CRIME, POLICE + COURTS
Police call owner of home searched in Mackenzie Lueck case a “person of interest”
Jun 27, 2019, 10:21 AM | Updated: 4:00 pm
This undated missing persons poster provided by the Salt Lake City Police shows Mackenzie Lueck, 23, a senior at the University of Utah, who was last seen more than a week ago. Police and friends are investigating the disappearance of the University of Utah student who hasn't been heard from since she flew back to Salt Lake City last Monday after visiting family in El Segundo, California. (Salt Lake City Police via AP)
(Salt Lake City Police via AP)
SALT LAKE CITY — Police Chief Mike Brown told reporters Thursday that the owner of a home that was searched as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Mackenzie Lueck is a person of interest in the case, but said no arrests have been made.
In response to a question about whether this was now a criminal case, Brown said, “This is a missing persons investigation.”
Brown said the owner of that home, in Salt Lake City’s Fairpark neighborhood, gave away a mattress and box spring a few days ago. They are hoping to find those items and talk with the people who picked them up. Police believe the mattress and box spring were picked up by two separate people.
We are looking to find this mattress as well as a box spring in relation to this case. These items were possibly given away from 547 N. 1000 W. If you picked up these items please contact us at 801-799-3000 #MackenzieLueck #missingperson pic.twitter.com/Lqqby7iAxJ
— SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) June 27, 2019
Authorities served the search warrant around noon on Wednesday and appeared to still be actively working on site until early Thursday morning. Late Wednesday night, police confirmed the search was related to the Mackenzie Lueck case but said little else about what they were looking for. On Thursday, police were still positioned at the site.
Video from Chopper 5 shot of the home near 550 N. 1000 W. showed police working in the backyard and digging what appeared to be holes. The property has been used as an Airbnb rental, but it was unclear if it was rented out at the time of Lueck’s disappearance.
Brown got emotional while recounting his conversation with Lueck’s father, Greg Lueck.
“My commitment to Greg is that we would do everything in our power to bring Mackenzie home,” Brown said.
Police are still asking the public to submit tips that may help them find Mackenzie Lueck.
Lueck was last seen by a Lyft driver who dropped her off at Hatch Park early on the morning of June 17 after she arrived back at Salt Lake International Airport from a trip to California. The Lyft driver reported seeing her get into a vehicle with someone else and said she did not appear to be in distress.
