Arizona murdered hiker: Suspect arrested

A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Lauren Heike, a hiker who was found dead on a north Phoenix trail last weekend. Zion William Teasley, 22, is being accused of first degree murder. Police allege he stabbed Heike 15 times, but the motive remains unclear. The 22-year-old served time in prison from July 2021 to November 2022. He had accepted a plea deal in 2020 for armed robbery, burglary, aggravated assault and kidnapping, court records show. Investigators said Teasley was arrested at the apartment complex where he lived. DNA, video and cell phone evidence all linked him to the crime, prosecutors allege. A judge set the suspect's bond at $1 million. However, since Teasley is on probation for a past conviction, he could remain behind bars. Prosecutors say the 22-year-old had a plane ticket to Detroit. He told investigators it was because his aunt died, but that has yet to be confirmed. He is the same man who was seen in blurry surveillance footage running from the trail around the time Lauren Heike was attacked, officials said.