PHOENIX — Lauren Heike's last moments were captured by numerous nearby video cameras, according to Maricopa County court documents.
Heike was found with 15 stab wounds and torn clothing indicating she was chased over or through a nearby barbed wire fence on a hiking trail near Libby Street and 66th Way, the Phoenix Police Department said.
Police arrested 22-year-old Zion Teasley, who they believe to be the main suspect, during their investigation. Teasley is being charged with murder in the first degree.
What police found:
Video evidence from multiple different sources near the scene of the crime showed Heike and the suspect entering the same hiking trail minutes apart, according to court documents.
"Security cameras sparsely covered the trail itself," police said. "No one was observed following [Heike] prior to entering this trail."
Camera footage showed Heike walking at a relaxed pace before leaving the camera's view, documents said. Seconds later, the same camera showed the suspect walking out from behind nearby vegetation and sprinting in Heike's direction.
The suspect came back into the camera's view seconds later and began sprinting away from the scene before turning around and trying to scale the barbed wire fence. After failing to do so, the suspect walked out of view to the west.
Phoenix police investigators said Friday that the attack appears to have been random and not targeted.
DNA collected from the scene matched Teasley's DNA, who police later learned had recently been fired from his job due to "being aggressive toward female employees" and stealing from the store. Managers and Teasley's probation officer both said that Teasley looked like the suspect captured in the surveillance video.
Investigators have not yet located the murder weapon.
What Teasley told investigators:
Police later arrested Teasley, who allegedly identified himself in the surveillance footage during questioning, court documents said. He also told officers he had an internal struggle with his own sexuality and was concerned about the salvation of his soul.
When asked if he planned to murder Heike, Teasley said "I am definitely not the person who plans to kill another person. If I was going to do something like that, it wouldn't be premeditated."
Teasley had booked a flight to leave Phoenix and head to Detroit, the court's judge said. The flight was scheduled to leave Thursday night after police arrested him.
Teasley has previously pleaded guilty to armed robbery and disorderly conduct with a weapon charges in a 2020 robbery of a Phoenix Circle K, court documents show. Officials dismissed additional charges of kidnapping and third-degree burglary against him.
Teasley's Facebook profile shows him in a Marine fatigue uniform and says he was medically discharged. A U.S. Marine Corps spokeswoman said Teasley had let the service before completing the 13-week boot camp in 2021.
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