Convict indicted in the murder of Arizona esthetician, 29, who was stabbed FIFTEEN times
A convicted felon accused of stabbing an Arizona beautician who was walking 15 times has been charged with murder just weeks after her brutal murder.
On Monday, Zion William Teasley, 22, was formally notified that he is suspected in the death of Lauren Heike, 29, who was found with more than a dozen stab wounds.
Heike’s body — which was scraped and bloodied — was found 24 hours after she went missing on April 28 while hiking on Reach 11 trail in Phoenix.
Teasley, who has a criminal record dating back to 2020, including assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, armed robbery and burglary, is currently being held following his May 4 arrest.
If found guilty, Teasley could face the death penalty, which prosecutors say could be on the table in the grisly murder.
“My heart goes out to the victim’s family and the pain they are experiencing in losing their loved one this way,” said Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “Our office will work diligently to seek justice for Lauren and her family.”
Zion William Teasley, 22, was indicted on one count of first-degree murder in Heike’s death. Pictured: Teasley at a hearing following his May 4 arrest
Lauren Heike, 29, who was killed on a hiking trail after being stabbed 15 times in the back and chest, fought off her attacker and ran away before collapsing
Prosecutors say a combination of DNA and other evidence links the Phoenix man to Heike’s murder.
Included is video of him allegedly fleeing, as well as footage of Teasley and Heike walking separately on the same path around the time of her murder.
“Our office will work diligently to seek justice for Lauren and her family,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, pictured in a photo from their website.
Police allege the 29-year-old woman, who was found dead on the Reach 11 trail, was chased over a barbed wire fence, which ripped at her clothing.
Investigators also found her belongings along the trail, which they say was trying to escape from her attacker, which police say happened “randomly.”
Cell phone records would have placed Teasley at the crime scene, on top of the DNA and video evidence collected.
The indictment filed Monday indicates prosecutors believe Teasley knew his behavior could cause injury or death.
Maricopa County officials also said the charge counts as “a dangerous felony” because Teasley repeatedly used a knife to injure the beautician.
An indictment is a formal notice to an accused person indicating that a grand jury believes they have committed a crime.
It is different from an indictment, which comes from prosecutors.
Teasley is still in custody as officials said he should not be released as he was already on probation for a previous conviction.
He was released from prison in November after being sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty in June 2020 to robbery with a deadly weapon, disorderly conduct and robbery.
Teasley, who has a criminal record dating back to 2020, including assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, armed robbery and burglary, is currently being held in custody. Pictured: Teasley in a mugshot after his May 4 arrest in Maricopa County, Arizona
This is the statement from Mitchell and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
Police allege the 29-year-old woman (pictured), who was found dead on the Reach 11 trail, was chased over a barbed wire fence, which ripped at her clothing
Here Heike was discovered after she went missing during a walk
The Reach 11 trail where Heike took a walk and went missing on April 28
Murder in Phoenix Lt. James Hester initially revealed that Heike managed to fend off the attacker and get away before she died.
“I believe she knocked him off and she was able to escape, but her injuries were too serious to continue,” he said at a news conference in early May.
A probable cause statement found that the suspected killer had recently been fired from his job at a nearby sporting goods store for being “aggressive” toward female employees.
He was also charged with theft from the store.
An investigation after her murder found his DNA on a shoe that Lauren threw away when she tried to climb over the barbed wire.
Police were able to track Teasley because of an example in their system of a previous felony conviction.
In addition to the first-degree murder charge, he was charged with violating his probation.
The convicted felon dropped out of the Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego after just four months and began training for the first time in March 2019.
A Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed that he was separated from training in June 2019, and his arrest documents confirmed that he was not on active duty.
The police tracked Teasley because of a monster in their felony conviction system. Pictured: Teasley is arrested May 4 by police in Phoenix, Arizona
Police have not confirmed whether Teasley knew Heike, but confirmed at a hearing that the incident was ‘premeditated’
Heike collapsed after escaping her attacker and died from the severe stab wounds. Her escape may have been a factor as to why it took more than 24 hours for her body to be found
An investigation found Teasley’s DNA on a shoe that Heike discarded when she tried to climb over the barbed wire. Pictured: Teasley as he was arrested in Phoenix earlier this month
The motive for the murder remains unknown.
After his arrest, Sergeant Melissa Soliz said detectives were looking for clues about the cause of the “random” and brutal murder.
“Detectives are serving a search warrant at the man’s apartment and he was taken into custody at around 6:30 p.m. tonight,” Soliz said.
“It’s going to take our detectives a while to sift through all this evidence, process it, collect it, and hope to have more answers later.
“Now that this man has been taken into custody, I can tell you that he is the same person who was featured in the video clip we shared with all of you a few days ago.
“With this information, we hope that the community can rest a little more tonight, knowing that this person is off the streets,” the sergeant said.