$200,000 reward offered in Emily Pike murder case as Mesa vigil marks one year
Family, friends hope to keep victim's case alive with vigil
Emily Pike went missing from a Mesa group home a year ago. Her body was found a few weeks later outside of Globe and the killer has never been caught.
MESA, Ariz. - 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 backstory:
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.
What they're saying:
"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."
On Valentine’s Day of last year, authorities found Emily’s remains. No suspects have been identified since the discovery.
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.
"That little girl cried and called for her mom. She cried and called for her grandma," said Pike family advocate Jared Marquez. "That should be a call to all mothers. That should be a call to all women that this little girl needs help, and she needs justice."
The family maintains a roadside memorial, which they had to put up a second time after the property owner took it down. They say the memorial is vital to keeping the case visible. Dosela noted that Emily's death is part of a larger crisis.
"My message to everyone is that MMIW [Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women] is real," Dosela said. "Native women, Native sisters are sacred, important. A lot of them are going missing."
"Our systems have failed this young girl," Marquez added. "And we want change. We want answers."
What's next:
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.