Family of Emily Pike says murdered 14-year-old was a sexual assault victim before the murder occurred

GILA COUNTY, Ariz. - This is a case we've been following for months, with new details about Emily Pike's past continuing to surface. Her family says the case may need a different lead agency in order to be solved.

"She would still be here today if she was not sent to the group home," said Emily's aunt, Carolyn Pike-Bender.

Emily's family says the sweet, loving girl they knew from birth faced demons in the last years of her life they want to bring to light.

One of those was a reported sexual assault on the San Carlos Apache reservation.

No charges were ever filed and her paternal aunts and uncle wonder how things could be different if someone was held responsible.

What they're saying:

"Would she have been sent to a group home if this individual had been charged and did some time?" said her uncle, Allred Pike, Jr. 

The family says any investigation now into the alleged sexual assault does not detract from the homicide case.

"That murder investigation is happening off the reservation and with what happened with her on the reservation, that's a different jurisdiction to where the tribe has the jurisdiction and the authority to look into what happened and why that case fell through the cracks," Pike, Jr. said.

Emily's aunts, who both live out of state, say they were trying to take Emily in for years.

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Emily Pike: Teen ‘did not want to go back’ to group home more than a year before her murder, report says

A missing persons report from Mesa Police reveals more information on 14-year-old Emily Pike who was found dismembered nearly 100 miles away from her last known location.

"We wanted to have her live with us and just give her the love and just be there for her," said Trinnie Pike.

"I just wanted her because I just couldn't imagine what it was like, or what it is like to be in a group home. A lot of things crossed my mind," said aunt Carolyn Pike-Bender. 

Carolyn, sharing that a suicide attempt by Emily at the group home in late 2023 forced the issue for her.

"They had told me what had happened with the shoestring and the closet incident and that just broke my heart, and immediately it's like ‘can she just come with us? Can we just take her in?’" said Pike-Bender.

Big picture view:

The family is now questioning why they've received no updates in Emily's murder case.

"I'd feel more comfortable if the federal, if the FBI had taken the lead on this case. I believe with their resources and the manpower they have, you never know, they may be or could've been further along in this case," said Pike Jr. 

What's next:

Justice - now two-fold - as the family hopes for answers not only in her death but in the reported sexual assault.

"Every day we pray, no matter where we're at, no matter where we are. It's like a silent prayer is always said because I do want that person to be caught, and you know, we want justice from before and after and any way that she was hurt," said Pike-Bender. 

The Gila County Sheriff's Office says they were not the lead investigators on the reported sexual assault. They also said there are no specific suspects or persons of interest in the murder investigation at this time. 

Local perspective:

The San Carlos Apache Tribe said they will be launching an independent investigation into the sexual assault allegations.

The Gila County Sheriff's Office provided the following statement:

"The Gila County Sheriff’s Office was not involved with the report you are referring to. You will need to contact the agencies involved with those investigations for that information. Investigators are continuing to follow-up on leads in the case. There are no specific suspect(s) or person(s) of interest at this time."