Man accused of murdering Lauren Heike on north Phoenix hiking trail enters guilty plea

The man accused of killing Lauren Heike on a north Phoenix hiking trail in April 2023 entered a guilty plea on Friday, according to court officials.

Zion Teasley pled guilty as charged to first-degree murder after previously entering a not guilty please in May 2023. He will be sentenced on Dec. 4.

In January 2024, The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office filed a Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty. However, a Maricopa County Superior Court spokesperson said the plea calls for natural life in prison.

Heike was found with 15 stab wounds and injuries to her hands and forearms. The investigation showed she was likely chased over a barbed wire fence before she was killed, according to police documents.

She lived near Scottsdale Road and Mayo Boulevard, about half a mile from where she was found dead. She was 29 years old when she was killed.

Teasley was arrested after video surveillance and DNA evidence connected him to the crime.

Not long before the murder, he was fired for being aggressive toward female employees and was suspected of stealing merchandise, according to a probable cause statement.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Senior Editor Kevin Stone contributed to this report. 

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