Here's a timeline of the events leading up to and after MacKenzie Lueck's disappearance:
Monday, June 17
Lueck texted her parents at 1 a.m. to say her plane had arrived safely at the Salt Lake City International Airport. Instead of going home, Lueck
took a Lyft to Hatch Park in North Salt Lake. She was last seen in the early hours of the morning near the residence [Park drop off location].
The driver went on to pick up other riders that night, according to a statement by the company.
Between June 17 and June 20
Lueck missed her mid-term exam at the University of Utah.
Thursday, June 20
The 23-year-old was reported missing to the Salt Lake City Police Department.
Saturday, June 22
Police said they were
concerned for Lueck's safety, but claimed they had no evidence to indicate that the woman has been harmed or is in danger. Both Lyft and the driver are cooperating with the investigation, police said.
Lueck's family shared this statement about the search:
"Our primary goal is to find and bring her home. Her family is grateful for the concern, prayers and the tireless efforts of the Salt Lake City Police and members of the community."
Friends and family
continued to search for Lueck.
Juliana Cauley told CBS News that "it's not like her to go off the grid, and if she did, then she would tell me. I would do anything to get her back. And honestly, I would trade places with her in a heartbeat just to know she's safe."
Sunday, June 23
Lueck didn't board her return flight home to California.
Monday, June 24
The search for and investigation into
Lueck's disappearance continued.
2News Reporter Cristina Flores spoke to Sgt. Brandon Shearer with the Salt Lake City Police Department about Lueck's disappearance.
Shearer said over the weekend and on Monday, officers searched several places in North Salt Lake--the last place where Lueck was seen. They are also knocking on doors to rule out if anyone near Hatch Park had contact with Lueck, Assistant Chief Tim Doubt with SLCPD said. Police are in the process of
checking social media and writing search warrants.
"An adult has the right to not be found, but the longer this investigation goes on and she is missing this obviously increases the possible threat to her and the possibility that she is somewhere she doesn't want to be," Shearer said.
They don't believe she was there
for long or stayed at Hatch Park.
The University of Utah released a statement about the senior attending its institution. It reads as follows:
"The University of Utah is deeply concerned about the well-being of Mackenzie “Kenzie” Lueck and her family. The university is cooperating with the Salt Lake City Police Department, which is investigating her disappearance. Mackenzie is enrolled part-time as a senior at the U, and is majoring in kinesiology and pre-nursing and minoring in health. She has been enrolled at the U since fall 2014. Because of privacy laws that protect Mackenzie’s personal information, the university cannot provide further details. The university’s dean of students has spoken with Mackenzie’s family to offer support and to express the campus community’s shared hope for her safe return. The dean’s office is also talking with and providing support to Mackenzie’s classmates."
Lyft released a statement late Monday afternoon:
"We recognize how scary this must be for those who know and love Ms. Lueck. The safety of our community is fundamental to Lyft and we are actively assisting law enforcement with their investigation."
Lueck's family also released a statement:
"Mackenzie Lueck has been missing since Monday, June 17, when she landed at the Salt Lake City airport in the early morning. She was last heard from at 1:00 am, when she texted her parents that her flight had landed safely. Since Monday, she has missed her midterms at the University of Utah and has not been in communication with family or friends. We are aware that she had planned to fly from Salt Lake City airport to the Los Angeles airport at some point on Sunday, June 23."
"Our primary goal is to find Mackenzie and bring her home. Her family is grateful for the concern, prayers and the tireless efforts of the Salt Lake City Police and members of the community."
"Mackenzie is 5’6” tall, 120 pounds with a slim/athletic build, medium length blonde hair and brown eyes."
"If you have seen Mackenzie, or have any knowledge or information of her whereabouts since Monday, June 17, please contact the Salt Lake City Police Department at (801) 799-3000."
Police
set up a tip line to help them find Lueck.
The number to call with any tips about
Lueck or her whereabouts is 801-799-4420. Officers are manning the line.
Tuesday, June 25
Police released surveillance photos of Lueck at the Salt Lake City International Airport, showing the clothes she was last known to be wearing.
The FBI was contacted about her missing status.
Police said Lueck had three prior interactions with police, including a moving violation, an assault and found property in January. All of those cases were resolved and are not expected to be related to her disappearance.
"We continue to look into all facets of her life that might have led to her disappearance," Doubt said.
He mentioned othe
r possible social media accounts and reporters at the press conference asked follow up questions but Doubt told reporters there is
no indication of further social media activity, but said it was part of the widespread investigation into her disappearance.
After the press conference,
news broke that the cameras at Hatch Park where Lueck was last seen were not working on the morning she disappeared.
“We have some cameras that are active,” Len Arave, mayor of North Salt Lake, told 2News, “and we’ve given that to the Salt Lake City Police Department, and we have some cameras that I’d consider dummy cameras.”
Wednesday, June 26
Officer
s surrounded a home in Salt Lake City to execute a search warrant.
Police confirmed at a press conference at 10 p.m
. the search warrant was related to the Lueck case.
They did not elaborate further on what was happening at the home located at 547 N. 1000 W. The investigation is ongoing.
Police were seen
searching and photographing boxes and areas of garbage. They were also talking to the homeowner.
2News searched the history of the home and found it’s listed on Airbnb.
The homeowner is a Utah State University graduate who served in the military and is a freelance model, according to his social media pages.
Thursday, June 27
Dozens of boxes of ammunition were found inside the Salt Lake City home allegedly connected to Lueck.
Police have booked a gardening tool and several other items into evidence, a 2News crew saw at the scene.
The owner of the home where police served a search warrant is considered a person of interest in Lueck’s disappearance.
According to Chief Mike Brown with the Salt Lake City Police Department, no arrests have been made. However, the homeowner has talked with detectives.
Several people contacted police to report a mattress and a box spring was given away by the homeowner. The items were possibly given away from a person at 547 N. 1000 W.
The person(s) who picked up these items are encouraged to call SLCPD at 801-799-3000.
"We need the help of the public in this case," Brown said.
The police chief did not confirm what led authorities to house nor did he say that the homeowner was the person Lueck met on the morning she disappeared.
Brown said this case is a digital and forensic investigation. Authorities will continue to follow the digital footprint that's laid out in texting apps and other sources.
The homeowner's neighbor told 2News that he'd "be shocked if he was involved in this." The neighbor described the person of interest as a "very nice guy" who is "well-behaved" and "quiet."
Friday, June 28
A person was
taken into custody in connection to Lueck's disappearance, according to SLCPD.
Police have not confirmed who the person is.
SLCPD announced at an 11:30 a.m. press conference that Ayoola Ajayi, the owner of the owner of the home in Fairpark searched by police for the past two days in the missing case of MacKenzie Lueck, has been arrested and booked for aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping, and desecration of a body.
Friday, July 5
The body of MacKenzie Lueck has been found and recovered from Logan Canyon, Salt Lake City Police say.
The investigation in the Lueck case continues.
District Attorney Sim Gill says his office is screening charges for Lueck's suspected killer, Ayoola Ajayi.
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