatchback' options for a 2013 Kia Optima, leaving me confused about whether we're talking about two different vehicles. I also remain confused about whether there was a woman involved in the pick-up at Hatch Park, or if it was just AA ~ in disguise, perhaps? Has anyone found mention of a description of the 'woman' that the Lyft driver saw? So many 'YIKES!' here!!!

ETA: Even the reference to ML's personal cell number being listed in AA's phone under 'TextMe' is odd in my mind... Doesn't that app allow you to choose a new number to display? If she were using that app, why would she use her actual number?? Or, why would she use the app if she's going to choose her actual number anyway? Just for the free long distance? Don't most cell plans already include free nation-wide texting? Just one more bizarre puzzle piece.

I know nothing about that app, but could it be a way to disguise who she was sending texts to, maybe if she was in a family plan she didn’t want her parents to know she was texting so many different people? Seems a stretch tho, I’m twice her age and have hundreds of different numbers I text for school/work.

 

[Peppery]

Possible AA cut his hair immediately following the murder? Longer hair, soft speech (likely with an accent), a body that appeared to be much softer than in his modeling days. And if ML didn’t specifically tell the Lyft driver she was meeting a male, I can see where he’d assume a female without really thinking about it. Remember he had no reason to make note of this ride, other than the drop off location.

 

[Seattle1]

Possible AA cut his hair immediately following the murder? Longer hair, soft speech (likely with an accent), a body that appeared to be much softer than in his modeling days. And if ML didn’t specifically tell the Lyft driver she was meeting a male, I can see where he’d assume a female without really thinking about it. Remember he had no reason to make note of this ride, other than the drop off location.

Photo's of the apprehension of AA by swat team (and his mugshot) depict AA with longer and/or fuller head of hair than his social media where his hair is cropped short -- more professional look.
Also, if true that the Uber driver-assisted ML with her luggage and placed it in the hatchback/trunk area of AA's vehicle, perhaps driver only saw the back of AA's curly head and heard him speak softly to ML when she was getting inside AA's vehicle.

Arrest

Jail


SM profile

photo links:

إخطار إعادة التوجيه

 

[JudgeJoe]

This is just heartbreaking. MacKenzie knew there was something wrong ... she just didn't know she knew it, didn't credit her instincts. Didn't understand the gift of fear.

Gavin deBecker must be shaking his head in anguish.

Exclusive: Man who gave Mackenzie Lueck Lyft ride before she vanished breaks silence

"Canada said there was nothing unusual about the ride, until the small talk turned to a comment about something being strange.

“... and she said, ‘not as strange as where you are dropping me off in the middle of a park.’ She actually brought that up and said it was odd she was being dropped off there,” he recalled.

Canada said he’d dropped off customers at strange places before. When Lueck told him she was meeting a friend at the park who would pick her up, he said he gave no more thought to the fact that it was a strange meeting place at 2 a.m."

I think ML was having instincts too. She had a credit card, bank account, messaging apps & who knows what else that her family & friends didn’t know about. I think she knew those close to her would not be comfortable with the choices she was making. Makenzie was a 5th year senior. Most of her friends were graduated young professionals. She could no longer live in sorority house. Fairly recent break-up of a serious relationship. Grandmother’s death. She was vulnerable & making decisions she hadn’t made in prior years. I think of my own 20 year old daughter & the pressures she faces to balance work, college & keep her grades up so she maintains scholarships. I think of my own youth- and times in my friends’ lives where the sh*t hit the fan & coping mechanisms weren’t the wisest. This just was the perfect storm of circumstances for evil to occur. There are cases here that are heartbreaking, tragic, evil, gut-wrenching- all of it. But this case churns my stomach & makes me desperately wish I could turn back time & be at that park that night to help her. It’s just a sickening case. I’ll keep checking in, waiting for justice...

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 6, 2020
At least one renter was staying with MacKenzie Lueck’s alleged killer at the home where police believe she died
On the night University of Utah student MacKenzie Lueck disappeared, at least one and perhaps two men were renting rooms in the Salt Lake City home of her accused killer, newly unsealed documents show.

[...]

One of the men confirmed he was staying at the home, in the Fairpark neighborhood, from June 15 to June 21. On the morning of June 17, the renter said, he awoke to find Ajayi sitting on a trash can in front of his open garage, next to his Kia Optima.

[...]

Investigators also sought information on a third person who may have been in contact with Ajayi at the time Lueck died: another renter who reportedly was staying at Ajayi’s house at that time.

The renter who went to buy gas with Ajayi on June 17 said a second man checked in on June 15 and “left unexpectedly” four days later, police wrote.

Ajayi confirmed the second renter had prepaid for 30 days and was at his home on June 16, police wrote. But when investigators called that man, he said he had stayed at Ajayi’s house for nine days earlier that month, leaving June 14.

If that were true, investigators noted, he would not have encountered the other renter, who arrived June 15. Airbnb records align with the earlier dates reported by the man, police wrote, leading investigators to believe the man was renting from Ajayi apart from Airbnb.

Police also sought phone and digital records tied to the second renter. At the time of Lueck’s death, the man was a suspect in a rape case in Salt Lake City; he since has been charged with first-degree felony rape.

[...]

 

[JudgeJoe]

FEB 6, 2020
At least one renter was staying with MacKenzie Lueck’s alleged killer at the home where police believe she died
On the night University of Utah student MacKenzie Lueck disappeared, at least one and perhaps two men were renting rooms in the Salt Lake City home of her accused killer, newly unsealed documents show.

[...]

One of the men confirmed he was staying at the home, in the Fairpark neighborhood, from June 15 to June 21. On the morning of June 17, the renter said, he awoke to find Ajayi sitting on a trash can in front of his open garage, next to his Kia Optima.

[...]

Investigators also sought information on a third person who may have been in contact with Ajayi at the time Lueck died: another renter who reportedly was staying at Ajayi’s house at that time.

The renter who went to buy gas with Ajayi on June 17 said a second man checked in on June 15 and “left unexpectedly” four days later, police wrote.

Ajayi confirmed the second renter had prepaid for 30 days and was at his home on June 16, police wrote. But when investigators called that man, he said he had stayed at Ajayi’s house for nine days earlier that month, leaving June 14.

If that were true, investigators noted, he would not have encountered the other renter, who arrived June 15. Airbnb records align with the earlier dates reported by the man, police wrote, leading investigators to believe the man was renting from Ajayi apart from Airbnb.

Police also sought phone and digital records tied to the second renter. At the time of Lueck’s death, the man was a suspect in a rape case in Salt Lake City; he since has been charged with first-degree felony rape.

[...]

Whoa- did I read that right?! Second renter charged w 1st degree felony rape of another woman? Who was there when ML was murdered? Do we have a name yet? Makes me wonder just what type of rental clientele AA was soliciting. Remember the room he wanted to build? In the basement? Where he rents 2 rooms? Just when we think it can’t get worse.

 

[PommyMommy]

Whoa- did I read that right?! Second renter charged w 1st degree felony rape of another woman? Who was there when ML was murdered? Do we have a name yet? Makes me wonder just what type of rental clientele AA was soliciting. Remember the room he wanted to build? In the basement? Where he rents 2 rooms? Just when we think it can’t get worse.

It's enough to make your head spin, isn't it? No names yet that I know of. And yes, I remember the "wine room" that he wanted to build. Sicko. MOO

 

[janewall]

Whoa- did I read that right?! Second renter charged w 1st degree felony rape of another woman? Who was there when ML was murdered? Do we have a name yet? Makes me wonder just what type of rental clientele AA was soliciting. Remember the room he wanted to build? In the basement? Where he rents 2 rooms? Just when we think it can’t get worse.

Wow. I completely missed that info about the second renter. Thanks @JudgeJoe for highlighting this detail. It makes me revisit the unfortunately worded (or was it?) AirBNB review from the one prior guest. This case is so disturbing, and keeps threatening to get even darker.

 

[JudgeJoe]

It's enough to make your head spin, isn't it? No names yet that I know of. And yes, I remember the "wine room" that he wanted to build. Sicko. MOO

Makes me wonder if the 2nd rapist was a participant? Coincidence he was there when ML died & left 2ish days later? Either way defense might try to use this? I have a feeling the shock details haven’t even really started. Buckle up.

 

[PommyMommy]

Makes me wonder if the 2nd rapist was a participant? Coincidence he was there when ML died & left 2ish days later? Either way defense might try to use this? I have a feeling the shock details haven’t even really started. Buckle up.

I agree. I recall DA Gill saying, "This was a complex and very active investigation." He was not kidding. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

Reading yet another news source that reports an unknown woman waiting at the car park (in the park), and another woman got out of the vehicle to help ML with her luggage-- when the Lyft driver states he loaded the luggage in the suspect's vehicle. It appears LE has some explaining to do here regarding the details in the search warrant:

The search warrant documents indicated an unknown woman in a Subaru was already parked in the lot when Lueck arrived. “Another female got out and helped Mackenzie with her luggage,” police wrote. Lueck’s Lyft driver told police the “contact between Mackenzie and this unknown female appeared casual and friendly.”

However, a man who told KUTV-Ch. 2 this week that he had been Lueck’s Lyft driver said he put Lueck’s luggage in the waiting car himself, and said he had assumed the driver was a woman.

At least one renter was staying with MacKenzie Lueck’s alleged killer at the home where police believe she died

 

[SoCalGirl]

Wow! I just came back here to find out if anyone knew when AA was going to trial on this case and discovered all this stuff from the search warrant. I too am confused about the maroon Subaru with a hatchback already in the parking lot. Seems hard to believe the Lyft driver would mistake AA for a woman! That doesn't sound like black Kia Optima with a trunk and a black male in the driver's seat. But the LE mentioned only one car - AA's - on surveillance driving away from the park. What struck me was the reference to a stun gun. This would explain how/why ML's phone was turned off so quickly and why she went with AA back to his house (as I'm sure that's not where she thought she was going when they met at the park). She may have gotten in the car with him, and he immediately zapped her with the stun gun, took her phone and turned it off. Now he has a dazed and confused woman in his car, and she's not going to fight him when he takes her to his home and rapes her. Yes, totally "gift of fear" when she mentions the strangeness of her meeting place to the Lyft driver. Her instincts were telling her that the park at 2 AM was not a "normal" or "safe" meeting place -- no matter if she thought she was meeting a man or a woman or a stranger or someone she knew - not normal. Sadly, she didn't listen to her primal fear giving her warning signals, so she joked about it instead with the driver. The Gift of Fear has a chilling story about a man and his office mates receiving a package for their boss who wasn't there. It was an odd-shaped package with lots of postage on it. They put it on the desk and wondered what to do with it. One man joked, "I'm leaving before the bomb goes off." He left the office and 10 seconds later, he felt an explosion. It was a bomb from the Unibomber - deep down the man knew it was dangerous but he joked about it. That was ML - she knew her situation was dangerous so she turned it into a joke - because her other option? Tell the Lyft driver to hit the gas and get out of there, and she probably thought that would make her look "silly." Ugh

 

[SoCalGirl]

One more thought about the Lyft driver's account. Not that I blame him in any way; he did nothing wrong, but perhaps he was excusing or covering for himself a bit when he told the police he thought the driver was a woman. If he told them it was a man, who didn't even bother to get out of the car to help ML with her bags, the driver might feel as if people would say to him, "why'd you leave her there with a man?" But ML told the driver she was meeting a friend, so why should he doubt her? Just a thought. Also, just thinking how terrified she must've been if she got into that car and he immediately zapped her with a stun gun.

 

[diggndeeperstill]

I may be getting the timing mixed up. This other renter that was accused of felony rape.... what did he drive? I remember us looking at an Airbnb review that was weird. Could that have been this renter? They’d know what car he drove by now though. Surely.

Odd inconsistencies from the driver/LE.