Found Deceased UT - MacKenzie "Kenzie" Lueck, 23, Salt Lake City, 17 June 2019 #4

[oc1234]

Why do I think that the driver DID get out of the car to greet her? In the first presser, I believe LE said that the Lyft driver indicated that ML was happy to see the person she met and they "made contact." Did I just imagine that? Don't have the energy to scroll back and find that presser.

"made contact" could unfortunately be that Kensie went to the passenger side window, unknown subject rolled down passenger window, and they exchanged pleasantries and Kensie smiled/laughed etc and Lyft driver only witnessed Kensie's portion of the interaction before driving off. This could be defined as the contact. Contact doesn't have to be physical. I hope there was more witnessed by the Lyft driver but it could have been a simple interaction where the Lyft driver couldn't see the unknown driver.

 

[klind55]

We can see what she wore in the airport, have we heard if the driver says it was the same clothes she was in when he picked her up. Curious if she changed clothes at all or did herself up real quick in a bathroom or put makeup on in the car.

 

[Cardinal47]

Not to beat a dead horse but I surely can't find anywhere the officers, NOT reporters, refer to Lyft driver as male or female.
Photos show missing student Mackenzie Lueck walking through Salt Lake airport

 

[thebedbug]

No doubt LE has as detailed as possible a description of events from the Lyft driver... but I wouldn't go too far in analyzing their public characterization.

She got to the park. She seemed OK with whomever she was meeting. I don't think I'd go too far beyond that.

 

[Snoop Sister]

Nobody is saying that the person didn't get out of the car, but in this article it says ML put the bags in the car.
Missing University of Utah student last seen in a park with unknown person at 3 a.m.

I think there was some embellishment in this article.

 

[sweetcandyapple]

Question for locals - how well known is this park, in general? What sort of people, in the normal course of their daily lives, might go to this particular park (for example, after-school sports, jogging, walking dogs, picnics on weekends, etc)? What sort of reputation does the park have? Is it known for any special activities, features, events?

Also, would this park be a well-known place to students like ML?

The park had to be the idea of either ML or the person she met, or both. So we need to know what either of them might have thought about this particular place. TIA

It's fairly large, you can see it right from the freeway. I knew it was there long before I lived in this area. It has a decent sized walking track, and they do a lot of youth football, baseball, soccer games there. Lots of people bring their dogs there, it's always pretty busy and has always felt safe to me. Park is circled in yellow, police station is circled in red. They're fairly close but as far as cameras and things I'm not sure if it's close enough.

 

[Cardinal47]

They haven’t come right out and said if the Lyft driver was male or female. However, the spokesperson at the PC used the word “he” when referring to the Lyft driver.

Neither male or female Lyft driver mentioned.
Photos show missing student Mackenzie Lueck walking through Salt Lake airport

 

[oc1234]

Not well known. Very small locals park. No one from Salt Lake would know about it.

I don't disagree with you with the exception that I have frequently used Google maps to find tennis courts, jogging places etc when I travel for work or pleasure so the internet allows non-locals to "know" what is available.

 

[bykerladi]

They could have used a rental or a stolen vehicle.

OR it was so dark the perp didn't think the Lyft driver could see him/her or too many details about the car. I generally wouldn't remember the make/model of the car, MAYBE the color.

 

[poppydarling]

That parking lot is a lot more open than I was expecting. Not exactly like a car wouldn’t be seen there from the street- not a lot of cover even at night it’s super open and uncovered.....interesting.

Moo

 

[DD8]

You can always check out the media thread first UT - Mackenzie “Kenzie” Lueck, 23, Salt Lake City, 17 June, 2019 Media, Maps, Timeline, *NO DISCUSSION*

Thank you!!!

 

[klind55]

I think it was always private?

Yeah it's been private from the get go

 

[random_utahn]

Question for locals - how well known is this park, in general? What sort of people, in the normal course of their daily lives, might go to this particular park (for example, after-school sports, jogging, walking dogs, picnics on weekends, etc)? What sort of reputation does the park have? Is it known for any special activities, features, events?

Also, would this park be a well-known place to students like ML?

The park had to be the idea of either ML or the person she met, or both. So we need to know what either of them might have thought about this particular place. TIA

I can say with some confidence that unless she had some other reason to be in NSL/Bountiful that this wasn't her idea. NSL/Bountiful (off the freeway) aren't on the way to anything that a 23yr old would want. Bountiful and to a lesser extent NSL are both very mormon (which, judging by her IG, she probably wasn't) and tends to be a very stepford-wives like place. U of U college students don't tend to go to NSL or Bountiful. It's a very "family-friendly" type of place.

 

[random_utahn]

It's fairly large, you can see it right from the freeway. I knew it was there long before I lived in this area. It has a decent sized walking track, and they do a lot of youth football, baseball, soccer games there. Lots of people bring their dogs there, it's always pretty busy and has always felt safe to me. Park is circled in yellow, police station is circled in red. They're fairly close but as far as cameras and things I'm not sure if it's close enough.

As compared to something like Liberty Park in SLC, it doesn't tend to draw folks from other towns/cities beyond Bountiful.

 

[EmilyVan]

OR it was so dark the perp didn't think the Lyft driver could see him/her or too many details about the car. I generally wouldn't remember the make/model of the car, MAYBE the color.

Agree.

and/or the perp thinks a Lyft driver is inconsequential.

MOO

 

[ocsalumni]

The public photo of top off and the tattoo are fairly non-mormon as far as Utah LDS goes.

Yeah, I agree with that, but I'm saying that it isn't out of the realm of possibilities that she would go that direction being that she has friends who are part of the Utah LDS

 

[shanadk]

I can say with some confidence that unless she had some other reason to be in NSL/Bountiful that this wasn't her idea. NSL/Bountiful (off the freeway) aren't on the way to anything that a 23yr old would want. Bountiful and to a lesser extent NSL are both very mormon (which, judging by her IG, she probably wasn't) and tends to be a very stepford-wives like place. U of U college students don't tend to go to NSL or Bountiful. It's a very "family-friendly" type of place.

North S/L is very Mormon, you said.
I wonder if there's any chance Kenzie could have been picked up by someone from the local church, to go on some kind of religious retreat, to get some kind of spiritual counseling, or perhaps even to stay with a pastor's family?

 

[Jinkasaurus]

Thanks for the comments from locals about the park.

I'm getting the sense that this is not a very unique park, and that it doesn't seem to have anything that would make it a draw for people who don't live relatively near by. Its not the sort of park that would be a "go to" place for tourists or visitors.

Please correct me if I am not getting it right..

A few more questions --

Are there any other parks of this general size and similar features in that area? Would it be considered the "main" or only park in that area for sports, dog walking, etc. ? Or just one of several choices in that area.

 

[Cardinal47]

I can say with some confidence that unless she had some other reason to be in NSL/Bountiful that this wasn't her idea. NSL/Bountiful (off the freeway) aren't on the way to anything that a 23yr old would want. Bountiful and to a lesser extent NSL are both very mormon (which, judging by her IG, she probably wasn't) and tends to be a very stepford-wives like place. U of U college students don't tend to go to NSL or Bountiful. It's a very "family-friendly" type of place.

I'm kind of curious. How far is this park from the airport? If not too far I would think somebody would pick her up at the airport rather than meeting her at a park. Would not be too much traffic at that hour of the night.

Also while looking for more on the lyft driver I found this. Happened not too long ago.
Police say Lueck has had three interactions with Salt Lake City police. One was for a "moving violation" — typically a traffic ticket — in 2015. The other was for an assault case in 2018. And the third was for property of hers that was found and turned back over to her in January. Doubt said all three cases have been resolved and none are connected to her current situation.
Photos show missing student Mackenzie Lueck walking through Salt Lake airport

 

[sweetcandyapple]

If she was meeting someone around, I would tend to think Eaglewood Lofts Apartments, lots and lots of college kids that go to the U live there. But why not just get dropped off there?

North S/L is very Mormon, you said.
I wonder if there's any chance Kenzie could have been picked up by someone from the local church, to go on some kind of religious retreat, to get some kind of spiritual counseling, or perhaps even to stay with a pastor's family?

No, it's not that Mormon really. Maybe Foxboro is Mormon, and up the hill, but it's not that religious as like say Bountiful. There's a lot of college students that live in what's called Eaglewood Lofts, large apartment complex right off highway 89, but why didn't just get dropped off there if that was the case, I don't know.