'Our sun rose and set around her': Parents of Lauren Heike who was killed while hiking in Arizona remember her as 'kind and beautiful'
PHOENIX, ARIZONA: The family of Arizona woman Lauren Heike, 29, who was attacked and killed while she was hiking, have called for justice. 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.
A suspect was taken into custody on Thursday evening, May 4, 2023, in connection to the murder, according to ABC 15. He was found in the Paradise Ridge community near Scottsdale Road and Mayo Boulevard. Investigators said she was attacked from behind and had "trauma to her body." However, her official cause of death has not been confirmed.
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"She got up, talked to her friends. It was her day off, she got her coffee, and she went walking and she was happy, happy… that helps us a lot," Heike's mother Lana Heike said of her last day, according to Daily Mail. "We need people's help to tell us what happened after that," the grieving mother said.
Who are Lauren Heike's parents?
Heike's parents Lana and Jeff live in Silverdale, Washington, and went to Olympic College, according to their Facebook profiles. While Jeff is from Anaheim, California, Lana is from Bremerton, Washington. Jeff is the owner-operator at Sound Mechanical. "She was my little girl. I'm really going to miss her," Jeff said.
In a Facebook post after Heike's death, Lana wrote, "It is with such deep sadness that we share that our sweet, beautiful Lauren has passed away. We are at a loss for words and our grief is tremendous, but we also realize that her friends and family are grieving with us. Our memories of Lauren’s kind, beautiful heart are comforting us right now. We get peace knowing she was very happy, loving her life and dreaming of the future she was creating. She loved us and she knew how much we loved her, our sun rose and set around her."
"Ryan and Hannah are with us and we are leaning on each other. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us, we haven’t responded to you but we are reading your messages and appreciate every one of your kind words and prayers. Please continue to send prayers and when you think of our precious baby I hope she makes you smile," she added.
'The safety of our community is our top priority'
Police have urged hikers to remain safe and said their top priority is the safety of the community. "The safety of our community is our top priority. We would like to remind everyone to be aware of your surroundings. If a hike or walk is in your plans, do so with a partner. If you see something suspicious call police and be a good witness," the police cautioned. Anyone with information has been asked to call Phoenix police.