Emily Pike

Emily Pike was a creative 14-year-old girl who loved art and dreamed of going to college. A member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona, she was remembered by her mother, Steff Dosela, as "just a baby." In the fall of 2023, Tribal Social Services placed Emily in a group home for girls in Mesa, over 100 miles away from her family and her home on the reservation. The placement came after she reported being sexually assaulted. The transition was difficult for Emily, who had a history of running away from the facility. In one instance captured on police body camera footage, she pleaded with officers not to take her back, expressing her desire to be with her grandmother instead.

On the evening of January 27, 2025, Emily, a Native American female, left the Mesa group home on foot. She was last seen at approximately 7:45 p.m., wearing a pink and gray shirt. Her case manager did not inform her mother that she was missing until a week had passed. The desperate search for the teenager ended in the most tragic way imaginable on Valentine's Day. On February 14, 2025, hikers near the city of Globe, Arizona, discovered her dismembered remains discarded in contractor-style trash bags off the side of Highway 60.

The Gila County Sheriff's Office launched a homicide investigation. An autopsy revealed that Emily had sustained severe trauma to her head and face. In a disturbing detail, investigators noted that her arms and hands were not recovered at the scene and remain missing. The brutality of the crime sent shockwaves through the community and brought renewed attention to the national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). The Federal Bureau of Investigation joined the Gila County Sheriff's Office to assist in the complex investigation.

Emily's case became a catalyst for legislative change in Arizona. Her murder prompted lawmakers to pass House Bill 2281, known as Emily's Law, which was signed by the governor on May 13, 2025. The law established the Turquoise Alert system, a public notification tool similar to an Amber Alert, specifically for missing and endangered Indigenous people within the state. Critics have pointed out the tragic irony that Emily's own case, initially classified as a runaway, might not have met the strict criteria to issue such an alert. In September 2025, Emily's father filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the group home, alleging that "inexperienced, reckless, and negligent" staff contributed to his daughter's fate.

Community members and advocates have worked to ensure Emily's memory is not forgotten. A roadside memorial with photos, flowers, and stuffed animals was erected near where she was found, but its removal by the property owner caused further pain to the community, as the items were placed in a bin, echoing the horrific manner of her discovery. Plans for permanent memorials were subsequently made. On the one-year anniversary of her disappearance in January 2026, a vigil was held at the corner where she was last seen alive, with attendees praying that someone with information would finally break their silence.

As of August 2026, Emily Pike's murder remains an active and unsolved cold case. No arrests have been made, and authorities have not publicly identified any suspects. Investigators continue to hope that renewed attention will generate new leads. A significant amount of reward money has been offered for information that leads to the person or persons responsible. The Navajo Nation Police offered a reward of up to $200,000, while the FBI and the San Carlos Apache Tribe have each offered separate rewards of up to $75,000.

Authorities urge anyone with information about the disappearance and murder of Emily Pike to contact the Gila County Sheriff's Office at 928-425-4449 or the FBI Phoenix field office at 623-466-1999.