PHOENIX — Phoenix police arrested 22-year-old Zion William Teasley Thursday evening in connection to the murder of Lauren Heike.
He was booked into jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and appeared in front of a judge for the first time Friday morning where a $1 million cash bond was set.
SUSPECT'S PAST & PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS
Teasley did not speak during his court appearance, where a judge informed him there was probable cause to hold him for first-degree murder as well as for violating probation.
A Maricopa County prosecutor said Teasley was released from prison in November 2022 after being convicted of armed robbery, robbery, and disorderly conduct.
The previous convictions stem from multiple incidents with multiple victims that occurred in May, June, and July 2020, according to court documents.
Authorities say Zion was recently terminated from his employer for being “aggressive toward female employees” and was “suspected of stealing merchandise."
Teasley previously enlisted in the Marines, but the U.S. Marine Corps states he did not complete training:
"Our records indicate that Zion W. Teasley entered recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Training Depot San Diego on March 25, 2019. He was separated June 17, 2019, prior to completing boot camp. Additional details are not releasable due to Privacy Act."
LAUREN HEIKE MURDER
During a court appearance Friday, a prosecutor said there was evidence connecting Teasley to 29-year-old Heike's murder, including DNA, cell phone, and circumstantial evidence. There were also signs the attack on Heike last week may have been premeditated.
Officials say Heike was found outside a neighborhood near Scottsdale Road and Mayo Boulevard with "trauma to her body." ABC15 has confirmed with law enforcement sources that she was stabbed multiple times.
Her injuries were consistent with a pocket knife Zion was known to carry, police say.
According to police, Zion stated, “that’s me,” when he was shown a photograph of the suspect.
Police say Zion knew Lauren was attacked from seeing her on the news “but struggled to admit she was murdered” and “could not recall if he ever met Lauren in person.”
“If I was going to do something like that, it wouldn’t be premeditated,” Zion told investigators when asked if he planned to murder Heike.
Police believe Heike was killed on Friday, April 28, and her body wasn't located until the next day.
Teasley had reportedly purchased a plane ticket to fly to Michigan Thursday claiming he had a death in his family, though the reasons for the trip have not been confirmed by prosecutors.
His next court appearances are set for May 11 and May 15.