BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP - Modified) — A court in Hungary has sentenced an Irish citizen to 14 years in prison for strangling 31-year-old Mackenzie Michalski, a Western New York native, to death in the country's capital in 2024.
Michalski, who was originally from Fredonia but moved to Portland, Oregon, was in Hungary on vacation and was reported missing on November 5, 2024, after she was last seen at a nightclub in central Budapest.
Police launched a missing person investigation and reviewed security footage from local nightclubs where they observed Michalski, who went by “Kenzie,” with a man later identified as the suspect in several of the clubs the night of her disappearance.
The man, whom police identified by the initials L.T.M and was 37 at the time, was detained on Nov. 7 and questioned, and later confessed to the killing.
Investigators said that Michalski and the suspect met at a nightclub and danced before leaving for the man’s rented apartment. The man beat and strangled Michalski while they were engaged in an “intimate encounter,” police said.
WATCH: Western New York native traveling in Hungary found dead, man arrested for murder
After her death, the community came together and held candlelight vigils in Fredonia and Budapest in her memory.
WATCH: Family and friends remember Mackenzie Michalski as investigation into her death continues in Hungary
The Budapest Metropolitan Court on Thursday found the man guilty of murder and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The roughly 1 1/2 years he has already spent in detention will count toward his sentence, at the end of which the court ordered his deportation from Hungary.
The man must also pay 2.5 million forints ($7,995) in court costs. His attorney has appealed the verdict.
After his arrest in 2024, the man claimed Michalski's death had been an accident. But police said he had attempted to cover up his crime by cleaning the apartment and hiding Michalski’s body in a wardrobe before purchasing a suitcase and placing her body inside.
He then rented a car and drove to Lake Balaton, around 150 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Budapest, where he disposed of the body in a wooded area outside the town of Szigliget.
WATCH: Budapest Police believe Fredonia native on vacation was 'intentionally murdered' by suspect
Video released by police at the time showed the man guiding authorities to the location where he had left the body. Police said he had made internet searches before being apprehended on how to dispose of a body, police procedures in missing person cases, whether pigs really eat dead bodies, and the presence of wild boars in the Lake Balaton area.
He also made an internet search inquiring on the competence of Budapest police.
Mary Eustace and Brooke Adams, two of Michalski's best friends from their time together at Daemen University, were among the first to raise the alarm when Michalski became unreachable in early November 2024. Their efforts to find her drew national attention within 24 hours.
Eustace said she is grateful for the sentence, but acknowledged the fight is not over.
"It's not over because the defendant is definitely appealing. They've already announced that," Eustace said.
Adams echoed that sentiment, saying the possibility of an appeal makes it impossible to feel a sense of finality.
"In my opinion, I don't think there's closure. I mean, it seems like there could be, but now that he can appeal. That's not closure. That's just ripping open a wound and allowing it to bleed more," Adams said.
WATCH: Irish citizen sentenced to 14 years for killing WNY native in Hungary in 2024
Despite the pain, Eustace said the conviction offers some peace.
"Grateful that for 14 years, pending appeal that. That no other girls are going to be hurt for that period of time. That gives us a lot of peace and a lot of comfort," Eustace said.
Those who knew Michalski describe her as someone who was deeply devoted to others.
"She really enjoyed her life, and she cared about everyone. She cared about her patients. She cared about if somebody got hurt on the street, she dropped things to help them," Eustace said.
Eustace and Adams continue to honor Michalski's memory through travel tokens and fundraising for causes she cared about.
"I just want Kenzie to be remembered for the shining light that she was, the sunshine she brought to everyone's lives, and for the good work she did with being a part of a dachshund rescue and loving animals," Eustace said.
