An Irishman, identified only by his initials LTM, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for the murder of Mackenzie Elizabeth Michalski, a 31-year-old nurse from Portland, Oregon. Michalski went missing in Budapest in November 2024 while on holiday in Hungary.
LTM met Michalski at a nightclub and invited her to his apartment for sex. According to the Budapest-Capital Regional Court, he then tied her up, assaulted and strangled her before attempting to conceal her body. He cleaned the apartment, placed her body in a newly purchased suitcase, and drove approximately 90 miles southwest to woods near Lake Balaton to hide it.
The court found LTM guilty of murder, stating that he did not attempt to help Michalski and that he intended the outcome of his actions, which was her death. An autopsy revealed Michalski died from strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head.
Michalski was reported missing by friends on November 5, 2024, after she did not check out of her Airbnb and missed her flight home. Security footage showed her leaving a nightclub with LTM, and he was arrested two days later. He led investigators to her body.
During the trial, LTM's defense argued that Michalski's injuries resulted from consensual rough sex and that she had asked him to choke her, leading to an accidental death. Prosecutors rejected this defense, noting that Michalski had an old neck injury and no history of BDSM interest. Evidence found on LTM's phone included disturbing videos of Michalski's body and footage of him approaching other women. Investigators also found internet searches related to whether pigs eat dead bodies and the reliability of Budapest police.
Michalski's mother told the court that her daughter's face was unrecognizable and implored the court to impose the harshest penalty. She also spoke out against Hungarian laws that protected the defendant's identity.
After serving his sentence, LTM is to be deported to Ireland. His defense has filed an appeal against the verdict and sentence.
Michalski was remembered by her family as a compassionate young woman dedicated to caring for others. Her former boyfriend, Kenton Reichen, expressed his regret and sorrow on social media.
