Slain Arizona girl Emily Pike reportedly didn’t want to return to a Mesa group home, over a year before police found her murdered and dismembered.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Emily was last seen in late January near her group home at Mesa Drive and McKellips Road. Officials and family members said her body was discovered in a forest area near Globe, nearly 100 miles from where she disappeared, on February 14.
Information regarding her death leaked to the public late last month via a memo from Gila County police and social media. The memo indicated that Emily’s head and torso were found in bags. Her arms and hands are reportedly still missing.
On January 27, a group home manager told Mesa Police that 14-year-old Pike was missing after she reportedly sneaked out of her bedroom window. The manager indicated that this was not the first time Emily had run away.
The manager noted that Emily was last seen near Fitch Park during a previous incident. Staff at the Rock Teen Center checked a few days later, but no one there had seen or heard from her.
Court documents obtained by FOX 10 indicated that Emily ran away three times in 2023. She told police about her dissatisfaction with life at the group home, which the San Carlos Apache Tribe reportedly stated is managed by Sacred Journey Inc.
Emily and/or another child told police in all three reports that they refused to return to the group home. In each 2023 case, staff alerted police, and officers either took Emily to a behavioral health center or returned her to the home within hours.
Officials reviewed dozens of missing persons reports from the group home over three years, which documented a 10-bed capacity for children.
Now, the San Carlos Apache Tribe is urging state leaders to investigate residential group homes for children and tighten regulations following Emily’s murder.
NEW: San Carlos Apache Tribe urges AZ legislature to tighten regulations on group homes in response to murder of Emily Pike. Tribe wants lawmakers to pass HB2281 to establish Missing Indigenous Person Alert System.
This release also identifies the group home as Sacred Journey. pic.twitter.com/OLtOoMZU5F
— Justin Lum | 林俊豪 (@jlumfox10) March 24, 2025
The tribe is also advocating for House Bill 2281, which would create a missing Indigenous person alert system.
Chairman Terry Rambler said the tribal council has offered a $75,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Emily’s case.
Read the redacted documents here.
Azcentral reports that the sheriff’s office announced Monday that multiple agencies formed the task force, including the sheriff’s office, the San Carlos Apache Police Department, the Mesa Police Department, the FBI, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The task force was formed shortly after the San Carlos Apache Tribe offered a $75,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in Emily’s case. To assist in the investigation, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office and the San Carlos Apache Police Department have set up an online tip portal where anonymous tips can be submitted through tips411.
Information can also be reported to the Sheriff’s Office at 928-425-4449, option 1, or the San Carlos Apache Police Department at 928-475-1700.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo via Mesa police]