“Justice for Emily” was written in red plastic cups at the intersection of Mesa Drive and McKellips Road in Mesa, the last place 14-year-old Emily Pike was seen alive.
“Forever 14” was painted on one rock laid beneath bouquets of flowers. Rain-smudged notes covered the dusty ground. Purple and yellow ribbons were tied along the fence.
Since March 2, people have left stuffed animals, balloons, posters and candles at the intersection, memorializing Pike, who was found dead on Valentine’s Day after being reported missing in late January.
Pike’s remains were found almost three weeks after she was reported missing from Mesa, according to police. They were found in a woody area off U.S. 60, northeast of Globe, about 100 miles away from where she was last seen, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
What happened between her disappearance and when she was found is part of a homicide investigation, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Here’s what we know about Emily Pike.
What happened to Emily Pike?
According to Mesa police, Pike was last seen around 7:45 p.m. near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road in Mesa. She left on foot from her group home where she was living, a flier from the Police Department read.
On Feb. 14, Pike’s remains were found off U.S. 60 north, mile post 277, on Forest Service Road No. 355 northeast Globe, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
The Gila County Sheriff’s Office has not returned requests for comment about how Pike’s body was found. However, information about the case was found circulating on social media.
“Unfortunately, the information on Facebook was intended only for Law Enforcement Agencies and was leaked,” according to the Gila County Sheriff’s Office.
No details were released about how the leak occurred.
The cause and manner of death have not been released, according to the Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office, which investigates deaths in Gila County.
Who was Emily Pike?
Pike was described as a sweet girl by multiple people who left messages at the memorial. She was a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
“Our Tribe is mourning the tragic death of one of our young members,” read a statement from San Carlos Apache Tribe chairman Terry Rambler. “This is a terrible loss for the teenager’s family and our Tribe.”
Pike’s death sparked a large response on social media, with many putting focus on the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
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Pike’s family could not be reached for comment. Pike left behind her grandmother, mother and three siblings, according to a GoFundMe.
Pike was living at a Mesa group home, police said. It was unknown how long she had been living in the group home and whether this was her first time in a group home.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety said that Pike was not in its care.
Mesa police had responded five times to Pike running away, police spokesperson Sabrina Amyx said.
Who is investigating?
The case is being investigated by the Gila County Sheriff’s Office and the San Carlos Apache Tribal Police. The Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that they are also investigating Pike’s death alongside police.
A spokesperson for the FBI said the bureau will not join the investigation.
Anyone with information about the case can call a Gila County Sheriff’s Office detective at 928-200-2352, a Bureau of Indian Affairs special agent at 505-917-7830 or a San Carlos Apache tribal police detective at 928-475-1755.
