Zion William Teasley, a biological male who admitted murdering Phoenix hiker Lauren Heike, told investigators he wanted to look like his victim and wrote about struggles with his “gender identity,” according to a police report obtained by ABC15.
“That’s what I would want to look like,” Teasley said of Heike during a police interview, according to the report. The 29-year-old woman suffered 15 stab wounds in the April 2023 attack.
Teasley, 25, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on October 2. His agreement calls for natural life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for December 4, KTAR reported, citing a Maricopa County Superior Court spokesperson.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, investigators documented Teasley’s writings about “gender identity” during the murder investigation.
“Gender identity” struggles documented in police report
The nearly 400-page police report described messages, internet searches and journal entries that investigators collected. Teasley’s writings described conflict between his Christian beliefs and his “gender identity,” ABC15 reported in 2025.
“I have been battling with my gender identity and sexuality. I am Christian, so this isn’t allowed,” he wrote, according to the report quoted by ABC15.
Police also noted a screenshot containing the words “when I see a beautiful woman and I’m a man,” which investigators viewed as a possible indication of depression, ABC15 reported.
Investigators found photographs from Heike’s social media that someone had accessed on Teasley’s phone after her death, along with images of Teasley wearing an outfit they described as similar to hers, the station reported.
During the police interview, Teasley said he knew Heike from news coverage. Investigators found no communication between the two before her death, according to ABC15’s account of the report.
Teasley’s attorney referred to him using female pronouns during a 2025 court appearance, ABC15 reported.
A fatal attack on the trail
Heike suffered the fatal attack while hiking on April 28, 2023. Authorities found her body the following day near 65th Street and East Libby Street, according to a Phoenix Police Department advisory.
An autopsy documented 15 stab wounds to her upper body and defensive injuries on her hands and forearms, Court TV reported after reviewing investigative documents.
DNA on one of Heike’s shoes matched Teasley, who was on probation after serving prison time for armed robbery and other felonies, Court TV reported. Phoenix police arrested him on May 4, 2023, according to the department’s advisory.
Plea ends pursuit of death penalty
Prosecutors agreed to drop their pursuit of the death penalty under the deal, ABC15 reported from the court proceedings.
Heike’s family supported the agreement because it would spare them a trial and another detailed recounting of her death, according to a statement provided to ABC15.
“While no sentence will ever bring Lauren back, we are relieved knowing that he will never be released,” the family said.
