MESA, AZ – Nearly a year after an Indigenous teenager vanished from a group home in Mesa, her family and investigators are still searching for answers in her brutal murder, with a combined $200,000 reward now being offered for information leading to an arrest.
Emily Pike was last seen alive on January 27, 2025, after she fled from a Mesa group home near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road. What happened next remains a mystery that has haunted her family and the San Carlos Apache community she belonged to.
On Valentine’s Day 2025, hikers made a grim discovery along U.S. Route 60 northeast of Globe. Pike’s dismembered remains had been stuffed into trash bags and discarded along the remote stretch of highway. Some of her remains have never been recovered.
The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office has taken the lead on the investigation, contributing up to $75,000 toward the reward. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs added $25,000 from the state, while the San Carlos Apache Tribe pitched in another $75,000, bringing the total to $200,000.
A vigil was held on January 26, 2026, marking the solemn anniversary of Pike’s disappearance. Family members and advocates gathered to remember the young woman and demand justice.
“That little girl cried and called for her mom… she cried and called for her grandma,” said family advocate Jared Marquez. “She needs help, and she needs justice.”
Despite the substantial reward and ongoing investigation, no arrests have been made in the case. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward, no matter how insignificant it might seem.
Anyone with information about Pike’s murder is asked to contact the Gila County Sheriff’s Office at 928-425-4449, option 1, or the San Carlos Apache Police Department at 928-475-1700. Tips can also be submitted anonymously.
