Mackenzie Lueck murder suspect expected in a Salt Lake City courtroom Monday

SALT LAKE CITY – The man charged with killing Mackenzie Lueck will have his first court date Monday.

Former Salt Lake County Chief Deputy Attorney Greg Skordas believes suspect Ayooyla Ajayi will most likely have a standard first hearing. Ajayi will be in the courtroom via videoconference from jail where the charges against him will be read.

The potential death penalty case is a rarity in Utah but not unheard of either.

“This case is pretty egregious,” Skordas says.  “The entire community got behind it, and there was a search for the young woman. Her story was pretty compelling. So, this is a case that may beg for more harsh punishment.”

It’s also unlikely Ajayi will face additional charges or have a bail set because of the nature of the case, according to Skordas.

Geoff Fattah with the Utah State Courts says holding the first hearing via videoconference is safer for the defendant, cheaper, and more efficient.

“Because they’re at the jail, once the judge determines pre-trial release and sets bail, the process is so much more efficient. You don’t have to be transported back to the jailhouse. They can just be processed right then and there,” Fattah says.