PHOENIX — Editor's note: The above video aired during a previous broadcast.
Police have identified 22-year-old Zion Teasley as the main suspect in the homicide investigation of 29-year-old Lauren Heike.
A Maricopa County judge at Teasley's preliminary hearing said police believe Teasley killed Heike based on photographic, cell phone and DNA evidence.
Teasley had also booked a flight to leave Phoenix and head to Detroit, the judge said. The flight was scheduled to leave Thursday night after police arrested him.
Teasley has previously pleaded guilty to armed robbery and disorderly conduct with a weapon charges in a 2020 robbery of a Phoenix Circle K, court documents show. Officials dismissed additional charges of kidnapping and third-degree burglary against him.
He served just over a year in prison and was released last November.
Heike's mom, Lana, asked the community to keep her family in its prayers while thanking police for their response.
"Thank you to detectives, who worked this case as hard as if it were their own child," Heike said. "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."
This is a developing story. tune in to 12News for the latest updates.
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Silent Witness:
Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
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