Irish man arrested in connection with death of American woman in Hungary

An Irish man has been arrested in connection with the death of an American woman in Hungary.

Mackenzie Michalski (31) who was on holiday in Budapest was last seen at a nightclub in the city on Tuesday last and has been listed as missing by Budapest police headquarters, according to Hungarian media reports.

It is understood that Ms Michalski, who is originally from New York, had travelled from Portland, Oregon in the US, and was last seen near Szimpla Kert, known as the party district in the city.

She was last seen around 10pm, November 4th at Barack et Szilva Etterem in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest. Her friends received pictures from the bar Szimpla Kert shortly after. Since then, friends and family have received no communication. Her belongings were discovered at her Airbnb after the designated checkout time, and she missed her flight scheduled on Tuesday for Amsterdam.

Her family and friends are in close contact with the US Embassy, consular affairs, US elected officials and media, Hungarian media, local authorities, businesses, legal representation and private investigative services.

Friends reported Ms Michalski, who worked as a neurosurgery nurse practitioner at Providence St Vincent Medical Center in Oregon, as missing to police on Tuesday. Her body was found on Friday in a Budapest apartment.

Police investigators in Terezváros, reports say, have found “several suspicious circumstances in connection with the woman’s disappearance”, and have “not ruled out that the American woman was the victim of a crime”.

Detectives from the District Police Department identified a man with whom the missing woman was seen with in several nightclubs and on Friday evening arrested a 37-year-old Irish man outside an apartment.

Hungarian media reports claim that detectives from the Life Protection Department interrogated the Irish man who has provided a statement and allegedly showed police where he allegedly hid Ms Michalski’s body. A Department of Foreign Affairs statement said that they are aware of the case and are “providing consular assistance”.

The statement added: “As with all cases, the Department does not comment on the specific details of individual cases.”

Police plan to hold a press conference this afternoon in Budapest.

The Providence St Vincent Medical Center told KATU Oregon news that Ms Michalski was kind and loving while describing her as both a friend and a valued caregiver.

Friends of the missing woman have set-up a gofundme.com campaign titled Bring Mackenzie Michalski Home which has to date raised more than €34,000.

Ms Michalski graduated from High School in Fredonia, New York, and a candlelit vigil is set to take place there on Saturday evening.