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

[Jethro4WS]

I would be focusing on the last person to see her. That was the driver. Unless they can come up with someone at the location she was dropped off at. I'm wondering if she was the one that actually sent that last text to her parents. I wish her parents would speak about what they know publicly.

I am fairly certain that Salt Lake Police have stated that Kenzie was seen leaving the Salt Lake City Airport (surely on camera) so I would presume she sent the text that she landed which was the last text that we know about. As far as the Lyft driver and Lyft the police have said both are cooperating. Lyft has said that after dropping Kenzie at her destination the driver went on to other rides.

 

[whitelilac]

Following.

She couldn't have met someone on the flight, could she? Someone she started chatting with, and they hit it off. On disembarking, the guy invited her out to a late snack or whatever to carry on the conversation, gave her his address where she was dropped off. For some reason they couldn't take the Lyft together . Or he texted her when she was waiting for the Lyft and he had already left ?

Grasping at straws.
I don't feel good about this.....

 

[yellowmoose]

@yellowmoose Do you know how Kenzie has paid for her education? Student loans, scholarships, family, etc.?

I’m so sorry your friend is missing. You’ll find a supportive group here at WS.

Thank you. I am not sure on the financial situation. I do know for the time that I've known her she has pretty much always had a job. I am not sure if that is to pay her rent or to help pay for school. That's not something that I've brought up before with her.

 

[EmilyVan]

Southwest Airlines has a flight daily/nightly that leaves LAX at 8:05pm and arrives at SLC at 1:10am. I couldn't find any other airlines arriving during the 1:00am hour in SLC tomorrow AM.

so the text "around 1:00am" that she landed makes sense. If she flew Southwest.

"Wanna Get Away?". - Southwest's tagline.

MOO

 

[margarita25]

I think so too. IMO LE is deliberating holding back info so they don’t compromise the investigation. I hope I’m wrong but I’ve had the feeling that foul play was involved from the beginning. I’m afraid Kenzie got caught up in something that took a dangerous turn.

Exactly my thoughts in a nutshell, moo.

 

[wary]

From above:

“One thing that we wanted to talk about is she texted her family she landed at the airport, said Ashley Fine, a friend of Mackenzie’s. “She wouldn’t have done that if she purposely wanted to disappear.””

I said the exact same thing. Just sayin.

But some people have said the opposite—that it would be a way of buying time before her family started to worry. That makes more sense to me. Can someone explain the logic of what the friend said? I don’t understand it.

(By the way, I have a sad feeling that she did NOT purposely disappear.)

 

[margarita25]

I’m at about 80% voluntary, and 20% foul play.

Right now, law enforcement should have evidence of something nefarious happening, if it exists.

At the very least, they should have suspicions that elevate the seriousness of this whole thing.

Alarm bells should be going off, and their words and actions should reflect this (I’d expect a press conference).

I’m not seeing that.

I still think they have evidence to the contrary, and it’s just a matter of figuring out where she is.

If not, they’ve completely dropped the ball.

(I actually just edited my chart to increase chance of FP actually!)

—-

But some people have said the opposite—that it would be a way of buying time before her family started to worry. That makes more sense to me. Can someone explain the logic of what the friend said? I don’t understand it.

(By the way, I have a sad feeling that she did NOT purposely disappear.)

Indeed, I acknowledged this as well upstream a couple posts (buying time)

As far as explaining the logic, here is what she may be saying imo:

Actually, let me just find an earlier post, maybe this will help explain the thought. Standby.

ETA:
I have to qmfr bc I really don’t know to explain it again:

Here’s another thing.

Kenzie took the time to text her parents as soon as she got off the plane. Why? Presumably so they knew she was safe, etc.

So why would she just take off knowing her parents would be worried?

 

[MassGuy]

(I edited my chart to increase of FP actually!)

Ha!

Here’s my issue with the foul play scenario, based on following a lot of these cases:

The family’s words and actions don’t fit.

Law enforcement’s posture and language doesn’t fit.

The presence of stressors around the time of her disappearance (grandmother’s death, exam).

The fact that she did something unusual for her (hell, unusual for most people), she went to a strange address in the early hours of the morning, after arriving on a flight.

Could she have met with foul play? Absolutely.

But I’m nowhere near that yet.

 

[wary]

Ha!

Here’s my issue with the foul play scenario, based on following a lot of these cases:

The family’s words and actions don’t fit.

Law enforcement’s posture and language doesn’t fit.

The presence of stressors around the time of her disappearance (grandmother’s death, exam).

The fact that she did something unusual for her (hell, unusual for most people), she went to a strange address in the early hours of the morning, after arriving on a flight.

Could she have met with foul play? Absolutely.

But I’m nowhere near that yet.

I’m concerned that LE’s silence about the address she went to means that an (unannounced by LE) POI lives there. If it were any sort of a public place, wouldn’t LE have told us—to try to get feedback from other people who were at the strip club, or 24-hr-a-day supermarket, or whatever?

 

[EmilyVan]

The fact that she did something unusual for her (hell, unusual for most people), she went to a strange address in the early hours of the morning, after arriving on a flight.

snipped BM

We actually don't know if this is unusual for her. Especially considering she had her luggage (which would have all she needed if it ended up being an over-nighter). Us women can be freakishly brave and naive all at one time. At 23, 1:00am isn't as late as it is to us old folks.

MOO

 

[Bugurl747]

23 years old, young, beautiful, finals, working, sadly her grandmother's funeral...a very stressful time.

There are ways one may choose to deal or be consoled....some may like to cry, be held, talk,work, sleep, maybe have a drink or 4, sex, drugs, etc.

One may choose to do that with friends, acquaintances, or strangers.

I wonder how she goes about things? This is where I have been mulling.

MOO

 

[Deleted member 122964]

Oh, oh, oh...This is so worrisome. Her friends and family must be distraught.

Has anyone downstairs started a scanner thread for her?

 

[ilovechili]

Following.

She couldn't have met someone on the flight, could she? Someone she started chatting with, and they hit it off. On disembarking, the guy invited her out to a late snack or whatever to carry on the conversation, gave her his address where she was dropped off. For some reason they couldn't take the Lyft together . Or he texted her when she was waiting for the Lyft and he had already left ?

Grasping at straws.
I don't feel good about this.....

I have thought of a variation or two of this same idea. One theory anyhow--of a few.

Jmo.

 

[purple_orchid_3]

Hi, I am new but have been following this case since I found out on Friday. I have a feeling that either Kenzie was not actually the one in the Lyft that arrived at the destination address that was entered and she got in a Lyft or Uber that wasn't legit, OR, someone else was in there with her - either another rider or maybe a passenger or friend of the Lyft driver and they entered the address for her. OR, is it possible that she is being held for ransom and the police are working with that person and that is why they are so secretive? I pray she is ok.

 

[CluelessWonder]

Where does she work? What kinds of hobbies does she have?

 

[MKZoo]

Do we know the exact wording of the text she sent her parents? I ask because (at least in my experience) a text that says “I just landed” will convey something quite different from one that says “I made it home” even though you could reasonably send both from the airport. YMMV but to me the first says the trip is not complete and the second says I’m safe for now and you may cease worrying.

I guess I’m just trying to figure out what she was trying to convey to her family. I’m hanging on the feeble hope it will give me some insight in to her mindset.

Jmo.

 

[yellowmoose]

Where does she work? What kinds of hobbies does she have?

She works at a medical lab in SLC.

 

[MassGuy]

Hi, I am new but have been following this case since I found out on Friday. I have a feeling that either Kenzie was not actually the one in the Lyft that arrived at the destination address that was entered and she got in a Lyft or Uber that wasn't legit, OR, someone else was in there with her - either another rider or maybe a passenger or friend of the Lyft driver and they entered the address for her. OR, is it possible that she is being held for ransom and the police are working with that person and that is why they are so secretive? I pray she is ok.

It appears the everything was above board, and the Lyft ride went off without a hitch.

Kenzie was dropped off, and the trip showed no irregularities. The driver then continued picking up and dropping off passengers, immediately afterwards.

Lyft and the driver have cooperated with the investigation.

As for the ransom thing, that is incredibly rare in the United States. I think it is highly unlikely, considering the few facts that we do have here.

It’s possible that they are being so secretive because they either know something we don’t, or want to protect Kenzie’s privacy.

It is weird though.

Edited to remove “driver is not a suspect.” Law enforcement has not cleared anyone officially.

 

[utmomof2]

I apologize if this has already been posted. KUTV in SLC reported tonight that she missed her return flight back the CA today.

Search continues for missing 23-year-old U of U student Mackenzie Lueck

 

[whitelilac]

Regarding the destination....I believe I read it was a building. I wonder whether the Lyft driver was given the address of the apartment building or the # of the apartment. If the latter, LE would know who lives there. If there's a lobby, I'd think there might be surveillance video. Same for the back egress fire escape? It would help to know the layout.