Neighbor: ‘I Would Be Shocked If He Was Involved’
Jun 27, 2019, 5:01 PM | Updated: 9:20 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Residents in the Fairpark neighborhood where police executed a search warrant in connection with the disappearance of college student Mackenzie Lueck.
There were nothing but questions from neighbors, as detectives from the Salt Lake City Police Department served the warrant at a home near 550 North and 1000 West on Wednesday afternoon into Thursday morning.
“This is so unbelievable,” said Teresa Cook, who lives across the street.
Authorities said the search warrant is connected to the disappearance of Mackenzie Lueck who has been missing for 11 days.
Police Chief Mike Brown announced Thursday that the homeowner is a person of interest.
“I’ve had many conversations with him in the past and he’s very friendly, very cordial and very private,” said a neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified.
Neighbors said the homeowner has lived there less than two years. He rents out part of his home on Airbnb.
“We’re just used to seeing people come and go,” Cook said. “It’s gotten to the point that we don’t even notice it anymore.”
“I would be shocked if my neighbor was involved in it in any shape or form,” the other neighbor who didn’t want to be identified said. “I really would.”
Other neighbors described the homeowner as a man who kept to himself.
Overnight, the Chopper 5 captured exclusive video of detectives in the backyard with shovels in hand, digging holes. Other investigators were seen carrying bags of evidence from the home.
The home is about five miles, or a seven minute drive, from Hatch Park in North Salt Lake – the same place where police said Lueck’s lyft driver dropped her off on June 17.
“We’re just hoping it’s not related to the missing gal at all,” the neighbor said of the search warrant and investigation at the home. “(We hope) that she’s alive and well somewhere.”
