Photo: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
The Phoenix Police Department arrested 22-year-old Zion William Teasley in connection with the murder of 29-year-old Lauren Heike, who was killed while she was hiking last week.
Heike was attacked from behind while she was hiking on a desert trail. Charging documents said that she was stabbed 15 times and had defensive wounds on her hands and forearm. They believe that Heike was chased down over a barbed wire fence based on the tears on her clothing, which was scattered along the trail.
"The suspect ran after Lauren and then sprinted away before returning to the location where Lauren's body was found and climbing over the barbed wire," the probable cause statement says, according to KSAZ.
Investigators found her shoe nearby, which contained traces of Teasley's DNA.
Prosecutors alleged that the murder was premeditated, citing a plane ticket to Detroit that Teasley purchased. He said he was going to Detroit for his aunt's funeral, but authorities have not confirmed his claim. They have not determined a motive for the brutal murder.
Teasley has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held on a $1 million bond.
Teasley previously served 16 months in the Red Rock Correctional Facility after pleading guilty to armed robbery, disorderly conduct, and robbery charges as part of a deal with prosecutors.