Found Deceased UT - REMAINS FOUND - MacKenzie "Kenzie" Lueck, 23, Salt Lake City, 17 June 2019 #9 *ARREST*

[Dhighsmith]

Also get look at search warrant detail.

Wonder when we'll see a charging document?

 

[ChiCubs2016]

(((Yellowmoose)))

I am so sorry.

@yellowmoose I am so sorry for your lose. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Kenzie's family. This is heartbreaking. I have been so grateful of the information you have provided.

 

[EmilyVan]

Does Utah have the death penalty?

How about public executions? JMO

 

[Amonet]

RIP Kenzie

 

[oviedo]

From the presser - they mentioned contact on June 16th between the killer - but are not elaborating anything further. Are the arrest warrants public in UT?

 

[Ragnarok]

Trial.

How heartbreaking Not releasing any further info. Wonder if we'll ever learn more. Just terrible. So very sad.

 

[ZZbball22]

@yellowmoose

My heart goes out to everyone close to her and everyone involved in trying to help bring her home.

 

[Joe Friday]

Glad she has been found, not sure why it took so long. LE had all the evidence they needed from her phone records. They should have been at that house days ago.

JMO

 

[girlhasnoname]

Sadly another innocent woman, killed at the hands of a creepy predator. I am not surprised at the outcome, but deeply saddened.

Sincere condolences to Kenzie's family and friends during this time. Devastating news.

 

[poppydarling]

Devastating. I hope Kenzie rests easy and knows just how loved she is.

 

[PixieStix]

Does Utah have the death penalty?

Yes for aggravated murder I don't have a link to that. Will find and edit.

 

[LucasDAP]

@yellowmoose, @tacostacostacos, @SoCalGirl and anybody else who has been affected by these terrible news. All my love to you, here if you need anything. Peace.

 

[Dhighsmith]

Anyone else getting “database” error here?

 

[Emi]

Michael Locklear on Twitter
Michael Locklear‏Verified account @MichaelLocklear 27s28 seconds ago
For clarification, an officer just told me there is no second person in custody now. A police spokesman said that earlier this morning. Just one man accused of murdering #MackenzieLueck.

 

[Coquette]

I wish they would have said why she was meeting him at 3AM in a park, especially since he said he did not know her. Doesn't sound like they were friends....

He was in touch with her the day before she landed. This was stated at the presser. I believe that he did know her. He denied everything, but they found digital evidence to prove he was lying.

 

[J Block]

I am former Army Officer (MOS 14A). If he was indeed an Army IT Specialist, it is most likely that his MOS was 25B. Normally, Battalions have a few of these Soldiers assigned to them in a supporting function as well as an Office or Senior NCO as head of that "shop". In my experience, the newer 25Bs were normally fairly intelligent (you need a higher ASVAB score for technical specialties), but fairly useless until the got the real on-the-job training that only experience can bring. Him not completing his initial commitment could be several things: disciplinary issues leading him to be chaptered out, a medical issue that made him permanently non-deployable and he was Med-Boarded out, failure to meet standards to maintain appropriate security clearance, extreme personal hardship (not likely), or becoming a single parent with no one to take your kid if you deploy. I'm gonna make a guess and go with medical or he had disciplinary issues. I find it interesting that they are referring to him as a "former Soldier" rather than a Veteran. I think thats the media doing what it does.

When a Soldier or former Soldier is arrested and its a national story, the FB and other social media groups that I belong to will light up with all the Soldiers who went to Basic, AIT, or were in the same unit with him. What they have to say will tell a better story than his DD214.

If I remember correctly, it was stated somewhere, that he had “severe allergies”. I also believe he had a “respiratory emergency” while Police had initially questioned him.

 

[shanadk]

Worked less than 2 years for the Army. Resume is full of lies.

Warning signs everywhere.
Women coming and going from house..

Warning signs

 

[SuperTmo]

Burning on June 17th and 18th. During the digging, personal items belonging to ML and human tissue recovered later identified as belonging to Kenzie. OMG I am so sorry!

It sounds like his burning wasn’t as effective as he expected so he buried what he couldn’t burn?

 

[ludakristen]

Glad she has been found, not sure why it took so long. LE had all the evidence they needed from her phone records. They should have been at that house days ago.

JMO

They didn't get her phone records right away. They had to get warrants and all that stuff, it took some time.

 

[gitana1]

Absolutely crushing

Super sad. I was impressed, however, with the dignity and solemnity of the LE officials present.

 

[Elle*Bee]

I always assumed the bonfires were AA's disposal of Kenzie's body. It fit with his book. Life imitating art. A delusional and twisted pathological liar living out some sick fantasy. She didn't stand a chance.

MOO.

I had considered the possibility, but thought it unlikely due to the length of time/amount of heat required combined with the proximity to neighbors. I thought he might have taken her elsewhere but burned her belongings.

Edited to add: the only thing that had me wondering about the fire was the presence of the ME van.

 

[morty4185]

So extremely sad. We live in a very broken world.

 

[DenaliSpirit]

My, my, my.

For a technical wiz, this guy was about as incompetent as it gets.

Just stunningly stupid and evil.

I imagine that detectives interviewing him wanted to jump out of their chairs in excitement, the second he started rattling off provable lies.

“Got you assh***.”

Leads me to believe this wasn't premeditated. Of course he could just be really stupid for someone who works in IT.

I wish they would have said why she was meeting him at 3AM in a park, especially since he said he did not know her. Doesn't sound like they were friends....

I don't think we'll hear the details of that for quite some time.

 

[dancemom]

This is heartbreaking. So sorry for all who knew and loved Kenzie.

I'm sure LE are on top of it, but I hope they look into all of his online connections, AirBnB customers, etc to see if there are any links to other missing women.

Edited to complete last sentence.

 

[DissociativeFugue]

Oh my God. He really did burn her. I thought that the bonfires were him burning her personal effects (suitcase, etc.) as burning plastic can have a really nasty smell. But no, he burned her too. /:

My deepest condolences to her family and friends. I have no words. I can only pray that they find some type of peace and comfort right now.

MacKenzie is just one year younger than me. She could have easily been a friend of mine. It hits a bit close to home being that she is in my same age group.

What she went through must have been terrifying; I hope it was quick. I also hope that this SCUM OF THE EARTH is shown no mercy in court & is prosecuted to the highest extent of the law.

May she Rest In Peace. To family and friends, I am so sorry. Please accept my deepest sympathy.

Fly High MacKenzie Lueck

P.S. Does Utah have the death penalty? If so, what is the likelihood this could receive it?

 

[MassGuy]

Exactly. This had to be so easy for LE to follow his trail. So easy.

Yup. And a conviction is a foregone conclusion now.

Tremendous evidence against him.

 

[Kadoober]

Glad she has been found, not sure why it took so long. LE had all the evidence they needed from her phone records. They should have been at that house days ago.

JMO

They were at his house the day after they got her records.
Things moved very quickly once they had those in hand.

 

[cedgison]

How in the WORLD did he think he wouldn't be found?

That's what I want to know, too. He's, seemingly educated, and works in IT... he had to know about digital footprints.

 

[oviedo]

I'm always so impressed when a family member decides to speak at these announcements - I don't know how they do it.

 

[Kadoober]

KSL has just stated that the 2nd person initially taken into custody was ONLY taken in due to LE policy, as he was in the apartment with the perp at the time.
He has not been held, and KSL will no longer show his image on their station.

 

[cedgison]

My condolences and prayers go out to @yellowmoose, Mackenzie's family and friends, sorority sisters and all who are affected by this tragedy.

 

[VanillaRose]

Michael Locklear on Twitter
Michael Locklear‏Verified account @MichaelLocklear 27s28 seconds ago
For clarification, an officer just told me there is no second person in custody now. A police spokesman said that earlier this morning. Just one man accused of murdering #MackenzieLueck.

Apparently, they arrested the second man at first because he was with the POI when he was arrested, but he was cleared & released. Only the POI is being charged with her murder.

 

[PommyMommy]

Man charged with murder, kidnapping of missing Utah student Mackenzie Lueck
[...]

Ayoola Ajayi is charged with aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping and other charges, authorities announced.

Salt Lake City police chief Mike Brown said he personally telephoned the young lady's parents in Southern California to tell them their daughter was dead.

“This is one of the most difficult phone calls I have ever made as both Greg and his wife Diana are devastated, are broken by this news," Brown said.

[...]

Man arrested on suspicion of murder, kidnapping in disappearance of MacKenzie Lueck
A man has been arrested and will face charges of murder, kidnapping and obstruction of justice in the death of missing University of Utah student MacKenzie Lueck.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown identified the man as Ayoola Ajayi.

Ajayi was arrested Friday morning after SWAT personnel responded to an apartment complex in Salt Lake City.

Police said during Friday’s press conference that forensic evidence collected at a home Ajayi owns revealed DNA belonging to Lueck.

Police said the man is accused of murdering the woman and burning her remains in his backyard in an attempt to hide the crime.

[...]

 

[klind55]

Does Utah have the death penalty?

Yes.

 

[DissociativeFugue]

Also, I hope her peers (and family) utilize appropriate resources to heal after this tragedy.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

Do charging documents/documents for search warrants get posted to media threads once they are made public?

 

[SuperTmo]

My internet took a crap during the presser and I missed a lot.

Did they say if they knew each other? What a motive might be?

 

[InspectGadget]

@yellowmoose, I am deeply sorry for your loss.

Sending you hugs from across the country!

Any one of us would consider ourselves to be lucky to have as dedicated and loving of a friend as you are to Kenzie. You and all of her friends define and represent how wonderful of a young woman Kenzie truly seemed to be.

While still new to Websleuths, I have been following a few cases whose end result made me cry tbh. However, the value of the website as a forum for those helping every single victim is why I keep coming back. Despite the sometimes horrible world we live in, I feel it is a true testament to the wonderful people there are in this world as well. Appreciation to all who have been an advocate for Kenzie and other victims here.