Report: Arizona Trans Suspect Who Pleaded Guilty to Murdering Female Hiker Said Victim Was What He Wanted to 'Look Like'

A man who was transitioning to live as a woman has pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing a female hiker, Lauren Heike, in Phoenix, Arizona, saying he was jealous of her beauty. Zion Teasley, 25, wrote in his diary before the 2023 killing that he was struggling with his gender identity and sexuality and that it was difficult to live a Christian life, the New York Post reported Tuesday, adding his attorney referred to him as “she” in court. Teasley claimed he would become depressed when he saw beautiful women because he was trapped in a man’s body. “When he was first interviewed by police, he denied having seen Heike anywhere but on the news — strangely telling officers, ‘That’s what I would want to look like,'” the Post article stated. One social media user pointed out that ABC 15 avoided stating Teasley’s biological sex in a headline: Teasley has since pleaded guilty to murdering the 29-year-old woman by stabbing her numerous times when she was hiking a trail in the area. He was on probation after serving prison time for armed robbery and other offenses and was seen on surveillance footage running away from the scene. Heike suffered 15 stab wounds and she also had defensive wounds on her hands and forearms, Court TV reported Monday. Neighbors found her body and recognized her as a regular hiker who lived nearby, Fox 10 reported Friday: Police say Teasley also lived near the trail, but didn’t know Heike. They say DNA found on her shoe matched Teasley, who had a criminal record. Teasley also pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor for possessing child pornography. A 2020 burglary charge was dismissed as part of the plea. … Detectives learned Teasley was recently fired from his job after allegations of aggressive behavior toward female coworkers and suspected theft. According to court records, a former employer identified Teasley in surveillance video and told police he was wearing clothing stolen from the business. Inside Edition shared video footage showing a man sprinting away from the murder scene, and Heike’s parents shared their grief over losing her: Teasley’s guilty plea resulted in a deal that will avoid the death penalty, and Heike’s family said they were in support of it because that meant they would not have to endure a trial and hear details about their loved one’s murder. “Court records list Teasley as a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps; a statement from the Marines clarified that Teasley entered recruit training in 2019 but separated before completing boot camp. No further details were offered for privacy reasons,” the Court TV article said.