PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – A Portland nurse killed during a trip to Hungary is being remembered around the world, with memorials held in Budapest and her hometown of Fredonia, New York. At both events, friends and family gathered to share memories and support each other.

“This is what he said to me before he left: I’m going to my favorite place: Budapest.” said Casey Springer, one of Mackenzie Michalski’s close friends. He said he felt like he’d known Mackenzie—Kenzie with her friends—her whole life.

“I’ve been through a few ups and downs in my life, and Kenzie was always the steady one there, just keeping it company, because she’s been through her own journey, you know?” said Springer.

They actually met 15 years ago at college in Fredonia. Springer, first of all, is a 31-year-old Providence St. Vincent said his nurse loved to travel. He had been to Budapest several times before and his group of friends knew this drill.

“Girls were always very safe with security checks, having a friend, pinging locations; they know this. That’s how we knew,” Springer said. At midnight on November 5th, he received a call that Kenzie was missing. He said he took action, calling the American embassy, ​​local authorities, the FBI, anyone who wanted an investigation.

“Every piece of information I heard about Kenzie’s last whereabouts started to trigger red flags,” Springer said.

Two days later, on 7 November, Budapest police arrested a 37-year-old Irish man. LTM Police said they met the suspect at a nightclub and they were seen dancing on CCTV at a second club on the night the suspect went missing.

Authorities said Kenzie went with him to his apartment and killed him “while he was nearby.”

Hungarian police said LTM confessed to the murder but claimed it was an accident. They believe she tried to cover up the murder, hiding her body in a wardrobe while cleaning her apartment and returning to put it in a suitcase. Police said he drove 90 miles southwest of Budapest in a rented car and then took them to where he left the bag in the woods. They later arrested him at his home.

Police said the investigation was determined after the murder, when LTM searched on Google with the following phrases: Do pigs really eat dead bodies?; Texas woman killed by wild boar; wild boar sightings in the coastal towns of Lake Balaton; What does a corpse smell like after decomposition? Getting rid of the smell of rotting meat; Budapest webcams; What happens after a person is reported missing? How do the police handle missing persons cases? And How reliable are the Budapest police?

Kenzie leaves behind a boyfriend and a loving family. His family is currently in Budapest, where they attended a memorial service held in the traveler’s honor. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Fredonia, his friends held a vigil on Saturday.

“He shares stories about all his friends in the neighborhood causing mayhem in good old Fredonia,” Springer said. “It warms your heart to know that he was loved at every stage of his life.”

Springer said it’s now about bringing Kenzie home and finding justice.

“He knew the meaning of life, and a lot of people as young as him don’t know that,” Springer said. “31 years old, forever young and forever loved.”

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