Woman was 'dismembered and stuffed into suitcases by Irishman she met'

The body of an American woman who was murdered after a night out in Budapest was dismembered and stuffed into two suitcases, police revealed today.

Mackenzie Michalski may have been killed in a sex game that went wrong, detectives in Hungary investigating her killing have confirmed.

They are also probing whether drugs had been taken and contributed to her death.

Miss Michalski, a 31-year-old nurse from Portland, Oregon, was reported missing in Hungary on November 5.

Less than 24 hours later, an Irishman - who is only being referred to by his initials LTM as per Hungarian law - was arrested.

He confessed to the killing during questioning but insisted it was an accident while the pair were having sex.

Handcuffed and attached to a leash, the man, 37, then dragged police through dense and isolated woodland surrounding a lake on the outskirts Szigliget - a two hour drive from the capital.

Detectives probing the murder are now investigating several lines of inquiries to establish how Miss Michalski was killed and are trying to establish if the death could have been an accident, as the suspect claims.

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Ferenc Rab, spokesman for the police, told MailOnline the force is investigating if the victim's death was caused by 'a sex game gone wrong' or if 'bad quality drugs' had been potentially been consumed.

Disturbing new details also reveal that the victim's body had been cut up and hidden in two suitcases before the suspect drove it to the secluded rural lake.

Coroners are still trying to determine the woman's cause of death.

Meanwhile LTM remains in custody due to the risk of him escaping or hiding. Police also believe there is a danger of him repeating the crime, according to local reports.

It comes just days after the ex-boyfriend of Miss Michalski claimed that she had been 'beaten, raped and brutually' murdered by the suspect.

Kenton Reichen, who had been with the healthcare worker for six years, was supposed to have travelled to Budapest with his girlfriend but chose not to when they decided to break up.

He has since spoken of his heartbreak wishing he 'could have saved her from this' and 'protected her'.

Mr Reichen had been travelling across from the United States with the victim's parents when they were informed that she had been killed.

'Before the trip, Kenzie and I were in the middle of a breakup. She originally wanted me to go to Budapest with her, but I decided not to go with her, so a friend of hers accompanied her instead,' he told a local newspaper.

'She was perfect, but I neglected her in many ways. It hurts me a lot, and I wish I could have protected her. …

'Kenzie did not deserve to be beaten, raped and killed so brutally. I wish I could have saved her from this. This will forever be the biggest mistake of my life.'

The last message the nurse sent to family and friends was a picture of her out enjoying drinks in the Jewish quarter of Budapest. After that, no one heard from her.

CCTV footage had shown Miss Michalski and the suspect dancing in a nightclub before leaving together. They then went back to the suspect's rented apartment where she was allegedly killed during an intimate moment.

Loved ones contacted the Airbnb she was staying in where the owners found her belongings. She went on to miss her flight from Hungary to Amsterdam which was on her route back home.

Following her death, the suspect had searched online how to dispose of a body, what a corpse smells like and whether pigs eat dead bodies. He also researched whether there were wild boars in the area he later dumped her body.

The suspect then cleaned his apartment before allegedly stuffing the victim's body into a freshly bought suitcase and rolling it away along with a handbag, clothes and a credit card with Ms Michalski's name on it.

He then rented a car and drove to the lake in Western Hungary.

Chilling footage later released by the police revealed the moment LTM was arrested and taken into custody.

One section of the video shows the suspect being escorted out of a police car and leading officers through hedges to th elake.

Police dogs watch on as specialists in hazmat suits place markers in the ground at the direction of the killer.

Evidence bags labeled 'one' and 'two' are collected, along with samples of grass and leaves, before the handcuffed Irishman is returned to the police car.

On Saturday night at a candlelit vigil in Budapest, Bill Micahalski, her father, told The Associated Press he was 'still overcome with emotion'.

'There was no reason for this to happen. I'm still trying to wrap my arms around what happened', he added. 'I don´t know that I ever will.'

While struggling to come to terms with his daughter's death, he revealed that Hungary was her 'happy place.'

'The history, she just loved it and she was just so relaxed here,' he said. 'This was her city.'

A statement on behalf of the family was released on a Facebook group set up to find the nurse added: 'Dear members of our community, we are deeply saddened to confirm a report published by Hungarian police announcing the death of our beloved Kenzie.'

It further thanked the efforts of everyone including strangers abroad and officials across the world for getting involved in helping find Ms Michalski.

It continued: 'Kenzie will forever be remembered as a beautiful and compassionate young woman who dedicated herself to caring for others and making the world a better place.

'As a nurse practitioner, Kenzie used her humor, positivity, and limitless empathy to help heal her patients and encourage family and friends alike.'