Ayoola Ajayi Admits Murdering Utah Student Mackenzie Lueck. [24] In addition, Ajayi was sentenced to five years in prison for desecrating Lueck's body. MacKenzie Lueck had not been seen since early in the morning on Monday, June 17, when a Lyft driver picked her up and took her to an address in North Salt Lake, Utah, according to police. and People ask me to build all kind of stuff all the time but nothing like this. Carly Reilly told CNN affiliate KSL that she was instantly drawn to Luecks personality and knew when she met her she wanted to be her big or sorority mentor. She was expected to graduate in spring 2020. . According to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Ajayi's phone records place him in Logan Canyon on June 25, between 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm. Associated Press Brian Wolf told CNN by phone Friday night that he went to Ajayis house for a consult on drywall work, but was asked instead to build a room with a secret door, protected by a thumb print scanner lock. For Advertisement on our Site or to report a problem, kindly contact our team via email address. We (were) both going into the medical profession, so we were kind of study buddies, Roeda told KSL Thursday. 'I deserve what I'm going to get. CLIP 01/11/23. The 32-year-old tech support worker pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony. This sentence today will not bring back MacKenzie, she stated. Shes making those plans with friends and family to have plans for the future. Friends of slain Utah college student Mackenzie Lueck held hands in the front row of a courtroom on Monday as her alleged killer made his first court appearance. Although, from what we can tell, it seems like Diana and Gregory Lueck still reside in El Segundo, California. Ashley Fine told her Salt Lake Tribune about her friendship with MacKenzie. I know this won't bring her back.'. Ayoola A. Ajayi acknowledged he planned the death of 23-year-old Mackenzie Lueck, whom he met on a dating app and arranged to meet in a park. Who did MacKenzie meet in North Salt Lake City? Were so, so worried about you. Salt Lake Police Sergeant Brandon Shearer told KSTU-TVs Erin Cox, Our concern is extremely high right now. Friends say they do not know why Lueck would have been going to the park or who she could have been meeting. [7][11] According to prosecutors, he and Lueck met in 2018 on a dating website called Seeking Arrangement, which represents itself as a platform for "sugar daddies" and "sugar babies" to meet. MacKenzie Lueck is an American citizen studying at Utah University. Once he and Lueck were at his residence in the Fairpark neighborhood, he tied her hands behind her back with zip ties and rope and tried to choke her with his hands, continuing after Lueck told him to stop. I miss her. [9] She attended El Segundo High School where she was on the swimming team and played water polo. My absolute best friend. Furthermore, she is the daughter of her mother Diana Lueck. 'I will never be able to forgive what happened to her. Lyft and their driver have cooperated with the investigation, the press release said. Her phone was turned off a minute after the last text and never turned back on. Mackenzie Lueck's uncle gathers himself before reading a statement from her family during a press conference at the Public Safety Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 28, 2019. On Friday, the . Kenzie Lueck grew up in El Segundo, California, where her family still lives, and she graduated from El Segundo High School. The suspect in the gruesome slaying of Utah college student Mackenzie Lueck self-published a novel about a teenager who witnessed his friend and his neighbor burn to death, and began advertising . Ajayi, 32, listened with his head down as Lueck's parents and cousins spoke during the hearing in Salt Lake City, which was livestreamed for media to watch. This is the park in North Salt Lake where a Lyft driver dropped off @UUtah student Mackenzie Lueck a week ago. , updated Lueck and Ajayi agreed to meet up once she returned from California to Utah. He said detectives have interviewed her friends and acquaintances from school and checked locations she was known to frequent. aggravated murder and desecration of a corpse. Mackenzie Lueck, 23, had been missing since June 17. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Ajayi planned the slaying before the meeting at the park and turned off the video in his home-security system before he left to meet her, his lawyer Neal Hamilton said. Ayoola Ajayi, 31, was arrested and charged with Lueck's kidnapping and murder. If ANYONE has any information, PLEASE reach out to me. Wolf says when he saw the house on the news he called the plumber who referred him to check that it was the right house. Vurbl People: Interviews, Commentary, News . Rest In Peace Mackenzie Michael Gallagher - you will forever remain in our hearts! She has been enrolled at the U since fall 2014. Lueck was on track to graduate in 2020, KSL reported. She wrote, California Grown ? Footage of Mackenzie Lueck at Airport Released. Lueck has three brothers. In exchange, prosecutors dropped charges of aggravated kidnapping and obstructing justice and removed the possibility of the death penalty. Police have said they believe Lueck was killed and have arrested a suspect in connection with her death. Those details remain unclear. MacKenzie Lueck, a 23-year-old University of Utah student, has been missing since June 17 after she returned to Salt Lake City from her grandmother's funeral in Los Angeles. Fine told KTVX-TV that Lueck was planning to return home to California to visit her family again and bought plane tickets for that trip. Im a wreck, so PLEASE share. [17], The trial for Lueck's murder was originally set for March 12, 2020, but was postponed so that prosecutors would have more time to go through evidence and give it to Ajayi's defense attorneys. Having your phone off for five days now, very very bizarre and alarming., Fine told KSL, Shes extremely dedicated. She also posted photos often of her cat, Nova, the outfits she liked to wear and her fitness progress at the gym. Ajayi claimed that he wanted to hide alcohol from his Mormon girlfriend. He faced felony charges of criminal homicide/aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping, obstruction of justice and the abuse or desecration of a human body. MacKenzie Lueck was born in 1995 (age 23 years old, as in 2018) in El Segundo, California (USA). MacKenzie was expected on a flight his weekend to Southern California where she lives in El Segundo, said Kennedy Stoner told KTVX-TV. Actually, her mother-father told their daughter did not come to meet them after her mid-term exams. The Lueck family had not said much publicly since their daughter's charred remains were found in the summer of 2019 in Ajayi's backyard in Salt Lake City. She was a kindhearted person that cared about others. IP, Activitatea de rsfoire i cutare cnd folosii site-urile web i aplicaiile Yahoo. I know this wont bring her back. But the Luecks had already told him that they would never forgive him, making it clear that he would receive no pity, mercy, or compassion from them because hed showed none to MacKenzie. 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Never in my life have I felt anger the way I have the last 16 months. In fact, she grew along with her three brothers. All Rights Reserved. In October 2020, Ajayi pleaded guilty to Lueck's murder and was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without parole. I usually hear from her all the time. She also expressed her love for the popular Barstool Sports podcast Call Her Daddy.. Wolf says when he asked why Ajayi wanted to soundproof the room, Ajayi said that he wanted to be able to listen to music as loud as he wanted to. "[29], Ajayi was also charged with the March 2018 kidnapping of another woman who he met on a dating app. However, Ayoola charged on her murder case by the Mike Brown (Police Chief, Salt Lake City). So, on June 20, when they discovered that her friends hadnt seen or heard from her either, they reported MacKenzie missing. Im extremely concerned for her and her well being.. A Salt Lake City man was arrested Friday on suspicion of killing Mackenzie Lueck, a 23-year-old University of Utah student from El Segundo, and burning her body in his backyard. Diana and Gregory became suspicious that something was wrong on June 17 itself. When MacKenzie landed in the city at around 2 a.m., she texted her mother, Landed, and Love you mama. However, when Diana tried to respond shortly after, she realized that her daughters phone was off. His attorneys then worked with prosecutors to find Lueck's body. [17] She was picked up by a Lyft driver and taken to Hatch Park,[18] where she had agreed to meet Ajayi. #topshop #topshopjeans #topshopstyle, A post shared by Kenzie (@kenzielueck) on May 14, 2019 at 4:51pm PDT, Her Instagram profile shows photos and pictures typical of a college student. They had asked for privacy during the trying times of 2019, and even now, they rarely speak publicly about the matter. Doubt said they are not aware of any past occasions where Lueck went off the grid without telling anyone. Lueck arranged to meet Ajayi at a park, and then went back to his house where he had turned off the CCTV cameras in anticipation of killing her. Please reach out to anyone so we can get you home.. [26] The medical examiners office determined that the body was Lueck's. Shearer told the Deseret News, We have reason to believe she did not stay in that area very long. Shearer did not provide many details, including whether surveillance video or other evidence indicates that she left the area on foot or in another vehicle. On Facebook, the group Find MacKenzie Lueck, has more than 2,000 members. Chief Brown has personally talked with the family and offered our commitment to finding MacKenzie. [7] Ajayi has also been accused by his ex-wife of threatening to have someone kidnap and kill her, leading her to cut off communication with him. . In her last post on Instagram, she tagged her grandparents, mom, and dad. Ayoola Ajayi, who pleaded guilty to murder in the 2019 death of University of Utah student MacKenzie Lueck, was given a life sentence Friday. Friends of University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck said Sunday in a Fox News exclusive interview they believe the suspect arrested in her disappearance and murder was "hunting for women." The company said it is assisting in the investigation. Ajayi then burned her body and buried it in his backyard, Hamilton said. [24], A search of and around Ajayi's property yielded Luecks belongings and some of her remains. Lueck, 23, had just returned from a trip to her California . She is the sweetest and most genuine. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. He went on to attend Berchmans . The death of the friendly student has touched those throughout not only her school community, but also her state. Mackenzie Lueck went missing in June 2019, after returning from a trip home to El Segundo, California, for her grandmother's funeral. She was a member of the water polo team in high school. The case, at . I dont think she would hurt herself or anything like that. Stoner said her friend was a personal assistant to a family. On Facebook, the group " Find MacKenzie Lueck ," has more than 2,000 members. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Ajayi pleaded guilty earlier this month to aggravated murder and desecration of a corpse in an agreement with prosecutors that removed the possibility of the death penalty. According to Begnaud, She put her bag in the car & appeared to be happy to see the driver, when she arrived at Hatch Park. If anyone has any information on Mackenzie or where she may be, please contact SLCPD at 801-799-3000 re: case 19-111129., The Lueck family said in a statement, Our primary goal is to find Mackenzie and bring her home. Police said they have no reason to doubt his story and have confirmed he took customers on rides after dropping Lueck off at the park. Michelle Galison, another of Luecks sorority sisters, told the news station the missing student was unforgettable. [6][7][17][21], On June 20, Lueck's father called the Salt Lake City Police Department to inform them that no one had heard from her since she arrived back in Utah. Heres what you need to know about the search for MacKenzie Lueck: Kenzie Lueck is a student at the University of Utah. Ayoola Ajayi, 31, has been charged with aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping, obstruction of justice and desecration of a body. Her car is still home and hasnt been touched, she wrote on June 21. Ayoola Ajayi, 31, is . He later revealed the location of her body in Logan Canyon, where she was found with her arms bound behind her. (She) was the kind of person who would have a good time no matter what she was doing and have everyone involved, enjoying themselves, Reilly told KSL. Slain University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck has been described by friends as a positive, outgoing person and a bubble of happiness.. Delta Airlines Offers to Fly Singing California Kid and His Entire Family to New York Lueck was returning to Utah after a trip home to go to her grandmothers funeral in the Los Angeles area, her family and friends say. Mackenzie Lueck was a bubbly and jovial student who was a part-time senior at the University of Utah where she was studying Kinesiology and Pre-nursing. Kennedy Chloe is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Gregory Lueck. 'I'm not sure you even have anything to look forward to in the afterlife, if you believe in that,' he said. By A contractor who was referred to a job at Ajayis home by a friend told CNN the suspect asked him to build a secret soundproof room in his home. 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