GILA COUNTY, AZ (AZFamily) — Police have identified the remains of a teenage girl found in the mountains northeast of Globe as 14-year-old Emily Pike.
Her dismembered remains were left in trash bags off the side of the road.
The victim’s mother, Steff Dosela, shared how she found out about her daughter and the emotions she’s experiencing.
A video of Emily wishing a loved one well shows her young, teenage innocence. It’s everything she embodied to her family and friends.
“My daughter, she was a very happy and kind person. She loves painting. She loves art. She loves to draw,” said her mother, Steff Dosela.
Dosela said her daughter was hoping to go to college and pursue her love of art.
That all changed in late January.
“Her case manager finally came a week later to tell me she was missing,” Dosela said.
Emily’s family lives on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation and told Arizona’s Family that at the time, she was living in a group home in Mesa.
According to the Mesa Police Department, Emily was last seen alive on Jan. 27 near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road in Mesa. The group home manager reported her missing.
This week, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office said they found dismembered remains on Feb.14 in a wooded area off Highway 60 past Globe.
According to detectives, Emily’s torso and head were in large contractor trash bags, with her legs in another. They have not been able to find her arms and hands.
The autopsy showed visible face and head trauma.
“Why did it go that far? She was just an innocent… she was a baby. (It’s) pain that I hope no other mother would go through,” Dosela said through tears.
She said detectives came to her home and gave her a DNA test, which helped in the investigation to identify her daughter.
“They have three suspects, but they didn’t tell me their names yet. They will talk to me about it today,” she said.
Dosela said as her daughter’s 15th birthday approaches, it will be hard to celebrate her first in heaven, but they’ll make sure Emily is celebrated today, tomorrow, and every heavenly birthday that lies ahead.
“You’ll never be forgotten. I love you,” her mom said. “Until we meet again, rest in peace.”
We know her manner of death is homicide, but her cause of death is still unknown.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Gila County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or the San Carlos Apache Tribal Police.
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