A 24-year-old conflicted about his gender identity viciously murdered a young woman after he flew into a jealous rage because of her beauty, cops said.
Zion Teasley, who wrote about his belief he was transgender in his diary in the days leading up to the slaying, stabbed 29-year-old Lauren Heike 15 times as she hiked on an Arizona trail in April 2023, according to police.
“I have been battling with my gender identity and sexuality,” Teasley is said to have written in a journal entry, according to ABC15.
“I am Christian, so this isn’t allowed. I want to live a life of serving god, but how can I with these and other sins in the way. I [know] I am forgiven for my sins. But it’s still a lot of pressure and it’s hard to maintain a good Christian mindset 24/7,” the accused killer reportedly wrote.
Cops revealed Teasley said of Heike before his arrest, “That’s what I would want to look like.”
Investigators also said they found a photo of Teasley wearing an outfit similar to the one Heike was wearing when she was killed.
Teasley, whose attorneys have referred to their client as “her” in the courtroom, has a rap sheet dating back to 2020, and completed a three-year jail sentence for armed robbery just five months before the alleged slaying.
