Found Deceased UT - MacKenzie "Kenzie" Lueck, 23, Salt Lake City, 17 June 2019 #15 *ARREST*

[katydid23]

I speculated this several threads ago, and this theory makes the most sense to me. I know when I was that age it would be no big deal to get breakfast at 3 AM. I think she was likely wired-tired from her flight.

I think its possible AA might have been on the very outer edges of her wide circle of friend group somehow because he seemed to try to infiltrate many different groups often. I don't think she thought the plan was ever going to his house, which made the whole thing even safer to her. He most likely manipulated her while she was in CA, lending an ear offering sympathy and comfort. When the texting occurred at 6, he could have suggested something like, "hey meet me at the park near my house, so we don't wake my roommates up, and we will go grab a bite, and then I will take you home."

The other theories of meeting an SD in the park at 3 AM just don't seem to fit with what people say about ML, that she was smart and hardworking and dedicated. I think if that was the case and he tried to convince her to meet him for whatever reason, and she protested she was tired, but he kept pushing warning bells would have gone off.

I believe this was a fairly innocence meet-up not sexually motivated on her part and that AA made it seem as innocence as possible which we know he was capable of based off some of the nicer things neighbors said about him.
MOO-

I want to believe this theory, but I am not sure about it. How would he have become her 'friend?'---enough of a close friend that she'd want to go grab breakfast at 3am, when she had an exam the next day and a shift at work?

I don't see a sorority girl befriending this guy without some kind of reason. I am still leaning towards the theory that he was one of her SD accounts---and that is how he pressured her to meet up that morning. She didn't want to lose that income, right when she needed it most, due to all of the travels that month, and missing work. JMO

 

[Knox]

AA is mormon as well. Apparently that didn't stop him.

I think it was discussed very early on that although ML was mormon the family may not have been overly strict in their religion.

MOO

I read her family is Mormon, she was raised in that faith. But wasn't practicing or attending church.

In my opinion ML was like many young people, who step away from their faith. Experimenting with life ...

 

[AmandaSkis]

IMO it was totally premeditated and something(s) went wrong. Most likely, he thought it would be as easy as it was in his book...

ETA: and he wasn't a great writer, his book had glaring flaws as well (as much as I could stomach to read).

Yes, this. Unfortunately, my thinking aligns with others in that AA was planning to torture her for a long time. It’s possible he took it too far too quickly and killed her much quicker than he had planned to.

 

[tmar]

Super long time lurker here. WS is an awesome community!

I know it came up (as recently as earlier in this thread, I think) that it was possible ML had previously been to the park where the Lyft dropped her off. However, this is unverified. If perhaps she had not been there before, I wonder if she could have thought it was a safer meeting spot than it turned out to be. Although the Lyft driver apparently didn’t pick up in any uneasiness upon arrival so perhaps not. Sorry.. just thinking out loud here.

As far as why she was meeting him there in the first place, I’ve been considering reasons my friends and I may have done so at that age, and have some theories... All my own opinion.

Firstly, I do not believe it was the first time they met in person. For the obvious reason, that it’s not a great idea to meet someone for the first time alone at 3am. But also because, even if she didn’t have any intentions of a sexual relationship, I just don’t think many young women would want to have their very first meeting with someone right after getting off a flight, especially after a loved one’s funeral.

I seriously doubt ML met AA with a plan for anything sexual to take place that night. While I agree with other posters that she looked beautiful as always in the airport pics, young women are often quite critical of their own appearances. If posters thought her eyes/face looked puffy, I think we can bet that she saw and felt it too. I think it’s very possible that she met with AA for weed or maybe even some Xanax. The drug angle makes the most sense to me considering the time and where she had just come from. Perhaps he said they would go on a “blunt ride” and then he’d drive her home. MOO

Because her phone went off immediately after arriving at the park, I believe this had to be premeditated. Not necessarily well thought out, but premeditated. I also believe ML was murdered at AA’s home. While he (thankfully) doesn't seem to be extremely bright, I still cannot imagine he would murder her by the canyon and then take the risk of not only transporting evidence in his car, but bringing it back to his home. Again MOO

Welcome PurplePolkaDot.
Your thoughts about the case are very reasonable.
Premeditation by AA to go further than what Mackenzie intended.
Perhaps this will become clearer when/if we have their messages from 6pm.
I hope we receive more evidence, to understand what happened.
MOO.

 

[ilovechili]

I want to believe this theory, but I am not sure about it. How would he have become her 'friend?'---enough of a close friend that she'd want to go grab breakfast at 3am, when she had an exam the next day and a shift at work?

I don't see a sorority girl befriending this guy without some kind of reason. I am still leaning towards the theory that he was one of her SD accounts---and that is how he pressured her to meet up that morning. She didn't want to lose that income, right when she needed it most, due to all of the travels that month, and missing work. JMO

I am not sure of the reasons she was willing to meet there but I will say that I agree you don't meet at a park at 3 a.m. to go to breakfast, you meet at Denny's or Perkins.

Jmo though.

 

[mickey2942]

Remember, this is Salt Lake City, I can literally count on one hand the number of places, in the entire valley where people can have breakfast at 3AM in SLC.

If they were meeting for breakfast, ML would have met AA at the Village Inn for pancakes. Not at a park at 3AM. That is " Booty Call".

 

[ilovechili]

Remember, this is Salt Lake City, I can literally count on one hand the number of places, in the entire valley where people can have breakfast at 3AM in SLC.

If they were meeting for breakfast, ML would have met AA at the Village Inn for pancakes. Not at a park at 3AM. That is " Booty Call".

I don't know what it was for but I agree it certainly was not for steak and eggs.

Jmo.

 

[SuziQ]

ITA!

Those who do not become criminals are very often highly successful in the workplace.

Imo, the reason they are is they have no normal emotions or attachments for anyone else including those they work with.

They will gladly throw anyone under the bus at any given time, and never blink an eye.. when trampling others to get to the top, and get what they want.

They are ruthless, and have no concerns about others. Their lives solely revolves around themselves.

They feel entitled to do whatever they want to do.

While these kind of psychopaths do not resort to murdering anyone... often they can make it a living hell for those who are around them.

I believe they are increasing in number.

I read an article a couple of years back in a medical article which stated 1 out of 5 between the age of 18, and 25 years of age now have some type of serious personality disorder. That's very alarming. Imo.

Jmho

You perfectly described a boss or two that I have had.

 

[SuziQ]

Ok. I’ll ask. I’m not trying to start anything but ML was Mormon right? Isn’t it like super duper against their religion to have sexual contact before marriage?

She wasn't an active member.

 

[MassGuy]

I missed this article, but it says it all. This guy doesn’t understand the meaning of the word “no.”

Missy Lewis says she connected with Ajayi on Tinder.

“The suspect was very charming at first, we had a great conversation,” said Lewis.

At first, he wanted to pick her up at home; when Lewis hesitated, she says Ajayi was persistent.

“He said, well how about I pick you up at a parking lot,” added Lewis.

“I said no, I don’t really feel safe doing that,” said Lewis.

After she told him no, repeatedly, she says he snapped.

“Then he started getting belligerent. He kept insisting that’s what we do, and eventually I said hey I don’t really like where this is going, so I think I’m going to unmatch you, and he called me a really bad word,” said Lewis.

Woman recounts almost going on date with suspected killer

 

[ADP2019]

I don't know what it was for but I agree it certainly was not for steak and eggs.

Jmo.

Hi. New here. Do we know who paid for KL's flight to CA for the funeral? Is it possible AA paid for it or gave KL the money in some type of SB/SD agreement?

Seems like roundtrip plane tickets might be a big unplanned expense at a time she had planned to fly out for a friend's wedding. (Tickets, a dress, and a wedding gift really can add up for a financially struggling college student.)

Maybe he paid and she naively agreed to meet him to thank him.

 

[roche.analisa]

My parents have paid for my flights to grandparents' funerals, but I don't know whether KL's family had the means.

 

[PommyMommy]

I missed this article, but it says it all. This guy doesn’t understand the meaning of the word “no.”

Missy Lewis says she connected with Ajayi on Tinder.

“The suspect was very charming at first, we had a great conversation,” said Lewis.

At first, he wanted to pick her up at home; when Lewis hesitated, she says Ajayi was persistent.

“He said, well how about I pick you up at a parking lot,” added Lewis.

“I said no, I don’t really feel safe doing that,” said Lewis.

After she told him no, repeatedly, she says he snapped.

“Then he started getting belligerent. He kept insisting that’s what we do, and eventually I said hey I don’t really like where this is going, so I think I’m going to unmatch you, and he called me a really bad word,” said Lewis.

Woman recounts almost going on date with suspected killer

I will say it again. The guy does not take "NO" for an answer. MOO

 

[MassGuy]

My parents have paid for my flights to grandparents' funerals, but I don't know whether KL's family had the means.

It’s a relatively short flight, and it looks like she traveled during non-peak times, especially that flight back to Utah, which arrived in the early hours of the morning.

This wouldn’t have been all that expensive, and I think it’s probable that her parents paid.

Who knows though.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Well, she never went back and ignored any future calls. Hopefully she never brought her the first time but my guess would be he hoped she would clean regularly and bring the daughter along.

A daughter would be a great control tool for a sadist, not necessarily the target- if AA is one.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

I want to believe this theory, but I am not sure about it. How would he have become her 'friend?'---enough of a close friend that she'd want to go grab breakfast at 3am, when she had an exam the next day and a shift at work?

I don't see a sorority girl befriending this guy without some kind of reason. I am still leaning towards the theory that he was one of her SD accounts---and that is how he pressured her to meet up that morning. She didn't want to lose that income, right when she needed it most, due to all of the travels that month, and missing work. JMO

Another young lady, a senior at the school befriended a different man not but several months previous to this killing. Shot her in her car when she was trying to break it off, and she died while on the phone with her mother listening. Thereafter, he shot himself.
In light of this, I would have thought that the school would make it a priority to educate other students about safety on and off campus. Maybe they did, and some ignored the warnings.
From what I have read, allegedly the school did not do much of anything, until ML was murdered. I don't have the link, but I believe it is all spelled out in the lawsuit that was filed by her parents against the school.
Edit added:
https://nypost.com/2019/06/27/parents-of-murdered-utah-track-star-sue-college-for-56-million/
First link that I came to in a quick search.

 

[trujac]

Human predators are always clever enough to set up a lure, or often bold enough to just grab in broad daylight (as in the case of the 17 year old who grabbed little Jessica Ridgeway as she walked to school). But they're typically too arrogant and unintelligent, and also impulsive, to carry out a truly coherent plan all the way to the end without waving some sort of banner that eventually points to them. They get caught in traffic stops with the bloody axe in the back seat, or the rope in their glove box, or her purse in their closet. If smart phones and current investigative tech had existed when Bundy was around, he probably wouldn't have had the resume that he had. If he was so smart, he wouldn't have gone to prison and been put to death. I realize there are many unsolved cases, but it's more dumb luck and perfect storms on the part of the killer than any 'evil genius' prowess. This one seems especially lacking in smarts and what a gift that's been. JMO

regarding smart or dumb killers...I think there are several killers--Ted Bundy, Richard Ramirez, Kenneth Bianchi, Israel Keyes to name a few, who are started out killing with well thought out plans to avoid detection and evade ever being caught...so called smart killers...as time went on, however, they took greater and foolish chances...seemingly thinking that they were invisible and/or invincible. I think in reality the killers who were initially successful but ended up committing a murder with their name on it--eventually, became a victim of their own sickness--seeing themselves as disposable too.

 

[PommyMommy]

Welcome to Websleuths, @ADP2019! Glad to have you with us.

 

[MassGuy]

regarding smart or dumb killers...I think there are several killers--Ted Bundy, Richard Ramirez, Kenneth Bianchi, Israel Keyes to name a few, who are started out killing with well thought out plans to avoid detection and evade ever being caught...so called smart killers...as time went on, however, they took greater and foolish chances...seemingly thinking that they were invisible and/or invincible. I think in reality the killers who were initially successful but ended up committing a murder with their name on it--eventually, became a victim of their own sickness--seeing themselves as disposable too.

Yeah, as time goes on, these guys tend to get sloppy.

Their confidence increases to the point of arrogance, and they aren’t as careful as they were with their earlier killings.

It’s not so much that they want to get caught (Kemper is an outlier), but they are certainly asking for it.

 

[SoCalGirl]

regarding smart or dumb killers...I think there are several killers--Ted Bundy, Richard Ramirez, Kenneth Bianchi, Israel Keyes to name a few, who are started out killing with well thought out plans to avoid detection and evade ever being caught...so called smart killers...as time went on, however, they took greater and foolish chances...seemingly thinking that they were invisible and/or invincible. I think in reality the killers who were initially successful but ended up committing a murder with their name on it--eventually, became a victim of their own sickness--seeing themselves as disposable too.

Also, don't forget those killers were active during a different time period - before DNA, before cameras, before cell phones, before GPS. Would they have been as "successful" today? I don't think so. One of the theories as to why the Golden State Killer ceased his reign of terror was because he knew all to well the ramifications of DNA testing.