Death of Emily Pike, teen found dismembered in Arizona, spurs calls for regulation of group homes
A Native American tribe in southeastern Arizona is pushing for tighter regulations on state-licensed group homes after a 14-year-old girl was found dismembered weeks after sneaking out her bedroom window.
The San Carlos Apache Tribe said Monday it sent a resolution to Gov. Katie Hobbs and other state officials requesting an investigation and legislative reform in response to the death of Emily Pike.
Pike’s dismembered remains were found in garbage bags near a remote forest road on Feb. 14, nearly 3 weeks after she left her Mesa group home, the tribe said in a news release.
No arrests have been made and the Gila County Sheriff’s Office, the investigating agency, has released few details about the case. In a March 18 Facebook post, the sheriff’s office said it was seeking the public’s assistance with information.
“This crime must not go unsolved. Emily was murdered in a cruel, depraved and heinous act and the perpetrator(s) must be held accountable,” tribe chairman Terry Rambler said in a March 21 letter that accompanied the resolution.
Pike was placed at the group home by the tribe’s social services department. Her uncle, Allred Pike Jr., 50, declined to tell NBC News what led to her being placed there.
He said he initially believed his niece was trying to get back to the reservation where her mother lives. Her remains were found about 100 miles from the group home, the tribe said. It is offering a $75,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
A program director for the group home, Sacred Journey Inc., said there are rules regarding when youth can leave.
“We definitely need to know who, what, where, when are you coming back. We need to meet these people who you’re going with, have conversations, realize that they’re real individuals, not just somebody you’re making up,” the program director said. “You’re not going to go to your friend’s house and there’s no parents there, stuff like that.”
When a resident leaves without permission, the group home alerts state agencies and contacts law enforcement. Local media outlets reported that the teen had snuck out her bedroom window.
Pike’s uncle said her death has been very difficult for the family.
“The way she was found, it was unbelievable because you don’t hear or see anything like that from where I’m from,” he said in a phone call. “Her being deceased is one thing, but the way that she was found was another thing. It’s hard to comprehend that someone would do such a thing to a 14-year-old girl.”
He said he wants his niece to be remembered as someone who loved her mom and siblings and liked to draw.
“She wanted to go to college,” he said. “Even though things may have been difficult at times, she had goals. She had a full life ahead of her, and her life was cut short.”
