PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Hundreds of people have planned to hike to honor slain Lauren Heike, an esthetician who had recently moved to the Phoenix area from Washington. She was reportedly alone on the Reach 11 trail not far from her home when she was killed by a man armed with a weapon.
Zion William Teasley, 22, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Heike was found with 15 stab wounds and injuries on her hands and forearms. She may have been chased over a barbed wire fence, investigators believe.
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'Hike for Heike'
A Facebook page, 'HIKE FOR HEIKE', set up for the purpose, says that all hikers are expected to "take a moment to say a prayer or moment of silence for Lauren and her family" during the hike. "We were truly expecting just a few hikers to join us for the memory hike, but we ended up receiving over 300+ (and still counting) requests to join the hike in memory of Lauren Heike. This is truly amazing to see how powerful and beautiful our community is," the page says.
"Because of the large number of people hiking in memory of Lauren Heike, and to keep everyone safe we have decided that the best way to arrange this hike is to do a statewide hike where we each hike a trail of our choice the morning of May 21 at 7:00 a.m. In order to create awareness we have named this hike “Hike for Heike" and we ask everyone to wear Pink shirt and black pants or shorts (if possible)," it says, adding, "Regardless of the trail you decide to hike we ask that you do it with respect for others and wilderness (pack it in pack it out). Remember this is our beautiful AZ state and our trails and we want to protect them."
'Lauren loved walking, hiking and being outdoors'
Using the hashtag "#hikeforheike," Heike's mother, Lana Heike, shared a picture on Facebook. "This is a picture of me and my girl hiking on Mt Rainier. Lauren loved walking, hiking and being outdoors. Thank you to everyone for celebrating our sweet girl by joining in on the HIKE FOR HEIKE. Our family will also be joining in from our home in Washington, please post pictures," Lana wrote.
After Heike's murder, police have been urging hikers to remain safe and said their top priority is the safety of the community. "The safety of our community is our top priority. We would like to remind everyone to be aware of your surroundings. If a hike or walk is in your plans, do so with a partner. If you see something suspicious call police and be a good witness," the police have cautioned.
