Missing Utah college student last seen in a Salt Lake City park at 3 a.m.
6/24/19
SALT LAKE CITY — A University of Utah student missing for over a week was last seen meeting an unknown person at a park at 3 in the morning, authorities said Monday.
The Lyft driver who took Mackenzie Lueck from the airport and dropped her off at a park in a Salt Lake City suburb on June 17 told detectives the woman didn't seem in any distress when she met the person, said Salt Lake City assistant police chief Tim Doubt.
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She was dropped at just about 3 a.m. at the park in North Salt Lake that sits in a popular downtown area nestled between apartment complexes and restaurants. A police station is located up the street and the park is a popular spot for families and community events with two playgrounds, a basketball court, baseball diamond and a large, grassy field.
Police have no reason to doubt the Lyft driver's story and have cleared him as a suspect, Doubt said. The Lyft driver, whose identity has not been revealed, gave other rides after dropping off the woman, he said.
Lyft spokeswoman Lauren Alexander said the route the driver took contained no irregularities and ended at the address requested by Lueck.
Jacob Wood, who lives in the area, said he frequently brings his children to play in Hatch Park.
"It's a relatively safe neighborhood, there's no reason to believe it's not a safe area," he said Monday.
Ashley Fine, one of Lueck's friends,
told The Salt Lake Tribune that Lueck's phone has been off since last Monday. She didn't show up for her job at a Salt Lake City laboratory or her classes, she said. Fine described Lueck as a dedicated student and said missing classes was not something she did.
Lueck's cat and car remain at her house. Her luggage hasn't been located either, Fine said.
