Mackenzie Lueck Took A Lyft To Meet Someone In A Park At 3 A.M. — Then Disappeared

The driver has reportedly been cleared; the 23-year-old University of Utah sorority sister has not been seen since June 17.

June 25, 2019
Mackenzie Lueck [Salt Lake City Police Department]

Photo by: Mackenzie Lueck [Salt Lake City Police Department]

Mackenzie Lueck [Salt Lake City Police Department]

By: Mike McPadden

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Authorities say they are actively looking for a 23-year-old University of Utah student who was last seen on June 17 exiting a Lyft vehicle to meet someone in a park at 3 A.M.

According to police, Mackenzie Lueck had traveled to Los Angeles to attend a funeral and then flew back to Salt Lake City. She reportedly texted her parents at 1:15 to let them know she had arrived safely at the airport.

Then, police say, Lueck took a Lyft to Hatch Park in North Salt Lake where she reportedly met up with another person in a car. Allegedly, no one has seen or heard from Lueck since then, and authorities say her phone has been turned off.

Lueck’s parents are on record as having reported her missing on Thursday, June 20.

At a press conference on Monday, Salt Lake City Police Assistant Chief Tim Doubt said the Lyft driver has been cleared of suspicion and that both he and the company had actively assisted in the investigation. Lyft reportedly shared a record of the driver’s route that night and said it contained no irregularities.

Assistant Chief Doubt went on to tell reporters that the driver said Lueck did not appear to be in any distress when he dropped her off at around 3 A.M. The driver also reportedly witnessed Lueck meet up with another individual and get inside that person’s car with her luggage.

Doubt said that, since she vanished, Lueck has missed a midterm exam and a flight back to L.A. for a wedding. He also added, “We don’t have any evidence that foul play has occurred, but the circumstances of her going off the grid and not showing up for appointments and flights is concerning to us.”

Addressing Lueck directly, Doubt said, “Occasionally the police work a missing-person case where the person does not want to have contact with family or friends. If that is the case, Mackenzie, we are asking you to please reach out to either the Salt Lake City Police Department or a law-enforcement agency where you are at. We just want to make sure you are safe and we will respect your wishes.”

Ashley Fine, who is reportedly an Alpha Omega Chi sorority sister of Lueck’s at the University of Utah, reportedly told KSL-TV that she and her classmates have been calling Mackenzie’s phone repeatedly, to no avail. Fine said, “We're Millennials. [Not answering the phone] is very, very unusual. Even if you're missing, or you want to disappear, you have to turn your phone on to GPS.”

Family and friends have also reportedly actively been searching for Lueck both online and near the site where she was last seen.

In an email to USA Today, a Lyft spokesman reportedly wrote, “We recognize how scary this must be for those who know and love Ms. Lueck. The safety of our community is fundamental to Lyft and we are actively assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”

Police are asking anyone with tips or information to contact them at (801) 799-3000 regarding case 19-111129.

Next Up

Indigenous Student Ashley Loring HeavyRunner Still Missing

Her sister vows “to keep standing for our missing so that one day that we will be seen as the same — as important.”

Missing American Student Studying Abroad In France Found Safe In Spain

An American student studying abroad in France went missing for over two weeks. After seeing himself on the news, he reached out to his family and has been found safe in Spain.

No Leads Or Information Available In Mysterious Florida Disappearance

Haneul Oh, a 22-year-old Korean national, has been missing from Davie, Florida since December 2021.

Brendan Santo Vanished Without A Trace From Michigan State University Campus

Brendan Santo, a freshman at Grand Valley State University, was visiting friends for the Michigan State vs. University Of Michigan football game. He was last seen on October 29, 2021.

Two Texas Teens Left After Curfew In 1988 And Never Returned

Police in Carrollton, Texas, initially thought Stacie Madison and Susan Smalley were runaways.

Have You Seen Missing Teenagers Asia Wilbon Or Mackenzie Marken?

Both girls vanished during the night from their families’ homes.

Mother Of 2, Rajah Adriana McQueen Vanished From Ohio In 2021, FBI Offering $25K Reward

The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information that could lead to the recovery of Rajah Adriana McQueen. She was last seen in Cleveland, OH in the summer of 2021.

29-Year-Old Woman Arrested After Enrolling In New Jersey High School

A 29-year old woman from New Brunswick, New Jersey, posed as a high school student and attended classes for four days before she was caught and arrested.

In 2016, Kristal Reisinger Said She Was Raped, Then She Vanished In The Colorado Woods

Rumors surround the alleged sexual assault and disappearance of the 29-year-old mom, who went missing on July 13, 2016.

Natasha 'Alex' Carter Missing Since 2000, Allegedly Abducted By Her Mother

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created an age enhanced photo of what Natasha “Alex” Carter may look like at 29-years-old. She has a scar on her left eyebrow.