CrimeMackenzie Lueck: Grieving Utah university will hold vigil for slain nursing student from El Segundo

© Associated Press

The University of Utah will hold a memorial Monday evening for Mackenzie Lueck, of El Segundo, whose body was found last week.

The kidnapping and killing of Lueck stunned the university and sparked an outpouring of grief and mourning.

Salt Lake City police announced Friday that Ayoola Ajayi, 31, had been booked into jail on suspicion of aggravated murder, kidnapping, obstruction of justice and desecration of a body.

Lueck, a pre-nursing student studying kinesiology, went missing June 17 after arriving at the Salt Lake City airport following her grandmother’s funeral in Los Angeles. After leaving the airport, she took a Lyft to a park in North Salt Lake, where she met with Ajayi, authorities say.

Mackenzie Lueck, Missing Utah Student, Met Person After Lyft Ride

Police released surveillance photos of Mackenize Lueck, the missing 23-year-old University of Utah student, from the time her family last heard from her on Monday, June 17. The photos show Lueck at Salt Lake City International Airport. Time stamps on the surveillance photos show that Lueck deplaned from an aircraft at 2:09 a.m. and got into a Lyft at 2:40 a.m. During the 31 minutes that Lueck was at the airport, she did not appear to talk to anyone and walked from the jetway to catch the Lyft, Salt Lake City Assistant Police Chief Tim Doubt told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.

Police find the body of Mackenzie Lueck , the missing University of Utah student and El Segundo , California, native. Ayoola Ajayi, 31, is charged with aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping, obstruction of justice and desecration of body in connection with Lueck 's disappearance and slaying .

A native of El Segundo , in the Los Angeles area, Lueck was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and a part-time senior at the University of Utah studying kinesiology and pre- nursing . Some students couldn’t help but draw comparisons between the vigil and that held a few months ago for

It wasn’t immediately known when or how Lueck was killed. Police did not provide a possible motive for the slaying.

Ajayi’s neighbors told authorities that they saw him burning something using gasoline in his backyard on June 17 and 18. When authorities searched his home, they found a freshly dug area along with human tissue belonging to a woman and some of Lueck’s personal items that had been charred, authorities said.

Friends described her as an energetic and caring person who was always there for them.

“I will remember her as a ball of light. That’s what she was. A blond bubble of happiness,” Michelle Galison, a sorority sister, told KSL-TV. “I’ll never forget seeing her face when she became a part of our little family.”

“She’s like a nurturer,” Kennedy Stoner, a sorority sister, told the Salt Lake Tribune. “She’s almost a mother to me.”

Police search home related to disappearance of Utah college student

Mackenzie Lueck was last seen on June 17 when she got into an unknown car.

The charred body of slain University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck was discovered bound in a shallow grave, prosecutors said Wednesday as formal charges were filed against her suspected killer. Ayoola Ajayi, 31, was charged with aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping, obstructing justice

A vigil is planned for Monday night at the University of Utah to memorialize 23-year-old Mackenzie Lueck , who has been remembered as a bubbly, nurturing person who looked after her friends and took care of animals. Lueck disappeared after taking a Lyft June 17 from the airport to a park, where police

The memorial will take place at 6 p.m. on the university’s Union Lawn.

The Lueck family released a statement expressing appreciation for law enforcement’s efforts and asking for privacy.

“The Lueck family would like to express their gratitude for the effort put forth by the Salt Lake City Police Department and partnering agencies who assisted, as well as all of the people that provided tips on this case,” the statement said.

“They are also grateful to her community, her friends, and people around the nation who have supported this investigation. The family will not be taking any questions and no interviews will be held. Inquiries should be directed to the Salt Lake City Police Department.”