Missing Utah Student Got Into Mystery Vehicle After Lyft Ride — But There's No Evidence of Foul Play
On the night she went missing, University of Utah student McKenzie Lueck took a Lyft from the airport to a park. According to Salt Lake City Police, the 23-year-old met someone in a vehicle on the night of June 17.
Lueck hasn’t been seen since. She hasn’t used her phone or contacted anyone, nor has she posted on social media. Her family filed a missing persons report on Thursday afternoon.
During a Monday press conference, assistant police chief Tim Doubt told reporters that there was no evidence of foul play, and suggested that Lueck may have opted to “go off the grid.”
“MacKenzie, we are asking you to please reach out,” Doubt said at the press conference. “We just want to make sure that you are safe, and we will respect your wishes.”
The Salt Lake Tribune reports Lueck had been in her native California to attend her grandmother’s funeral. According to Doubt, she landed back in Salt Lake City at 1:35 a.m. She texted her mother at 2:01 a.m. At 2:42 a.m., she caught a Lyft to Hatch Park. There she met the person in the vehicle.
The Lyft driver told police that Lueck did not appear to be in distress. After dropping Lueck off, the driver went on to pick up other passengers. The driver has cooperated with police, Doubt says.
A spokesperson for Lyft told PEOPLE that there were no irregularities with Lueck’s trip and that the North Salt Lake address she entered in the app is the destination at which she was dropped off.
Those close to Lueck are baffled by her disappearance.
Her friend and Alpha Chi Omega sorority sister Ashley Fine told the Salt Lake Tribune she had no idea why Lueck would head to North Salt Lake, as she does not live there.
“It’s not like her to go off the grid, and if she did, then she would tell me,” friend Juliana Cauley told CBS News. “I would do anything to get her back. And honestly, I would trade places with her in a heartbeat just to know she’s safe.”
In a statement, Lueck’s family thanked the many people taking initiative to help find their daughter.
“Our primary goal is to find MacKenzie and bring her home,” they told KUTV in a statement. “Her family is grateful for the concern, prayers and the tireless efforts of the Salt Lake City Police and members of the community.”
A spokesperson for the University of Utah confirmed to PEOPLE that Lueck is a senior pre-nursing major at the school.
“The university is working closely with the SLCPD to provide information and support to their investigation,” the spokesperson said.
Anyone with information about the 5’ 6”, 120 lb. Lueck is encouraged to call (801) 799-3000.
