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

[yellowmoose]

Great. I just wish it was law enforcement holding this press conference.

Good on her friends though, they’re clearly doing everything they can.

Agreed. Could they be holding this press conference in conjunction with law enforcement I wonder? They are holding it at the SLCPD station.

 

[MassGuy]

Agreed. Could they be holding this press conference in conjunction with law enforcement I wonder? They are holding it at the SLCPD station.

We’ll find out in about an hour and a half.

It’s possible, but I would expect law enforcement to also put out a release if that was going to be the case.

 

[iluvmua]

But did Lyft say that it was the driver that told them?

Lyft was the ones who said it.

 

[PommyMommy]

Reposting - from JUN 22
Salt Lake City police release new photos of missing U of U student, reveal Lyft destination
[...]

Salt Lake police say her destination was an address in North Salt Lake.

[...]

Lyft added that the route contained no irregularities and ended at the destination as originally entered by the rider, and the driver continued providing rides immediately after the ride ended.

[...]

 

[chihuahua]

I will be waiting for the news conference with the rest of y'all.
Finally got some sleep.
Hoping today brings much more clarity and ML is accounted for.
Chi

 

[osu]

The “Find MacKenzie Lueck” Facebook page said that KUTV will be live streaming the presser on their Facebook page and on their website.

Facebook:
KUTV 2News

Website:
https://kutv.com

 

[margarita25]

JUNE 22, 2019
Friends distribute flyers of University of Utah student missing for 5 days
[...]

"We're millennials. (Not answering the phone) is very, very unusual. Even if you're missing, or you want to disappear, you have to turn your phone on to GPS," said AF, noting that Lueck's bank account has also been inactive.

[...]

Fine said Lueck lives with roommates near Trolley Square but noted that she has not been in touch with them. "I don't know why she would be going (to North Salt Lake) around 2 a.m. It's just very, very suspicious and dangerous," Fine said.

[...]

HO said she is a close family friend of Lueck. She noted that Lueck was set to return to California this week for a friend's wedding. "I don't think the family found out she was missing until she didn't show up for her flight to come back."

[...]

Noting from above:
“We're millennials. (Not answering the phone) is very, very unusual. Even if you're missing, or you want to disappear, you have to turn your phone on to GPS," said AF, noting that Lueck's bank account has also been inactive.”

—

JUN 23, 2019
Where is Mackenzie Lueck? Here’s what we know about the disappearance of the 23-year-old University of Utah student.
What’s the status of the search?
Salt Lake City police issued a news release Saturday urging the public to help find Lueck saying that “Detectives are concerned for Mackenzie’s welfare.” But in that same release. they said investigators have not “discovered any information that would lead us to believe that Mackenzie has been harmed or is in danger at this time.”

There is no formal search party.

“We don’t have anyone searching any particular area right now," Shearer said, "because we don’t have any credible evidence of where she might be.”

[...]

What about the Lyft driver?
Police have talked to the Lyft driver and have been in contact with the ride-hailing company.

[...]

What do we know about Lueck?
[...]

AF said Saturday that Lueck’s phone has been off since she went missing on Monday and she hasn’t posted on social media. She didn’t show up for work or for her classes. Her car is still at her home and her luggage hasn’t been found.

AF said Lueck doesn’t have a significant other and she didn’t know why she would take a ride to North Salt Lake, instead of going directly to her home.

[...]

How to help?
Anyone with information about Lueck’s whereabouts can contact Salt Lake City Police at 801-799-3000 and reference case No. 19-111129.

And there’s a Facebook page devoted to the search for Lueck.

Reiterating from above:

“AF said Lueck doesn’t have a significant other and she didn’t know why she would take a ride to North Salt Lake, instead of going directly to her home.”

 

[margarita25]

The “Find MacKenzie Lueck” Facebook page said that KUTV will be live streaming the presser on their Facebook page and on their website.

Facebook:
KUTV 2News

Website:
https://kutv.com

Omg PC!! Yay!!!!

—-

“HO said she is a close family friend of Lueck. She noted that Lueck was set to return to California this week for a friend's wedding. "I don't think the family found out she was missing until she didn't show up for her flight to come back."”

Is this accurate??

 

[calo44]

Just a thought, but why didn’t she drive herself to the airport and leave her car there, knowing she would be getting in very late? There is an inexpensive lot at the airport that would have cost her about the same as the Lyft ride to and from, so I doubt parking cost was the issue.

I think she had plans to meet up with someone at their place once she landed, someone not so far from the airport. If it was a close friend, though, why wouldn’t they pick her up and drive her to their place? Unless maybe it wasn’t a close friend, but someone new? Her dad said she was texting someone new recently, maybe that’s the person?

 

[grannygates]

my speculation is that because LE hasn’t stated that ML was seen in a commercial area (restaurant, bar, store etc) and asking public if they have seen her, the address that she was dropped off at must have been a residential address. could be the apartment building that was speculated a few times in prev posts as they haven’t publicly zeroed in on someone or one residence.

mention of luggage not being found is important in my opinion as prev poster did state this could mean she willingly entered a residence, as opposed to being snatched off street.

my mind first goes to online dating, chatting, going to meet up after your flight because you’re so excited to meet him. jmo.

interested to see what comes of the press hearing

 

[Inthedetails]

Just a thought, but why didn’t she drive herself to the airport and leave her car there, knowing she would be getting in very late? There is an inexpensive lot at the airport that would have cost her about the same as the Lyft ride to and from, so I doubt parking cost was the issue.

I think she had plans to meet up with someone at their place once she landed, someone not so far from the airport. If it was a close friend, though, why wouldn’t they pick her up and drive her to their place? Unless maybe it wasn’t a close friend, but someone new? Her dad said she was texting someone new recently, maybe that’s the person?

Great question. Maybe someone was supposed to pick her up but then didn't - either didn't show up or canceled. So she took a Lyft to that person's location instead. ?

Thinking aloud, speculation only.

jmo

 

[MassGuy]

Just a thought, but why didn’t she drive herself to the airport and leave her car there, knowing she would be getting in very late? There is an inexpensive lot at the airport that would have cost her about the same as the Lyft ride to and from, so I doubt parking cost was the issue.

I think she had plans to meet up with someone at their place once she landed, someone not so far from the airport. If it was a close friend, though, why wouldn’t they pick her up and drive her to their place? Unless maybe it wasn’t a close friend, but someone new? Her dad said she was texting someone new recently, maybe that’s the person?

I dunno. I typically use Uber myself, even though sometimes it would make more financial sense to drive my own car.

It’s just super easy.

You would think that the person she was visiting would pick her up, but perhaps there were other factors in play.

This may have been a last minute decision or something.

 

[margarita25]

Just a thought, but why didn’t she drive herself to the airport and leave her car there, knowing she would be getting in very late? There is an inexpensive lot at the airport that would have cost her about the same as the Lyft ride to and from, so I doubt parking cost was the issue.

I think she had plans to meet up with someone at their place once she landed, someone not so far from the airport. If it was a close friend, though, why wouldn’t they pick her up and drive her to their place? Unless maybe it wasn’t a close friend, but someone new? Her dad said she was texting someone new recently, maybe that’s the person?

It’s so much easier to just grab a Lyft, moo. What day did she fly out again to Cali? Tia. How far would this inexpensive lot be from the arrival terminal? How exactly would the costs compare? I would much rather take a Lyft, than pay for parking, travel to get my car then drive home at 1am but that’s just me, moo.

 

[OldCop]

I hope the upcoming PC provides more information. In the meantime and with nothing to contradict this, I believe her disappearance is related to the fact that she went to NSL upon her return from CA. I have not yet decided whether to believe the disappearance is voluntary or involuntary.
My best possible scenarios are as follows:
1). She is depressed after the death of her grandmother. Someone offered her a shoulder to cry on. She went to a residence in NSL willingly. Then:
a. This friend took advantage of her vulnerability and things went wrong or
b. She is feeling overwhelmed and the friend is letting her shelter there for a while.

2). She was meeting someone in NSL with the intention of taking off with him. A married man?
3). She ran into an abductor while she was in NSL for whatever reason.

Some have been speculating about strip clubs in the area. This reminds me of Prof William Douglas and the murder of Robin Benedict in the Boston area back in the 1980’s. Douglas, a highly respected married Tufts University professor became obsessed with Benedict who worked at a strip club in Boston.
While we await further info, what are your theories?

 

[MassGuy]

I hope the upcoming PC provides more information. In the meantime and with nothing to contradict this, I believe her disappearance is related to the fact that she went to NSL upon her return from CA. I have not yet decided whether to believe the disappearance is voluntary or involuntary.
My best possible scenarios are as follows:
1). She is depressed after the death of her grandmother. Someone offered her a shoulder to cry on. She went to a residence in NSL willingly. Then:
a. This friend took advantage of her vulnerability and things went wrong or
b. She is feeling overwhelmed and the friend is letting her shelter there for a while.

2). She was meeting someone in NSL with the intention of taking off with him. A married man?
3). She ran into an abductor while she was in NSL for whatever reason.

Some have been speculating about strip clubs in the area. This reminds me of Prof William Douglas and the murder of Robin Benedict in the Boston area back in the 1980’s. Douglas, a highly respected married Tufts University professor became obsessed with Benedict who worked at a strip club in Boston.
While we await further info, what are your theories?

I’m all in on your first theory.

She traveled to a location willingly, and is either missing voluntarily or has been taken advantage of.

I’m leaning towards her being voluntarily missing, due to one key factor:

There are clear potential stressors in her life right now.

Her grandmother just died, and she had an exam coming up.

I’m definitely open to the possibility of foul play, but I continue to believe it’s less likely than the alternative.

 

[Inthedetails]

It’s so much easier to just grab a Lyft, moo. What day did she fly out again to Cali? Tia. How far would this inexpensive lot be from the arrival terminal? How exactly would the costs compare? I would much rather take a Lyft, than pay for parking, travel to get my car then drive home at 1am but that’s just me, moo.

With an arrival time of 1am, I agree that the Lyft seems better. Walking in a parking lot alone at 1am is scary, even if fully lit.

It seems, from what we know, that the Lyft ride was indeed safe. It's the destination that was the bad part.

jmopinion

 

[margarita25]

I’m still catching up here, but thinking about this:

IF it is true that her family didn’t know she was missing til she didn’t show up for her other flight back, then one could possibly conclude that:

Her roommates did not call her family to ask if they’d heard from her, and were not the ones to get the ball rolling.

So were they just not close? Not around? Not worried? Know something others don’t know? Did they know she was flying back that night?

Have we heard from the roommates yet?

 

[Inthedetails]

I’m all in on your first theory.

She traveled to a location willingly, and is either missing voluntarily or has been taken advantage of.

I’m leaning towards her being voluntarily missing, due to one key factor:

There are clear potential stressors in her life right now.

Her grandmother just died, and she had an exam coming up.

I’m definitely open to the possibility of foul play, but I continue to believe it’s less likely than the alternative.

I really haven't settled into any theory yet or developed any theories I have, but here are a few ideas:

* She works at a strip club, and something happened after her arrival but before she started working.

* She expected someone to pick her up from the airport, but that person didn't show up. She took a Lyft to that person's location on her own....and her arrival was unexpected and unwelcomed....and something happened.

* She went to someone's place at the invite of someone and it went bad.

* She went to someone's place is still there, happily and voluntarily. Or left happily and voluntarily with that person. I hope this is the case, but as a WSer, I have doubts and worries.

jmo

 

[margarita25]

I hope the upcoming PC provides more information. In the meantime and with nothing to contradict this, I believe her disappearance is related to the fact that she went to NSL upon her return from CA. I have not yet decided whether to believe the disappearance is voluntary or involuntary.
My best possible scenarios are as follows:
1). She is depressed after the death of her grandmother. Someone offered her a shoulder to cry on. She went to a residence in NSL willingly. Then:
a. This friend took advantage of her vulnerability and things went wrong or
b. She is feeling overwhelmed and the friend is letting her shelter there for a while.

2). She was meeting someone in NSL with the intention of taking off with him. A married man?
3). She ran into an abductor while she was in NSL for whatever reason.

Some have been speculating about strip clubs in the area. This reminds me of Prof William Douglas and the murder of Robin Benedict in the Boston area back in the 1980’s. Douglas, a highly respected married Tufts University professor became obsessed with Benedict who worked at a strip club in Boston.
While we await further info, what are your theories?

Hi OldCop,

I’m still catching up but my current theory and opinion is she went somewhere, possibly a secret for whatever reason, and encountered foul play at that location or soon thereafter. Despite LE’s language which is clearly noncommittal and not stressing “endangered” imo, I do not think she is voluntarily missing. I think there is a strong chance she has been met with harm when she arrived at her destination, or that she is being held against her will.

I also think that she may have been involved with something, something not good that perhaps has something to do with her going missing.

ETA: Again, a few things that make me feel this is way is it is hard to live off the grid even if one tries, unless they just throw away every device and stay inside. Moo.

Secondly, she texted her parents that she landed. So she knew they’d be worried sick. She was in contact with them it appears. Then nothing for almost a week.

 

[GuyfromCanada]

MacKenzie Lueck: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

Good overview of the case.