Found Deceased UT - MacKenzie "Kenzie" Lueck, 23, Salt Lake City, 17 June 2019 #2

[DoABarrelRoll]

So, I just rewatched the PC on YouTube, and LE states that - according to the Lyft driver - ML and the meet-up "did make contact", but that LE "isn't sure if they (ML & meet-up) actually got in the car or not."

 

[Inthedetails]

I think it’s very believable that the Lyft driver watched her go over to the car and noticed the friendly nature of their greeting, simply because he was worried about her. He might have planned to wait, and if no one picked her up, offer her a ride to some safer place. (Sure, his time is money, but the time spent checking that she was safe would be an investment in peace of mind—and of course, he’d get paid if she DID need a ride elsewhere.)

I’d guess that LE isn’t talking because the man who met her is a major POI, (not saying that they know who he is, yet), and they don’t want him to know what they know.

All this MOO

I'm thinking he noticed the friendly interaction since getting any carry-on or luggage bags from the car would take longer than just popping out the door, ykwim? The exchange might have taken a few moments.

jmo

 

[Kapua]

I might as well go ahead and post this now, same old same old.

Who didn’t show up for work on Monday?

Who may be showing an oddly special interest in this case?

Who may have scratches on them?

Who may have recently had their vehicle cleaned?

Who may have changed their appearance?

^Exactly!

Who is not acting like himself?
Who is not where he's supposed to be?
Who went on a vacation or business trip that same night?
Who was late for work/super tired on Monday?
Who left in the wee hours of the AM with a lame excuse?

 

[Inthedetails]

So, I just rewatched the PC on YouTube, and LE states that - according to the Lyft driver - ML and the meet-up "did make contact", but that LE "isn't sure if they (ML & meet-up) actually got in the car or not."

Hmm...now I'm wondering what "make contact" means. Via text? Or shouting "hello" from across the lot while the driver pulls away? Or a hug?

jmo

 

[margarita25]

I've never used Lyft, but Uber, yes. You have to use your account and let the person know the car/driver information. You should also mention it to the driver. We do that a lot for my grandma.

(For the record Lyft is a much better company than Uber imo and has NOT had the safety violations that Uber has had. Uber in Colorado recently got fined 8.8 million or something like that for not conducting proper background checks and hiring sexual offenders and people with DUIs who were supposed to have breathalyzers in their cars! Lyft had zero violations. I also think some Uber drivers are more shady but that is JMO:
Uber fined $8.9 million in Colorado for problematic background checks )

 

[wary]

So, I just rewatched the PC on YouTube, and LE states that - according to the Lyft driver - ML and the meet-up "did make contact", but that LE "isn't sure if they (ML & meet-up) actually got in the car or not."

I’d guess that the Lyft driver saw her greet someone she obviously knew and was on good terms with, and then settled down to finding his next ride.

 

[liltexans]

From the beginning there has something that reminded about Adrienne Salinas’ case, and I’m realizing it was that whole business with the cab driver. He stated he waited for her at her pick up location but she never showed up. That case has never been solved, nor has he been made a POI.

Anyway, irrelevant. LE has clearly said that at this moment the driver is NOT a POI.

Actually, LE said the Lyft driver is not a suspect at this time.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

The one thing that stands out to me on drop off location, Hatch Park is directly off the interstate. So, whether purpose was for good or bad intentions, location could have been more for convenience.

Completely agree with this. I doubt the Mystery Man lives near the park at all. My thought is they very quickly got back on the interstate. I hope Utah has traffic cameras or something up along interstates near cities and at least can track them for a while due to the sparse traffic that time of night.

 

[wary]

^Exactly!

Who is not acting like himself?
Who is not where he's supposed to be?
Who went on a vacation or business trip that same night?
Who was late for work/super tired on Monday?
Who left in the wee hours of the AM with a lame excuse?

Who’s obsessively following the details of the case?

WE are!

But it IS a good set of questions.

 

[mfmfan77]

I think they just don’t have enough at this point. Once they pore through the results of the warrants, we’ll be able to better gauge their thinking.

Up until a point, this was clearly voluntary.

She agreed to meet someone at a particular location, and may have known this person. She appears to have willingly entered his vehicle.

But after that point, it’s anyone’s guess if she has decided to stay away, or has become a victim of a crime.

I think this is the likeliest scenario. She voluntarily met this person at the park and had likely pre-arranged to meet up with him after her flight. This would explain the Lyft driver saying that she seemed happy to see the person she was meeting. This also makes me wonder how much effort the Lyft driver would have put into paying close attention/remembering any details of the drop-off: if things didn't seem off or abnormal, how many mental notes would he really take of the person/their car?

Obviously this doesn't put any blame on the Lyft driver for not paying close attention, but it does make you wonder how many details he's been able to give LE.

I could see the voluntary escape-from-reality angle being possible if she met up with someone who had the money to book a private plane to some remote destination, but would she really not tell anyone about those plans? Especially if she was leaving right after the death of her grandma? Would she really leave her family hanging like that, and would she abandon her cat without making plans with someone to at least feed it?

Unfortunately I think it's more likely that she met with someone she knew/was comfortable enough meeting with and then things went wrong, and the mystery meet-up person has a personal interest in not coming forward. I'm still hoping for a happy ending, but her going a week without any communication seems off.

JMO, obviously

 

[Whiteorchids]

I agree. I immediately suspected the Lyft driver. I know that bad things can and have happened with them. But at the press conference they did ask and he replied that the Lyft driver took calls immediately after dropping Mackenzie. So if it’s true he picked up another customer immediately after dropping Mackenzie then I think that’s a pretty solid alibi.

But it’s not impossible he could have confined her in his vehicle hurt her then toss her out somewhere. I know Uber and Lyft hire people with criminal records that slip through the cracks. There are bad guy drivers unfortunately. Rideshare background checks are not that great.

I’m not saying the driver did anything and probably didn’t but until she’s found anyone can be a suspect and he is the last to see her.

If she would have been my passenger I would have told her I’m not comfortable dropping her off at a park and I would only take her to a public place with other people or a residence. If she refused I would have dropped her off at a public place and if not good enough for her friend to pick her up there she would need to hail another driver that would. Me being a mom of college kids and my family being in law enforcement they understands completely.

 

[LucasDAP]

Who’s obsessively following the details of the case?

WE are!

Okay, wary, confess now and we can all call it a day.

 

[margarita25]

I watched and didn’t hear them say those words. What did I miss?

(I was referring to Adrienne’s case, sorry for the confusion)

—

So, I just rewatched the PC on YouTube, and LE states that - according to the Lyft driver - ML and the meet-up "did make contact", but that LE "isn't sure if they (ML & meet-up) actually got in the car or not."

Yes I’m so glad you reminded me of that bc that is contrary to an earlier article which stated she put her bag in the car.

 

[margarita25]

Delete

 

[Peppery]

I wonder what specifically they are doing, as they stated, to ensure they get the make and model of the vehicle right? Perhaps the driver gave a description of characteristics and they are searching for a match via experts in this field.

I think they are giving this person a chance to come forward and tell their side of the story before their life gets blown up.

 

[sweetcandyapple]

Completely agree with this. I doubt the Mystery Man lives near the park at all. My thought is they very quickly got back on the interstate. I hope Utah has traffic cameras or something up along interstates near cities and at least can track them for a while due to the sparse traffic that time of night.

The good news is, while there is an off ramp right there next to the park, there is no on ramp to I-15 right there. Said person to get back on the freeway would have to either drive right past the police station, to get on the ramp going southbound, or go to the next city north, about five miles up the road to go north bound and therefore a decent chance of being spotted on some type of camera.

 

[Inthedetails]

I think they are giving this person a chance to come forward and tell their side of the story before their life gets blown up.

That's what I think too.

jmo

 

[DoABarrelRoll]

Hmm...now I'm wondering what "make contact" means. Via text? Or shouting "hello" from across the lot while the driver pulls away? Or a hug?

jmo

LE didn't elaborate, but my interpretation was that ML & meet-up exchanged greetings and hugged, or something of the like, like you would with someone you knew.

 

[TheRaven]

David Begnaud on Twitter
She was dropped off at the park at 2:50am. Her friend told me that Mackenzie took a Lyft directly from the airport to the park. The friend says she doesn’t know who Mackenzie may’ve gone to the park to meet.
1:16 PM - 24 Jun 2019

If she landed at 1am how did it take that long to get to the park? What did she do in between those times???

 

[PommyMommy]

I can’t think of a single driver who would ever just drop me off in some park late at night. I think the driver clearly did feel she was safe. He may have wondered why is she meeting someone in a park this late, maybe he mentioned this, maybe he didn’t.

Whatever the case, LE refused to comment on the nature of their discussion. Makes me wonder. My Lyft drivers usually know my whole life story by the time I arrive at my destination, but that’s me. I’m chatty like that.

(ETA: I don’t divulge personal details like where exactly I work etc, but general stuff that doesn’t compromise my safety. Actually I’m usually the one doing the interviews, “how long have you been driving for Lyft? Where are you from? Have you had a lot of rides today? Where all have you been today? Are most of your passengers nice? Have you ever had a rowdy passenger? lol. If it’s a young female driver then I have to lecture them in a nice way to remind them that if they ever feel uncomfortable with a passenger they are not obligated to continue driving that person!!)

I listened again, and beginning at about the 12-minute mark there's kind of an odd exchange but it's clear that the Lyft driver understood the unknown person to be ML's ride.

Reporter: Can you say, did the Lyft driver watch her get into the car, or make contact with the person or did she just say, "Oh, that's my ride."

AC Doubt: They did make contact.

Reporter: With the person in the car?

AC Doubt: Yes.

Reporter: And then they see him get in the car and drive off?

AC Doubt: I'm not sure if they actually got in the car or not.