Police in Hungary have said a 37-year-old Irish man arrested over the death of an American tourist has confessed to her killing, after he tried to conceal her body in a suitcase in a wooded area.
The man was arrested on Thursday following the death of 31-year-old Mackenzie Michalski, who was from Portland, Oregon.
Ms Michalski, a nurse, and known to her friends as Kenzie, was reported missing after she failed to return to her Airbnb accommodation in Budapest.
Police said the suspect claimed the killing had been an accident, but that he then tried to cover up the murder by cleaning his apartment and hiding the woman's body in a wardrobe, while he went out to buy a suitcase.
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Ms Michalski was first reported missing on 5 November and was last seen at a nightclub in central Budapest.
In a detailed statement the Budapest Metropolitan Police said they had reviewed CCTV cameras from the neighbourhood from which she had disappeared.
This footage allegedly showed her meeting the Irish man in one nightclub before they went to another and then returned to his apartment where the police said they had been "intimate" before she was killed.
Police also said the suspect then put Ms Michalski's body into a suitcase and drove in a rented car towards the Lake Balaton area, which is more than an hour's drive from the capital.
Her body was then disposed of in a wooded area outside the village of Szigliget.
The man was captured and arrested on his return to Budapest.
After questioning, police said he revealed where Ms Michalski's body was hidden.
They added that the suspect had carried out internet searches, which included wild boar sightings in the Lake Balaton area, as well as researching how reliable the police were in Budapest and how they handle missing person cases.
The police statement said the man had also researched: "Do pigs really eat dead bodies?" and "What does a corpse smell like after it decomposes", as well as "Budapest webcams".
The investigation is continuing.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is aware of the case and that it is providing consular assistance.
The Head of the Life Protection Department at the Budapest police headquarters, Lieutenant Colonel Sándor Gál, said that the Irish citizen was a suspect for murder.
"He confessed to killing the woman, but claimed it was an accident. After his interrogation, the suspect also showed the detectives where he had hidden the body, and after the body was found, a search was carried out," he said at a press conference in Budapest yesterday.
"During the search, we also intended to use a cadaver dog, but as the suspect showed us the body, the dog was not used. The suspect was taken into custody, and his arrest was initiated after the interrogation."
In a video posted on the 'Find Mackenzie Michalski' Facebook page yesterday, her parents said there were no words to say how grateful they were to everyone who had helped to find their daughter.
They are in Budapest where a candlelit vigil has been held in her memory.
A family statement posted on Facebook said: "We would like to express our profound and heartfelt gratitude to the US and Hungarian authorities and local police for their prompt attention, diligence, care, and consideration.
"And we would especially like to acknowledge and thank members of this grassroots community at home and abroad for contributing to such a remarkable search effort.
"Kenzie will forever be remembered as a beautiful and compassionate young woman who dedicated herself to caring for others and making the world a better place. As a nurse practitioner, Kenzie used her humour, positivity, and limitless empathy to help heal her patients and encourage family and friends alike.
"Thank you for all of your support and continued prayers. During this difficult time, we ask that you please respect the privacy of Kenzie's family and friends, all of whom remain thankful for your love and concern."
