The chilling moments leading up to the discovery of Lauren Heike's body on a Phoenix trail last year were made public this week, as police released several 911 calls related to the case. One caller, upon stumbling across Heike's body near the Reach 11 trail, conveyed the grim scene to the dispatcher: "Oh, I just found a woman’s body out in the desert," she said, as reported by azfamily.com. Heike, 29 at the time of her death, was viciously attacked while walking the trail at the border of Phoenix and Scottsdale before being stabbed 15 times in an assault described by investigators as random.
Following the initial discovery call, other 911 recordings released detailed separate instances of individuals reporting sightings of a man who matched the suspect’s description. The suspect, 22-year-old Zion Teasley, was arrested a week after the murder, with law enforcement linking him to the crime through DNA evidence uncovered on Heike’s shoe, as mentioned in reports by azfamily.com. Teasley, who is accused in the brutal killing and faces a separate 2020 aggravated assault and burglary case, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial is expected to begin in October 2025, when prosecutors will seek the death penalty.
Heike's harrowing ordeal became a subject of immediate attention, as neighbors shared their experiences with ABC15, recalling the surveillance video circulated by police in an attempt to locate Lauren’s killer. One neighbor even recounted telling authorities, "I just noticed a guy who looks vaguely familiar to the guy on the news."
As the valley grapples with the aftermath of the shocking murder, Lauren's family tries to reconcile with their loss. In a statement obtained by ABC15, Lauren's parents, Jeff and Lana Heike, expressed their grief: "She had so much promise and hope for the future. Wwe will remember lauren for the kind, thoughtful, and loving person that she was." At the moment, neither the Phoenix Police nor the Maricopa County Attorney's Office have provided further updates on the case.
