An Irish man was convicted of murdering an American nurse in Budapest this week, with investigators describing his life of “perversion” that included keeping secret records of women and detailed journal entries documenting his encounters.
Lorcan Murphy was convicted Thursday in the 2024 killing of American nurse Mackenzie Michalski inside his Budapest apartment. According to the Irish Independent, investigators found files on Murphy’s computer containing secret recordings of encounters he had with women. The Hungarian police characterized Murphy as living a life of “perversion” where he would use the recordings and digital diary entries to explain that his only goal in life was to hook up with women. Murphy reportedly had footage of 16 different women who declined to sleep with him.
Murphy had kept a record of the best European cities where he found the most “hot” and “willing” women. He also kept track of the number of attempts he had, with a goal of 1,000.
Michalski had finished a European trip with a friend and was experiencing the nightlife in Budapest before returning to the US. Murphy said he had “a few whiskeys” at his apartment before going to the bar and seeing Michalski.
“I saw her three times [in the bar],” Murphy said. “Initially, Mackenzie was with another man. I saw her sitting on a bench. She was looking at me. She kept looking at me. I interpreted this as an invitation [to approach her].”
The pair left for a nightclub to go dancing, with video footage showing the two walking hand-in-hand to Murphy’s apartment building. Murphy said they engaged in consensual sadomasochistic sex.
Michalski’s autopsy report found that her hands had been tied with a belt while she was assaulted. Her body had signs of blunt force trauma to the head. Additionally, a video of her abused corpse was found on Murphy’s phone.
Murphy's search history included topics like how to dispose of a body, if pigs eat dead bodies, and wild boars in the Lake Balaton, Hungary area. He also admitted to buying a suitcase to put the victim's body inside before driving to a wooded area to dump her body.
Murphy told the court the murder was an accident during the “intimate encounter.” He was found guilty on Thursday of murder and sentenced to 14 years in prison, with deportation after his release and a ban from the country for another 10 years.
