BUDAPEST — A Hungarian court sentenced an Irish citizen to 14 years in prison on July 9, 2026, for the 2024 murder of American tourist Mackenzie Michalski in Budapest. The Budapest Metropolitan Court found the man guilty of murder and imposed a sentence of 14 years imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Michalski, a 31-year-old neurosurgery nurse practitioner from Portland, Oregon, was reported missing on November 5, 2024, after she was last seen at a nightclub in central Budapest. Investigators stated that Michalski and the suspect, identified by police as 37-year-old L.T.M., met at the nightclub, danced, and later left together for the man’s rented apartment.

Police stated that the man beat and strangled Michalski while they were engaged in an intimate encounter. After her death, he attempted to cover up the crime by cleaning the apartment and hiding her body in a wardrobe. He then purchased a suitcase, placed Michalski’s body inside, rented a car, and drove approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Budapest to Lake Balaton, where he disposed of the body in a wooded area outside the town of Szigliget.

Police reviewed security footage showing Michalski with the suspect in several clubs on the night of her disappearance, which led to his identification. He was detained on November 7, 2024, and later confessed to the killing after being questioned. After his arrest, however, he initially claimed Michalski’s death had been an accident.

Authorities also revealed that before his apprehension, the man conducted multiple internet searches related to concealing a homicide. Police stated he searched for information on how to dispose of a body, police procedures in missing person cases, whether pigs eat dead bodies, and the presence of wild boars in the Lake Balaton area. He also searched online about the competence of Budapest police. Following his confession, police released video footage showing him guiding authorities to the location where he had left Michalski’s body.

In its sentencing statement, the Budapest Metropolitan Court said: “The defendant did not attempt to resuscitate the deceased, nor did he call for help; according to the court's findings, he intended the outcome of his actions, that is, the victim's death.” The court ordered the man’s deportation from Hungary upon completion of his sentence and mandated that he pay 2.5 million forints ($7,995) in court costs. The approximately 1.5 years he spent in pretrial detention will count toward his 14-year sentence.

The man’s attorney has appealed the verdict. Michalski’s employer, Providence St. Vincent, where she worked as a neurosurgery nurse practitioner, released a statement saying, “Those who worked with her and knew her best say Kenzie was kind and loving — a great friend and a valued caregiver who lived out our Providence mission and values in her daily life.” Her father recalled her affection for the Hungarian capital, stating, “The history, she just loved it and she was just so relaxed here. This was her city.”