A man convicted of murdering an American nurse in Budapest led a disturbing double life, secretly recording women he approached and tracking his attempts to hook up, according to court documents.
Lorcan Tadgh Murphy, 37, was found guilty Thursday in the November 2024 death of Mackenzie Michalski, a 31-year-old nurse from Portland, Oregon, who was visiting the city before flying home.
Reports from the trial revealed Murphy kept files on his computer of 16 different women he filmed without their knowledge, all of whom turned him down. He reportedly maintained a digital diary where he described his only goal in life as picking up and having 𝒔𝒆𝒙 with women.
Murphy even ranked European cities based on how “hot and willing” the women were, and kept a tally of his attempts, hoping to reach 1,000 before meeting Michalski, sources claim.
The night of the killing, Murphy told the Budapest Metropolitan Court he had a few whiskeys before heading to a bar where he spotted Michalski talking to another man.
“I saw her three times,” Murphy said in court, according to reports. “Initially, Mackenzie was with another man. I saw her sitting on a bench. She was looking at me. I interpreted this as an invitation.”
The two reportedly ordered beers, moved to a secluded area, and later left hand-in-hand for Murphy’s apartment building, where elevator footage captured them together for the last time.
Murphy claimed they engaged in consensual sadomasochistic 𝒔𝒆𝒙, but Michalski’s autopsy told a different story. Her hands were tied with a belt, and she suffered blunt force trauma to the head, bite marks on her arms, and strangulation lasting roughly three minutes, according to court documents.
Police found video on Murphy’s phone of Michalski’s abused, naked body. His search history reportedly included how to dispose of a body, whether pigs eat dead flesh, and the competence of Budapest police.
Murphy admitted to buying a suitcase, stuffing her body inside, and driving nearly 100 miles to dump her in a wooded area.
Michalski’s parents blasted his claims in court, asking how he could “besmirch” their daughter with allegations involving a “perverse” BDSM culture she was not part of.
Murphy was sentenced to 14 years in a Hungarian prison, with deportation and a 10-year ban from the country after release. His lawyers have appealed the verdict, calling it “absolute nonsense.”
What drove a man to keep such a detailed record of rejection and violence?
