Lawyer for Irishman alleged to have killed US nurse claims she died during "gross" sex game
A 37-year-old Irishman alleged to have killed US nurse Mackenzie Michalski in Hungary has hired a well-known lawyer to represent him
An Irishman who is being detained by Hungarian police in connection with the alleged murder of an American nurse almost two weeks ago has hired a top and well-known lawyer.
Mackenzie Michalski, 31, who was on holiday in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, was last seen at a nightclub in the city on Tuesday, November 5 and was listed as missing by Budapest Police Headquarters later that day.
It is understood that Ms Michalski, who is originally from western 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, at around 10pm. The nurse practitioner had been travelling throughout Europe with a female friend and Hungary was their last stop. The two separated for the last night of their trip.
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A 37-year-old Irish man has allegedly admitted to killing Ms Michalski accidentally after becoming intimate at a rented apartment. The arrested man allegedly informed police after his arrest that he attempted to conceal her body in a suitcase along with her handbag and credit card, which he transported in the boot of his rental car to a marshy area in Szigliget in Western Hungary.
Detectives have also said they found numerous alleged incriminating online searches on a computer. Police also allege that the detained Irish suspect cleaned his apartment. The man has been remanded in custody for four weeks due to what a Hungarian court was told by prosecutors is a flight risk. The court order is subject to an appeal.
György Magyar, the lawyer of the man suspected of murder, told Hungarian news website 24.hu, with the consent of his client, that what happened on the night in question was an “accident".
Mr Magyar is known for representing high-profile clients in Hungary, including Ilaria Salis, an Italian Antifa activist and now MEP who was imprisoned for violent attacks against Hungarians in Budapest. Antifa is a left-wing anti-fascist and anti-racist political movement. He has also defended Ramil Səfərov, who was convicted of murdering an Armenian military officer in Hungary in 2004.
The Irishman, says Mr Magyar, claims that Ms Michalski died during a "gross and aberrant" sex game. Mr Magyar added: “It is quite common for the public to immediately pass judgment that this is a brutal murder, but this is not the case here. The reality is that the two foreigners met at a nightclub in Pest. They drank a lot of whiskey and then went from one place to another.”
The Irishman and the American woman then arranged to go to his apartment nearby, the lawyer claims.
"My client said that the girl asked him to tie her up and to cause her pain because that would make her more excited," Mr Magyar continued. "The boy said that he had not done this before, but he did it at her request. In this sadomasochistic game, things got rough, the girl was deprived of oxygen, lost consciousness and drowned. I think this will be supported by the autopsy report and medical expert opinions.”
“Mentally, he had a panic (and) self-defence reaction. He was so afraid of the consequences that he did it. But let's not prejudge. There is no question of a crime against life, this was at most an accidental act without intention," said the lawyer about his client's behaviour.
Two vigils were held last weekend, in Fredonia in western New York and Budapest in memory of Ms Michalski. In a statement, her family thanked the efforts of everyone, including strangers abroad and officials across the world, for getting involved in helping to find her.
The statement continued: “Kenzie will forever be remembered as 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 humour, positivity, and limitless empathy to help heal her patients and encourage family and friends alike”.
The deceased woman’s funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.
Friends of the missing woman have set-up a GoFundMe fundraising campaign titled Bring Mackenzie Michalski Home, which has to date raised more than $40,000.
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