Police say 14-year-old slain Arizona teen Emily Pike faced repeated trauma before she was found dismembered on February 14.
Tribal officials reportedly arrested a relative, but later released him without filing charges. Officials have not explained why the tribal Game and Fish Department, rather than police, led the investigation or why prosecutors dropped the case, AZ Central reports.
The tribe has since announced it will start its own independent investigation into the matter.
“The tribe is now addressing serious concerns about the handling of sexual assault charges Emily Pike made in 2023,” the tribe said in a statement. “Questions have arisen regarding why the alleged assailant was not prosecuted and why the tribe’s police and specialized law enforcement officers were excluded from the investigation.”
For her safety, social workers removed Emily from her mother’s custody. At a group home, she reportedly attempted suicide by tying a shoelace to a doorknob and cutting her wrists.
Emily frequently ran away. In one encounter, she reached for an officer’s gun during a stop and told police she no longer wanted to live, saying, “I am going to go to hell and you guys are all going to be there.”
Court documents obtained by FOX 10 indicated that Emily ran away three times in 2023. She told police about her dissatisfaction with life at the group home and pleaded to not return.
“Everyone let that girl down,” Emily’s uncle, Allred Pike Jr., said. “The system failed her in all aspects, not one, not two, all of it. … She’s just a 14-year-old that maybe wanted to see some friends, wanted to come home.”
Meanwhile, police said that no one has been ruled out as a suspect in the ongoing murder investigation. The relative accused of sexual assault has not been publicly named, as the charges were dropped, but had reportedly visited Emily’s home even after the assault took place.
As the investigation into her murder continues, the tribe is offering a $75,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
“Our Council has offered a $75,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Emily’s murder,” Rambler stated in the letter that accompanied the resolution. “We have requested the public to supplement the reward to generate more interest and leads.”
To assist in the investigation, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office and the San Carlos Apache Police Department have set up an online tip portal where anonymous tips can be submitted through tips411.
Information can also be reported to the Sheriff’s Office at 928-425-4449, option 1, or the San Carlos Apache Police Department at 928-475-1700.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo via Mesa police]
