By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The man accused of murdering a woman on a north Phoenix hiking trail more than three years ago will likely avoid the death penalty through a plea deal.
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Court records said that Zion Teasley pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in court Friday in connection with the death of Lauren Heike.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 4.
Heike’s murder gained international attention after she was found stabbed more than a dozen times on the Reach 11 trail near 64th Street and Mayo Boulevard near the border of Phoenix and Scottsdale, not far from her apartment, on April 28, 2023.
Days later, police arrested Teasley. Investigators said they linked Teasley to the murder through DNA on Heike’s shoe, along with other forensic evidence, including cellphone location data.
Court documents revealed that Heike had been stabbed 15 times after she was chased. Police believed Heike fought off her attacker and escaped but that her injuries were too severe.
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Last year, Teasley was indicted on 10 counts after investigators said he had sexually explicit images involving a child under 15 years old and possibly shared them. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor in that case. Sentencing in that case is scheduled for Dec. 4, too.
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