Father of Nurse, 31, Murdered During Hungary Vacation Speaks Out: 'No Reason for This to Happen'

Mar. 15, 2025

Mackenzie Michalski.Photo:GoFundMe

GoFundMe

The father of the 31-year-old American nurse who waskilled during a recent trip to Budapestis “still overcome with emotion," he revealed during a vigil held for his daughter over the weekend.

The next day, police released further details about the man, who claimed the killing was an “accident.”

Now, Mackenzie’s father, Bill Michalski, has spoken out about the circumstances surrounding her death. During a candlelight vigil held in Budapest on Saturday, Nov. 9, Bill spoke with theAssociated Pressand claimed “there was no reason for this to happen.”

“I’m still trying to wrap my arms around what happened," he said. “I don’t know that I ever will.”

Bill, who was wearing a cap that his daughter gifted him, added that Mackenzie had been to Budapest before, calling it her “happy place,” per the AP.

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

People hold candles at vigil for Mackenzie Michalski in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky

AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky

Police added, per the release, that the suspect took the victim to his apartment, where they got “intimate,” before he admitted to killing her.

He’s also alleged to have made various internet searches about how to dispose of dead bodies and if pigs eat them, as well as the smell of decomposing corpses, the competence of Budapest police and missing-person case procedures.

AGoFundMecampaign noted that Mackenzie, a Western New York native, had last been spotted around 10 p.m. local time on Nov. 4 at Barack et Szilva Etterem in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest, before her friends discovered she was at bar Szimpla Kert.

The campaign has since surpassed its $35,000 goal, and the nurse practitioner’s friends and family also launched aFacebookgroup dedicated to her search.

She called Mackenzie — who worked as a nurse in Portland and was originally from the New York village of Fredonia — “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,” Eustace continued. “We are thankful that Kenzie’s soul is now at peace. Her memory and legacy will endure in the hearts of all whom she’s touched.”

“To understand Kenzie’s spirit is to wholeheartedly embrace the vast joy and wonder of life,” she added. “Her wish for the world: fully embrace the present moment, be your authentic self, practice kindness, and always walk in the light.”

Family friend Melissa Pietrkiewicz helped organize the vigil and told the outlet that she hoped loved ones would leave with “a little bit of peace” as they grieved with each other at the village’s Barker Commons.

“That’s what this is all about, you know, a small community. We look out for one another, we love one another and we grieve with one another when it’s necessary,” Freedonia Mayor Michael Ferguson told the outlet.

source: people.com