Ex-convict accused of killing woman on Phoenix trail enters not guilty plea
An ex-convict in the backstabbing and 15-time stabbing death of a woman on a Phoenix desert trail could face trial in January, authorities said Tuesday.
An attorney for 22-year-old Zion William Teasley entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf Tuesday, the day a Maricopa County grand jury indicted Teasley. First degree murder.
The county attorney’s office said it is reviewing the case to determine if prosecutors will seek the death penalty.
The body of Lauren Hayek, 29, was found April 29 near a hiking trail she often walked about a mile and a half from her home, but is believed to have been killed the day before, Phoenix police said. was
According to court documents, Heike had defensive wounds on her hands and arms to stop her assailant, and may have been chased or pushed through a barbed wire fence.
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A not guilty plea has been entered for an ex-convict accused of killing a woman on a Phoenix desert trail.
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Homicide investigators The attack is believed to have been random and unprovoked when Teasley allegedly followed him. The possible motive for the murder is still unclear.
Tesla was arrested on May 4 after police said they used DNA evidence collected at the scene and surveillance video to connect the case.
Police also said they do not believe Hack was sexually assaulted, and the murder weapon has not been found.
Arizona Department of Corrections Records show Teasley served 16 months in a state prison in Eloy for armed robbery and other crimes and was released in November 2020.