Utah Suspect Asked Contractor to Build a Soundproof Room

Request for hooks in walls raised suspicion
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 30, 2019 10:59 AM CDT
Utah Suspect Asked Contractor to Build a Soundproof Room
Police officers stand in front of the Salt Lake City home on Friday of Ayoola Ajayi, who wanted a secret room under the front porch, a contractor says.   (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

The man charged in the slaying of a University of Utah student wanted a contractor to build a soundproof room in his house, no matter the cost, with a thumb lock, hooks on the walls and a secret entrance. "I don’t know what he wanted it for," said Brian Wolf, the contractor, adding, "In my opinion it was for something bad." Wolf turned down the job, ABC reports, about two months before MacKenzie Lueck, 23, disappeared in Salt Lake City. Ayoola Ajayi, 31, was arrested Friday at his home and charged in Lueck's death. Police say Ajayi burned Lueck's body after killing her.

Wolf, who said he "got the hell out of there" after turning down the job, said he's still bothered by the meeting. Ajayi told him that he wanted a secret room about the size of a walk-in closet to hide his alcohol; he said his Mormon girlfriend was going to visit and didn't know that he drank. "As soon as he said he wanted the hooks above head height, I was like, 'Why do you need big hooks up there?'" Wolf told the Deseret News. He said Ajayi told him he planned to hang a wine rack in the room, which was to go in a space under the front porch. He also told Wolf that he wanted a place where he could listen to loud music. The more Ajayi talked about the room, and insisted that he didn't care what it cost, the more suspicious the contractor became. "It just got weirder and weirder," Wolf said. (Lueck was last seen meeting someone in a park.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X