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Emily Pike Murder Highlights Crisis in Native Communities
Emily Pike, a 14-year-old San Carlos Apache girl, was found murdered a year after disappearing from a group home, highlighting systemic violence and investigative gaps affecting Native American women and children.
Emily pike’s photo from coalition to stop violence against native women Instagram page
Emily Pike, a 14-year-old member of the San Carlos Apache tribe, was found murdered a year after disappearing from a group home in Mesa, Arizona, underscoring the ongoing crisis of violence against Native American women and girls. Pike’s dismembered body was discovered in trash bags along a rural highway approximately 70 miles from her home, and federal and tribal authorities, with FBI support, continue to investigate the case without any arrests made to date.
Emily’s family remembers her as vibrant and full of life. Her aunt, Carolyn Bender, recalls her niece drawing in the back seat of the car, teasing her younger brother, and enjoying outdoor activities. Emily grew up on the San Carlos Reservation alongside roughly 11,000 tribe members, described by relatives as loving her family and enjoying time with her younger brother. However, her life was marked by challenges, including prior reports of sexual abuse, her father’s incarceration, and multiple escapes from her group home prior to her disappearance.
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Authorities reported Emily missing from the group home in late January 2025, but she had run away several times before. A state investigation found the facility failed to notify Arizona’s Department for Child Safety and violated licensing rules. Emily’s father filed a lawsuit against the group home, claiming it did not provide adequate supervision or alert authorities after her disappearance.
The case also reflects systemic issues affecting Native American communities. Native people were reported missing more than 10,200 times in 2024, including over 7,000 children and more than 4,000 girls. Tribal authorities often face jurisdictional challenges in investigating crimes, particularly when non-Indigenous individuals are involved, and limited resources slow response times. Emily’s case was initially handled by Mesa Police before the Gila County Sheriff’s Office assumed the homicide investigation, with assistance from the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. While a person of interest was interviewed and search warrants executed last summer, no arrests have been made. Both the FBI and the San Carlos Apache Tribe have offered $75,000 for information leading to the case being solved.
Emily’s death has intensified efforts to address the epidemic of violence. Arizona introduced a “turquoise alert,” also known as Emily’s Law, to expedite notification when Native people go missing. Her family and community have held frequent vigils, protests, and memorials in her honor. Plans for a permanent Emily memorial are scheduled for March on the San Carlos Reservation. Her uncle, Allred Pike, emphasized the importance of keeping her memory alive and advocating for justice.
“This is not just about Emily,” Allred Pike said. “Someone discarded her like trash … but she wasn’t trash. She was our niece, or my brother’s daughter, she had grandparents, she had a family. We need to catch the people who did this to her. Her story hasn’t ended yet.”
Editor’s Note:
Emily Pike’s tragic death underscores the urgent need for improved protections and timely responses for Native American children and women. Her story highlights systemic gaps in law enforcement coordination, jurisdictional complexities, and resource limitations that continue to put vulnerable members of tribal communities at risk. While her family and tribe fight for justice, the case serves as a stark reminder that addressing this epidemic requires sustained attention, accountability, and reforms at both local and federal levels.
