A man has been detained by the police on suspicion of fatally stabbing a female hiker in Arizona.
Lauren Heike, 29, suffered a tragic death after being stabbed from behind while hiking. Authorities believe that Heike was pursued over a barbed wire fence along a communal trail, with her clothes found dispersed along the path.
Heike’s body was located nearly a day after her disappearance, hidden from plain sight off the trail, on the morning of April 29.
The attack occurred on Friday, April 28, around 11 am, while Heike was hiking alone near her residence.
The authorities have confirmed that Heike had 15 stab wounds and injuries on her hands and forearms.
A man resembling the individual captured in a disturbing video on the trail where Heike’s body was discovered has been arrested. The suspect is identified as 22-year-old Zion William Teasley.
Teasley was apprehended close to Scottsdale and Bell Roads, residing near the trail where Heike’s body was found. His apartment was searched for additional evidence.
The police have not yet revealed whether the assault was random or if the suspect had any prior connection to the victim.
The Phoenix Police Department announced the arrest, stating that DNA evidence connected the suspect to the murder.
Teasley faces charges of first-degree murder and has a criminal history that began in 2020, which includes charges such as assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, robbery, armed robbery, and burglary. A judge set Teasley’s bond at $1 million. However, since he is on probation for a previous conviction, he may remain in jail.
