EMILY PIKE: Previously missing 14-year-old found dismembered on side of highway in Arizona (4 Viewers)

Homicide investigation underway after girl missing from Mesa was found dead near Globe

A homicide investigation is underway after the remains of a missing girl were found earlier this month, according to the Gila County Sheriff's Office.

www.abc15.com

Homicide investigation underway after girl missing from Mesa was found dead near Globe​

A homicide investigation is underway after the remains of a missing girl were found earlier this month, according to the Gila County Sheriff's Office.

On February 14, the remains of an unidentified female were located off Highway 60 near milepost 277, northeast of Globe.

On Thursday, GCSO said the remains were identified as a girl from the San Carlos Apache Tribe missing out of Mesa.

Officials confirmed Friday that the remains were that of 14-year-old Emily Pike.

Mesa Police Department said Pike was last seen after leaving a residence near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road on January 27.

The incident is being investigated as a homicide.

Anyone with any information regarding this case is asked to contact the Gila County Sheriff's Office detective at 928-200-2352, the Bureau of Indian Affairs special agent at 505-917-7830, or the San Carlos Apache Tribal Police detective at 928-475-1755.

GRAPHIC: Body of missing 14-year-old girl found dismembered off highway, authorities say

Arizona authorities confirmed a missing teen has been found dead off an area highway.

www.kktv.com

GRAPHIC: Body of missing 14-year-old girl found dismembered off highway, authorities say​

The Gila County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday that the body that was found in the woods belonged to a missing Native American girl.

According to the Gila County Sheriff’s Office, the girl was identified as 14-year-old Emily Pike, who was last seen on Jan. 27 near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road.

Deputies said Emily was from the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and the Gila County Sheriff’s Office is leading the homicide investigation.

Authorities called the scene disturbing where they discovered the teen’s body off the U.S. 60, a few miles away from the Jackson Butte Recreation area on Feb. 14.

The sheriff’s office said detectives found a head and torso in large contractor trash bags with the girl’s legs in separate bags.

However, they couldn’t find her arms and hands.

The preliminary autopsy results found the girl had visible face and head trauma.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Emily Pike: Family reflects on unsolved murder at site where teen was found dismembered | Special Report

Emily Pike's family says her brutal murder could have been prevented. The 14-year-old tribal member's death exposes systemic failures in a heartbreaking case of jurisdictional confusion and a search for justice.

www.fox10phoenix.com

Emily Pike: Family reflects on unsolved murder at site where teen was found dismembered | Special Report​

Fourteen-year-old Emily Pike was brutally murdered earlier this year, but long before that, Emily was allegedly sexually assaulted.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted an investigation but closed her case due to "insufficient evidence." Family members believe she would still be alive if the case had been prosecuted.

The backstory:

"Emily, Emily, Emily. Can you please stop for me so I can talk to you?" a Mesa Police officer was heard saying on body camera footage.

It was the night of Sept. 20, 2023, the second time she had run away from a group home owned by Sacred Journey, Inc.

"Let’s talk, OK?" the officer said.

"No ... I just wanna see my mom. Get off of me." she replied.

Far from home, 120 miles away from the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, Emily was talking with an officer.

"No one’s helping me. Stay the (expletive) away from me. No one’s gonna (expletive) help me," Emily said.

Those words hit harder knowing what the family knows now.

"I really don’t want to put you in handcuffs, young lady, OK?" the officer said. Emily replied, "I just wanna go home."

A month later, Emily ran away again on Halloween 2023. By January 2025, she would sneak out for the last time.

Emily was in the custody of her tribe and ultimately placed in a Mesa group home licensed by the Department of Child Safety. But before that, she reported being sexually assaulted on the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

In May 2025, San Carlos Apache Police Department Chief, Elliot Sneezy, spoke to Arizona lawmakers during a joint legislative oversight committee on the Department of Child Safety about the strain his officers face covering 1.8 million acres of land where 17,000 tribal members live.

Emily’s 911 call was transferred to the Game and Fish Department.

"Part of the reason why that call was given to the Game and Fish Department to locate her was because it was in a rural area, a very desolate area, and Game and Fish are the experts on locating people in those types of areas. Now, do we respond to some of those areas? Yes. However, looking at calls, we were also busy. As I mentioned, we cover a lot of area. And I think at the time, we only had about 22 police officers," Chief Sneezy explained.

No one has been charged in Emily’s assault.

"And ultimately, the path to her leading to a group home almost seemed like she was punished for being victimized. And I find that absolutely abhorrent," said State Sen. Carine Werner, a Republican representing District 4.

Dig deeper:

Even after Emily ran away from Sacred Journey multiple times, DCS indicated the agency had no record of her.

"When a child is living on tribal lands and either eligible for enrollment or enrolled in a tribe, the tribe has exclusive jurisdiction. The state can't come in and tell them what to do with their children," said Kathryn Ptak, two weeks after being confirmed director of the Department of Child Safety.

Jurisdiction is the key term and what leads to a disconnect, according to Arizona lawmakers and tribal leaders.

When she ran away on Jan. 27, 2025, the group home staff notified her tribe’s social services but did not call the DCS hotline to report her as a runaway. Since then, DCS officials have ordered the group home to use the hotline regardless of the entity that placed a child in the home.

"Emily ran away from Sacred Journey exiting her room's window. The alarm on the window had been disabled," said Terry Rambler, chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

One hundred miles away from where Emily was last seen in Mesa, two memorials have grown off U.S. 60 near milepost 277.

On Valentine’s Day 2025, authorities found Emily’s remains dismembered in trash bags.

"You take her life. But why? Why go as far as taking her body apart? Why... do this to her?" said Carolyn Bender, Emily's aunt.

Emily’s cause of death was "homicidal violence with blunt head trauma."

"This is a tough place to come to because my brother’s baby was dumped here like a piece of trash, like she didn’t matter, and it hurts that somebody hated her, disliked her that much to do what they did to her," said Emily's uncle, Allred Pike.

The Gila County Sheriff’s Office is leading the multi-agency investigation into Emily’s murder, and no suspects have been identified.

"Yes, I feel that her murder could have been prevented, and it all starts down to her assault," Bender said when asked if she feels Emily's death could have been prevented.

 

[Tresir]

Chief Sneezy? These officers failed her. I don't understand why they can't seem to do a proper investigation. Was their any DNA on her body or on the bag?

 

[Guess Who]

Emily Pike: Family reflects on unsolved murder at site where teen was found dismembered | Special Report

Emily Pike's family says her brutal murder could have been prevented. The 14-year-old tribal member's death exposes systemic failures in a heartbreaking case of jurisdictional confusion and a search for justice.

www.fox10phoenix.com

Emily Pike: Family reflects on unsolved murder at site where teen was found dismembered | Special Report​

Fourteen-year-old Emily Pike was brutally murdered earlier this year, but long before that, Emily was allegedly sexually assaulted.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted an investigation but closed her case due to "insufficient evidence." Family members believe she would still be alive if the case had been prosecuted.

The backstory:

"Emily, Emily, Emily. Can you please stop for me so I can talk to you?" a Mesa Police officer was heard saying on body camera footage.

It was the night of Sept. 20, 2023, the second time she had run away from a group home owned by Sacred Journey, Inc.

"Let’s talk, OK?" the officer said.

"No ... I just wanna see my mom. Get off of me." she replied.

Far from home, 120 miles away from the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, Emily was talking with an officer.

"No one’s helping me. Stay the (expletive) away from me. No one’s gonna (expletive) help me," Emily said.

Those words hit harder knowing what the family knows now.

"I really don’t want to put you in handcuffs, young lady, OK?" the officer said. Emily replied, "I just wanna go home."

A month later, Emily ran away again on Halloween 2023. By January 2025, she would sneak out for the last time.

Emily was in the custody of her tribe and ultimately placed in a Mesa group home licensed by the Department of Child Safety. But before that, she reported being sexually assaulted on the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

In May 2025, San Carlos Apache Police Department Chief, Elliot Sneezy, spoke to Arizona lawmakers during a joint legislative oversight committee on the Department of Child Safety about the strain his officers face covering 1.8 million acres of land where 17,000 tribal members live.

Emily’s 911 call was transferred to the Game and Fish Department.

"Part of the reason why that call was given to the Game and Fish Department to locate her was because it was in a rural area, a very desolate area, and Game and Fish are the experts on locating people in those types of areas. Now, do we respond to some of those areas? Yes. However, looking at calls, we were also busy. As I mentioned, we cover a lot of area. And I think at the time, we only had about 22 police officers," Chief Sneezy explained.

No one has been charged in Emily’s assault.

"And ultimately, the path to her leading to a group home almost seemed like she was punished for being victimized. And I find that absolutely abhorrent," said State Sen. Carine Werner, a Republican representing District 4.

Dig deeper:

Even after Emily ran away from Sacred Journey multiple times, DCS indicated the agency had no record of her.

"When a child is living on tribal lands and either eligible for enrollment or enrolled in a tribe, the tribe has exclusive jurisdiction. The state can't come in and tell them what to do with their children," said Kathryn Ptak, two weeks after being confirmed director of the Department of Child Safety.

Jurisdiction is the key term and what leads to a disconnect, according to Arizona lawmakers and tribal leaders.

When she ran away on Jan. 27, 2025, the group home staff notified her tribe’s social services but did not call the DCS hotline to report her as a runaway. Since then, DCS officials have ordered the group home to use the hotline regardless of the entity that placed a child in the home.

"Emily ran away from Sacred Journey exiting her room's window. The alarm on the window had been disabled," said Terry Rambler, chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

One hundred miles away from where Emily was last seen in Mesa, two memorials have grown off U.S. 60 near milepost 277.

On Valentine’s Day 2025, authorities found Emily’s remains dismembered in trash bags.

"You take her life. But why? Why go as far as taking her body apart? Why... do this to her?" said Carolyn Bender, Emily's aunt.

Emily’s cause of death was "homicidal violence with blunt head trauma."

"This is a tough place to come to because my brother’s baby was dumped here like a piece of trash, like she didn’t matter, and it hurts that somebody hated her, disliked her that much to do what they did to her," said Emily's uncle, Allred Pike.

The Gila County Sheriff’s Office is leading the multi-agency investigation into Emily’s murder, and no suspects have been identified.

"Yes, I feel that her murder could have been prevented, and it all starts down to her assault," Bender said when asked if she feels Emily's death could have been prevented.

So how did the alarm get disabled? If the patients can disable it, that defeats the purpose of having one and if staff disabled it, that's negligence on the staff.

 

[Tresir]

So she ran away multiple times. On the previous occasions, who was she with when they found her and returned her to the home? I may have missed that info, if it is known.

 

[GrandmaBear]

So she ran away multiple times. On the previous occasions, who was she with when they found her and returned her to the home? I may have missed that info, if it is known.

I don't think we know. I think one time a younger girl was with her but dnn't quote me, I could have my cases mixed up, but I think so.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Mesa group home blames Emily Pike’s parents, San Carlos Apache Tribe in reply to lawsuit

Sacred Journey is demanding a jury trial to settle the matter. The company contends that they’re not at fault for the 14-year-old’s murder, but blame many others.

www.kjzz.org

Mesa group home blames Emily Pike’s parents, San Carlos Apache Tribe in reply to lawsuit​

San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike was found slain in February after disappearing from a group home in Mesa. Her father recently filed a lawsuit alleging negligence by the home led to Emily’s death. The facility has since responded in an Oct. 15 filing before Maricopa County Superior Court.

Sacred Journey is demanding a jury trial to settle the matter.

The company contends that they’re not at fault for the 14-year-old’s murder, but blame many others. Sacred Journey claims Emily’s parents — Jensen Pike and Stephanie Dosela — were “unfit, unresponsive and neglectful,” hence why she was in the San Carlos Apache Tribe’s custody to begin with.

Even the tribe faces scrutiny from the facility, saying their professionals placed Emily into a “non-secure, voluntary residential home.” When asked, the San Carlos Apache Tribe did not comment on the group home's legal reply.

Sacred Journey also says Emily “left of her own free will.”

Her murderer is still unknown and remains at large eight months after her dismembered body was discovered inside the Tonto National Forest more than 100 miles from where she was last seen in the Valley.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I agree mostly. If I recall, this is the case where her father is in prison. Her parents most definitely were not there for her, especially him, and directly affected her and are responsible for her upbringing. How can he parent when he is not there at all! While the facility is not necessarily blameless, this argument by them has merit. He has no leg to stand on if y ou ask me and the tribal justice system did little where her claim of SA was concerned.

I wonder what sleazy lawyer took dad's case--one that will just be happy with a settlement out of court is my guess so he can take his cut.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

9 months later, where does Emily Pike's case stand?

November 14 marks nine months since San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike was found murdered in the Globe area.

www.abc15.com

9 months later, where does Emily Pike's case stand?​

November 14 marks nine months since San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike was found murdered in the Globe area.


ABC15's Ashley Holden continues our investigation DCS: State of Failure while also hearing from Emily's family who is hoping for justice.

"This just can't go cold," said Carloyn Pike-Bender. "It can't go cold."

Emily's case continuing to stay active is what's most important to Pike-Bender and her brother, Allred Pike Jr.

"Patience is getting the best of me," said Pike-Bender in an interview with ABC15.

Friday marks nine months of pushing for justice for their niece.

"I think part of it is building the case from where she went missing," said Allred. "Where she was found, connecting the two locations, [and] where was she at in between all those days."


As for the criminal case, ABC15 reported this summer that search warrants were served and items were seized for testing. As of nine months after the investigation began, the Gila County Sheriff's Office has yet to say they have a suspect in the case.

Pike-Bender said it's hard to deal with the "unknown."

"It's really hard, and I wish there was something that I could do to help," said Pike-Bender.

ABC15 continues to reach out, asking for a sit-down interview with the Sheriff.

This month, GCSO told ABC15 they did not have any information to release, but the investigation remains "active". Our team did reach out again before this story aired, but we have yet to hear back.

"We want people to know that Emily mattered," said Allred. "And law enforcement needs to keep looking, not give up, and make sure that whoever did it gets locked up."

The Pike family said they would like to be reassured by law enforcement and would be supportive of interviews or a press conference being held.

 

[GrandmaBear]

This one was so horrible. I'd really like to see Emily get justice.

 

[Guess Who]

It seems every adult failed this child.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Emily Pike: Murdered Indigenous Girl’s Memorial Removed as Case Remains Unsolved

A memorial set up in Mesa for slain Arizona teen Emily Pike has been taken down; advocates are now hoping for a permanent placement. According to Arizona’s ABC 15, the memorial had sat in place months, at the intersection of Mesa Drive and McKellips Road, following the discovery of 14-year-old...

www.crimeonline.com

Emily Pike: Murdered Indigenous Girl’s Memorial Removed as Case Remains Unsolved​

A memorial set up in Mesa for slain Arizona teen Emily Pike has been taken down; advocates are now hoping for a permanent placement.

According to Arizona’s ABC 15, the memorial had sat in place months, at the intersection of Mesa Drive and McKellips Road, following the discovery of 14-year-old Emily’s remains in February.

Initially, it had been unclear who took the memorial down or why, although the city of Mesa reportedly said its officials did not have anything to do with it.

FOX 10 Mesa reports that the property owner, who chose not to be interviewed on-air, said he removed the memorial because no one had prior permission to place it there. He said he left the items in a bin since he was unsure who to contact about retrieving the items.

Emily’s advocates, who continue to push for answers in the case, feel it’s a way to keep the case in the public eye while honoring her memory.

Some supporters returned to the scene January 2 and added balloons, teddy bears, and garlands.

“They took all her things out of the trash, and they put them back up,” advocate Celeste Bonito-Nash told FOX 10. “This memorial keeps Emily Pike’s name in their mouth. This keeps her alive.”

 

[GrandmaBear]

If it is private property, they do not have the right, sad as it may be. They weren't in the "trash" as trash would have been picked up, he said he put them in a bin, and clearly they were able to retrieve them.

Nice they want to do such, but they do need to abide by the law.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

The family of Emily Pike announces two permanent memorial sites for slain teen

Two permanent memorials will be at Fitch Park in Mesa and near milepost 277 on Highway 60 for Emily Pike.

www.12news.com

The family of Emily Pike announces two permanent memorial sites for slain teen​

The family of Emily Pike, a San Carlos Apache teenager whose 2025 death remains unsolved, announced plans Thursday to establish two permanent memorials to honor her memory and raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.


The family has partnered with the City of Mesa to create a memorial at Fitch Park, where they plan to plant a tree and install a memorial bench. A second memorial, an Arizona Department of Transportation highway sign, will be placed at milepost 277 on Highway 60, near the site where Pike’s remains were found.

"I am very grateful for the assistance of the City of Mesa who graciously approved the establishment of a permanent memorial that will honor my daughter, Emily Carla Pike," said Stephanie Dosela, Emily’s mother, in a statement. "Her legacy will continue to raise awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous People."

The move toward permanent sites follows the recent removal of a large temporary memorial at the intersection of McKellips Road and Mesa Drive, where Pike was last seen alive. Though community members have since restored the temporary site, the family sought more stable locations to ensure her story is not forgotten.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at Fitch Park is expected in the coming weeks. 12News has reached out to Emily's family for a specific date and time.

 

[GrandmaBear]

The family of Emily Pike announces two permanent memorial sites for slain teen

Two permanent memorials will be at Fitch Park in Mesa and near milepost 277 on Highway 60 for Emily Pike.

www.12news.com

The family of Emily Pike announces two permanent memorial sites for slain teen​

The family of Emily Pike, a San Carlos Apache teenager whose 2025 death remains unsolved, announced plans Thursday to establish two permanent memorials to honor her memory and raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.


The family has partnered with the City of Mesa to create a memorial at Fitch Park, where they plan to plant a tree and install a memorial bench. A second memorial, an Arizona Department of Transportation highway sign, will be placed at milepost 277 on Highway 60, near the site where Pike’s remains were found.

"I am very grateful for the assistance of the City of Mesa who graciously approved the establishment of a permanent memorial that will honor my daughter, Emily Carla Pike," said Stephanie Dosela, Emily’s mother, in a statement. "Her legacy will continue to raise awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous People."

The move toward permanent sites follows the recent removal of a large temporary memorial at the intersection of McKellips Road and Mesa Drive, where Pike was last seen alive. Though community members have since restored the temporary site, the family sought more stable locations to ensure her story is not forgotten.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at Fitch Park is expected in the coming weeks. 12News has reached out to Emily's family for a specific date and time.

Awesome that they obtained permanent approved sites.

I hope all cases are solved and justice obtained but this is one that I am REALLY hoping for.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

$200,000 reward offered in Emily Pike murder case as Mesa vigil marks one year

It's been nearly one year since Emily Pike disappeared from a Mesa group home. On Jan. 25, the community gathered at the site where she was last seen alive to light candles and ensure her name is never forgotten.

www.fox10phoenix.com

$200,000 reward offered in Emily Pike murder case as Mesa vigil marks one year​

Emily Pike first went missing from a group home in Mesa one year ago this week. Her remains were found a few weeks later outside of Globe in the Gila County area.

The killer has never been caught, and friends and family are hoping to keep her memory and the case alive with a candlelight vigil. The story has touched many, both within and beyond the Indigenous community.

On Sunday evening, people gathered in Mesa at the corner of Mesa Drive and McKellips Road—the last place she was seen alive—to light candles, lay flowers, and demand justice.

"This is heavy for me to come here today to know that it's been a year and that this case is still unsolved," said Emily's relative, Kristopher Dosela. "I do believe we need to keep saying her name so this gets resolved."


There is a $200,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Pike’s murder. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

One year later, 14-year-old Emily Pike's case still unsolved

The case of 14-year-old Emily Pike's murder still remains a mystery one year since her disappearance. The teen was found dead in the Globe area in February 2025.

www.abc15.com

One year later, 14-year-old Emily Pike's case still unsolved​

The case of 14-year-old Emily Pike's murder still remains a mystery one year since her disappearance.

The teen was found dead in the Globe area in February 2025.

Dozens of mourners gathered at the intersection of Mesa Drive and McKellips Road Sunday evening to remember the name that has united so many of them.


The Gila County Sheriff's Office, who is investigating the case, told ABC15 on Friday that their detectives are still working on this. But they did not have any new information to release.