'Breathing sigh of relief': Lauren Heike's mom praises Phoenix PD after killer Zion Teasley's arrest
PHOENIX, ARIZONA: A man has been arrested for the murder of Arizona woman Lauren Heike, 29, who was attacked and killed while she was hiking. The esthetician had recently moved to the Phoenix area from Washington. She was reportedly alone on the Reach 11 trail not far from her home when she was killed.
Zion William Teasley, 22, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Heike was found with 15 stab wounds and injuries on her hands and forearms. She may have been chased over a barbed wire fence, investigators believe.
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'We are breathing a sigh of relief'
Heike's mother has now taken to Facebook to express her gratitude to the Phoenix department after Teasley's arrest. "As most of you have probably heard, Phoenix P.D. have arrested the person responsible for Lauren’s death. We are breathing a sigh of relief this morning knowing another family will not have to walk in our shoes because of this person. Although this doesn’t bring our Lowie back and the journey ahead is sad and daunting we are eternally grateful for the love and support we’ve received from the moment she went missing. Thank you to every one of you; we are overwhelmed with the number of messages, offers to help and prayers we have and still do continue to receive. I think that’s a testament to what a beautiful person Lauren was. We are also grateful to the Phoenix community, who opened their hearts to us and answered our calls for help," Lana Heike wrote.
She added, "Lastly, but most importantly we are grateful to the Phoenix Police Department. Thank you to detectives, who worked this case as hard as if it were their own child. Thank you to the officers at the station who showed us so much compassion while giving us the courage to seek justice and the confidence to know they would find it for us. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers…" She concluded with the quote, "In the shelter of your wings I will take refuge, until the storms of destruction pass by".
'You can never know how much I adored her'
Heike's father, Jeff Heike, shared some photos on Facebook, writing, "I haven’t posted anything yet because I’ve been struggling to find the words to tell everyone how much Lauren meant to me. You can never know how much I adored her, how proud I was of her and how much I loved her. This has left such a hole in my heart. We are trying to stay strong by talking about all the fun and joy she brought to us. Thanks to all our friends and family for your prayers."