The person of interest in the case of missing Utah student Mackenzie Lueck has been charged with murder, Salt Lake City police announced Friday.

Ayoola Ajayi, 31, has been the person of interest throughout the almost two-week-long investigation into Luecks disappearance. Lueck, 23, was dropped off at her home from the airport by a Lyft driver early in the morning June 17 after attending a family funeral and disappeared. Ajayi, who was born and raised in Africa, has been arrested for Luecks murder.

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“After an exhaustive week of investigation, we are filing charges of aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping, obstruction of justice and desecration of a body in the homicide of Mackenzie Lueck,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said Friday at a press conference. “The man charged with these crimes is the person of interest.”

The investigation found Ajayi and Luecks cell phones were close to each other during the time of Luecks disappearance. Detectives searched Ajayis home Wednesday. Neighbors said they saw him burning something using gasoline June 17 and 18, CNN reported.

Chief Mike Brown confirms the arrest and charges filed in the homicide of Mackenzie Lueck. #MackenzieLueck pic.twitter.com/xxqHepe6cM

— SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) June 28, 2019

Female human tissue was recovered at the burn site that was consistent with Luecks DNA. Charred items were also identified as Luecks, Brown told reporters, according to CNN. (RELATED: Illegal Immigrant Charged With Murder Of Iowa College Student Mollie Tibbits)

Ajayi self-published a book in 2018 titled “Read More – Source

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