Police Initially Withhold Info On Missing U Student To Preserve Scene
Jun 24, 2019, 12:58 PM | Updated: 3:36 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – There have been more questions than answers in the case of missing University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck, who hasn’t been heard from in more than a week.
Lueck contacted her family to let them know she arrived at Salt Lake International Airport on Sunday at approximately 1 a.m. She then took a Lyft to North Salt Lake. Friends and family have not been able to contact her since then.
Authorities said, as of now, it’s still a missing person case.
Police say Mackenzie Lueck was last seen after being dropped off in North Salt Lake during the early morning hours on Monday, June 17. (Image courtesy Salt Lake City Police)
“The more time that extends and the longer this goes on, the more evidence we’re going to be able to get search warrants on,” said Salt Lake Polic Department Sgt. Brandon Shearer. “Initially, the first few days it’s very hard because we have the ability as adults to not be found if we want.”
Lueck’s friends and sorority sisters said it’s out of character for her to up and vanish without saying a word. And since she lived in the downtown Salt Lake City area, her friends said it didn’t make sense that she would go to North Salt Lake.
Police said the Lyft driver is cooperating with the investigation.
According to a statement from Lyft, Lueck’s route contained no irregularities and it ended at the destination she originally entered.
It said the driver continued making pickups immediately after Lueck’s ride ended.
Police said the Lyft driver is not under investigation.
Officials are intentionally withholding some information, such as the location Leuck was dropped of at in North Salt Lake.
The search continues for missing 23 year old #MacKenzieLueck https://t.co/zPt2jRH0Gm
— Felicia Martinez (@FeliciaNews) June 24, 2019
“The reason is, if this becomes a criminal investigation in the future, we need to have information that the public doesn’t know that we can use if we locate suspects or anything,” Shearer said.
Police say at this time they still don’t have information that leads them to believe Lueck is in any danger or harmed. However, she was due back on a flight on Sunday to California for a wedding, but never made it.
Salt Lake City Police Department has set up a dedicated tip line for the Mackenzie Lueck missing person case. Anyone with information is asked to call 801-799-4420.
