Irish man jailed over US tourist's murder in Budapest

An Irish man has received a 14-year prison sentence in Hungary for the murder of an American tourist in Budapest. The 38-year-old Dubliner pleaded guilty to strangling 31-year-old Mackenzie Michalski, a nurse from Portland, Oregon, in November 2024. However, he denied murder, maintaining that her death was accidental during what he described as consensual BDSM activity.

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She died accidentally during consensual BDSM activity.

The Metropolitan Court in Budapest rejected the defendant's claim of an accidental death during consensual sex. It found him guilty of intentional homicide, relying on forensic evidence, expert testimony, and the man's behavior in the hours following Ms. Michalski's death. A forensic psychiatric evaluation noted the defendant's impulsive, aggressive personality traits and severe psychopathology.

Prosecutors stated that the pair met in Budapest's nightlife district before going to the man's apartment, where Ms. Michalski died after being strangled for at least two to three minutes. The prosecution argued there was no evidence of consent to strangulation and highlighted testimony about a previous neck injury Ms. Michalski sustained, making her unlikely to request such acts. Medical experts also testified that the post-mortem injuries were inconsistent with the defense's account.

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The pair met in Budapest’s popular nightlife district before returning to the man’s rented apartment, where Ms Michalski died after being continuously strangled for at least two to three minutes.

Instead of contacting authorities, the defendant allegedly cleaned the apartment, placed Ms. Michalski's body in a suitcase, rented a car, and drove to a wooded area near Lake Balaton to hide the remains. Evidence presented included the defendant's online searches about wild boar consuming human bodies and how Hungarian police investigate missing persons. Police arrested him the following day in Budapest, and he later led investigators to the hidden body. Videos from his phone showed the victim's lifeless body, and a concealed camera contained footage of him approaching women in Budapest.

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The defendant broke down in tears as he apologised to Ms Michalski’s family.