Horror details of how murdered hiker Lauren Heike was chased down and stabbed 15 times in broad daylight

A LONE hiker raced away from her killer who stabbed her 15 times before climbing through a barbed wire fence and dying of her injuries, police have said.

Authorities revealed devastating details on how 29-year-old Lauren Heike‘s body was discovered on a hiking trail in North Phoenix, Arizona, before arresting ex-Marine recruit Zion William Teasley, 22.

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Police traveled to the trail after a neighbor discovered the body and found a trail of blood leading to Heike.

She was found near a barbed wire fence with 15 stab wounds as well as injuries on her hands and forearms indicating that she tried to fight back at the killer, the medical examiner said.

Authorities believed that she escaped and climbed under or over the fence before her wounds proved fatal.

The motive behind the attack remains a mystery, and cops said they believe it to be a random attack.

Hours after giving this announcement, cops arrested Zion William Teasley, a 22-year-old ex-Marine, and charged him with murder after the grisly discovery sparked a feverish manhunt throughout the city.

During the investigation, cops released surveillance video of a man with dark clothes and a backpack running from the crime scene.

Teasley denied ever killing Heike but acknowledged his identity in images captured in the surveillance video, court documents seen by CBS affiliate KTVK state.

The suspect allegedly made concerning comments after he was taken in, saying, “there’s no freaking way I’m in for a sex crime. I haven’t been with anyone for a long time,” during his arrest, the docs say.

When he was shown a photo of Heike, he said that he recognized her and “wanted to look like her.”

He went on to discuss having struggled with his sexuality during his Christian upbringing and said that he feared for his salvation due to his thoughts.

Detectives asked if he planned to kill Heike, and he said: “I am definitely not the person who plans to kill another person.

“If I was going to do something like that, it wouldn’t be premeditated.”

The suspect was hit with a first-degree murder charge and a probation violation.

He was previously arrested in 2020 and charged with burglary, armed robbery, kidnapping, and disorderly conduct but took a plea deal that saw many of the charges dropped, the local outlet reports.

Teasley had just met with his probation officer after he was fired from his job for “being aggressive toward female employees,” according to a probable cause document.

Management said that he often carried a pocketknife on his person which would match the believed murder weapon, the docs state.

Heike’s family shared an emotional message after the suspect’s arrest, saying: “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.”

Heike’s mom went on to say that the family was overwhelmed with the number of messages, prayers, and offers to help that they continue to receive.

“I think that’s a testament to what a beautiful person Lauren was,” Lana wrote.

“We are also grateful to the Phoenix community, who opened their hearts to us and answered our calls for help.

“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.”

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