Mackenzie Lucek Suspect Ayoola Ajayi ‘s Bizarre Past: The case of Mackenzie Lueck, a 23 year old University of Utah student missing for 11 days, took a dramatic turn overnight with police searching and digging the backyard of a home in the Fair Park, Utah area. On Monday June 17th, Mackenzie flew into Salt Lake City airport after returning from a short trip to attend her grandmother’s funeral in California. She never made it home. According to a police timeline, after texting her parents at 2am MST notifying them that her flight had safely landed, Mackenzie Lueck took a Lyft ride and requested to be dropped off at Hatch Park in North Salt Lake City, arriving to the destination at 2:59am. The Lyft driver told police he saw her greet an individual who was waiting for her in a car, and she did not appear to be in distress.
On June 26, police executed a search warrant at 547 North 1000th W. in Fair Park, Utah. Throughout the night and into the morning a massive team of investigators scoured the home and backyard, bringing out boxes and bags of evidence including ammunition. A SkyTeam helicopter captured detectives digging multiple holes in the backyard, and K9s were on the scene.
While no arrest has currently been made, Police Chief Brown confirmed the homeowner, 31 year old Ayoola Ajayi, was a ‘Person of Interest’ in the Mackenzie Lueck case, and is being questioned by investigators (you can read the full Mackenzie Lueck press conference transcript here) Officials confirmed to CNN that multiple pieces of evidence tied to Ms. Lueck were removed from the home. While researching Ayoola Ajayi, some concerning (and disturbing) information came to light. Below, we’ve highlighted it piece by piece- from referring to himself as ‘violent’ in modeling profiles, writing a book about murder, ditching possible evidence, to a super bizarre AirBnB review…there’s a lot to take in.
Mackenzie Lueck Suspect Describes Himself as ‘Violent’ in Online Modeling Profile
Ayoola Ajayi’s online footprint shows the 31 year old attempted to start a modeling career, signing up with a networking site that connects photographers and models.
Along with multiple shirtless, fitness-type photos, he posted a brief bio in the ‘About Me’ section that reads as follows:
“I made this page to help me get in touch with some great photographers, agencies, or clients looking for a classy and professional modeling….I am tall, buffed, Funny. I am a victim, Romantic, Violent and [a] character actor. If i am to described myself using one or two of the celebraties [sic]; i will chose Samuel L Jackson and Dennis Haysbert.”
Mackenzie Lueck Suspect Ditches Mattress & Boxspring Shortly After Her Disappearance
This morning police held a brief press conference and announced they are searching for a missing mattress and boxspring from Ayoola Ajayi’s home. Just days after Mackenzie Lueck went missing, the Utah man placed an advertisement on the buy/sell website ‘LetGo’, offering a free mattress under the Salt Lake City ‘Used Home & Garden’ section. Additionally, Ajayi listed a free queen size box spring on Facebook Marketplace. It seems rather odd (and nonsensical) to take two matching pieces of a bed set and list them individually on seperate selling websites, especially since they are free! This certainly caught the eye of police. They have requested that the person(s) who picked up the items to contact them immediately, as they may be valuable pieces of evidence. The mattress is listed as ‘Sold’ on the Ayoola Ajayi’s LetGo profile page, with the customer leaving a 5 star review.
Mackenzie Lueck Suspect’s Neighbors Complain About Bonfire Lasting Multiple Days with “Bad Smell”
When police began searching Ayoola Ajayi’s Fair Park, Utah home yesterday, neighbors came out in droves to watch, and several spoke with local reporters. They painted a picture of a man who rarely socialized with others, constantly had earbuds in, and often had strangers “coming and going” from the home (he rented out a portion as an AirBNB- we’ll discuss more about that in a moment). But they did note something rather peculiar and out of character for the neighborhood recently took place: Ajayi was allegedly burning a large fire in his backyard. One neighbor stated that the POI lit a fire several times over the course of 2 or 3 days, and the smell was strong enough that it woke her up from a deep sleep. “It definitely assaulted your nose”, neighbor Joseph Peterson told the Salt Lake Tribune, the stench still lingering when he arrived home from work. Another reported that the odor was so pungent, that it set off her daughter’s asthma and wafted through the windows. When neighbors went to speak to the man about putting out the fire, he allegedly told them he was “almost finished”. During the search of the property, police meticulously combed through the area the fire was alleged to have occurred.
Mackenzie Lueck Suspect Wrote a Book About Murder & Being ‘Burned Alive’
Reports that the person of interest, Ayoola Ajayi, in the Mackenzie Lueck case had a raging fire burning in his backyard days after she disappeared, makes the fact he wrote a book about death by fire “inspired by true events” all the more disturbing. Sold on Amazon and reviewed on websites including GoodReads, the book is about a boy who witnessed multiple horrific deaths-by-fire, and ponders over the type of life he wants to live.
Ezekiel was almost 15 when he witnessed a gruesome murder. An angry mob burned his neighbor alive in the street and the man died at his feet. Sadly, it was not the last time he witnessed such horror. With his well respected father as guide and mentor, Ezekiel saw this death, then a death much closer to home when a loved one was killed in the same brutal, terrifying way 50 feet from him, and he could do nothing to stop it. Staggering to recover from these severe traumas, he finds relief and joy in meeting his first love, becomes embroiled in grand theft, and experiences heartbreaking betrayal. Ezekiel must decide if he will join the ranks of a criminal mastermind, or fight to escape the tyranny that has surrounded his young life. Or even beat them at their own game.
When trust is lost, can he even trust himself?
Sitting at 3 stars on GoodReads, reviewers all had similar complaints: constant spelling errors, little backstory, and more holes in the plot than a slice of Swiss Cheese.
Mackenzie Lueck Suspect AirBnB Home Rental & Bizarre Review
John Williamson had the shock of his life when he arrived at the Fair Park, Utah AirBnB he booked at 9pm last night, only to find it surrounded by yellow tape and swarming with police officers. “It’s wild, just wild”, the Forth Worth Texas traveller told The Salt Lake City Tribune. The man at the center of the Mackenzie Lueck case lived in the home for several years, and listed it on AirBnB, an online marketplace that allows homeowners to rent their properties or spare rooms out to guests. He had two portions of his home up for rent: a private queen size bed in the finished basement, and and double size bedroom on the first floor (listed at $36.69 per night). AirBnb has since removed all listings.
Guest reviews were primarily good, stating Ajayi was a responsive host and the price was affordable. Yet three reviewers noted the home wasn’t up to par when it came to cleanliness, the kitchen and bathroom being particularly unsanitary.
The most recent review, left several days ago, stood out like a sore thumb in light of the suspicions surrounding the home and host. “You won’t find a better room for the price. I slept like the dead here”, wrote Chris from Washington. Since the investigation is active and ongoing, and police are very cautious about information they release, there hasn’t been a statement about the curious review. After looking into it more, in all likelihood it’s a horrible coincidence. Some have suggested it is a prank post, but with AirBnB that is not possible- you can only leave reviews on properties you have stayed at, and this review was left before Ajayi was being investigated. Ajayi also left a positive review in return for the guest. More photos of the AirBnB listing are below.
Despite the developments, we truly hope for a miracle in the Mackenzie Lueck case, and her family and friends are in our constant thoughts. The Salt Lake City Police are still looking for tips. If you have any information (even if you think it’s small- let police judge that!) PLEASE do not hesitate to contact them. Calls can remain anonymous. The Mackenzie Lueck Tipline Phone Number is (801) 799-4420.
PHOTOS: AirBNB Listing of Ayoola Ajayi ‘s home, Person of Interest in Mackenzie Lueck Case
Links to Mackenzie Lueck Social Media Profiles & Police Updates:
