Community mourns Indigenous teen Emily Pike, found dead in Arizona
Emily Pike, 14, was found dead near Globe. Leaked details about the condition of her body has sparked outcry around the nation.
The Republic
- Hundreds gathered at a candlelight vigil to remember and honor 14-year-old Emily Pike, who was found dead weeks after going missing from her group home.
- Emily’s death has sparked outrage and calls for justice, with many attendees and speakers highlighting the disproportionate rates of violence and disappearances among Indigenous women and girls.
- The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs have joined the investigation into Emily’s death, but no suspects have been identified yet.
An Indigenous prayer song pierced the quiet night outside of Encounter AZ Church in Mesa. Hundreds of people bowed their heads, candles gripped tightly, as they remembered and honored 14-year-old Emily Pike.
The candlelight vigil held Thursday night, only blocks from where Emily was last seen, served not only as a remembrance of the joyful teenager but also as a unifying message: We will not be forgotten.
“We have to remember, the system, the system failed Emily and has failed so many of our relatives,” said Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community. “We can’t let one more Emily die in such a violent way.”
Emily, a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, was found dead and brutalized near Globe in Gila County almost three weeks after being reported missing from her group home in Mesa. Family, friends and strangers alike gathered from across Arizona and the U.S. to pay their respects.
Despite the somber occasion, togetherness was a theme that permeated throughout the vigil. People softly tapped neighbors on the shoulder to help light candles, even as the evening breeze blew the flames out. A mother hugged her child close while a song and prayer filled the silent night and the candles flickered, illuminating their faces. Hugs were shared amongst strangers as they huddled around a large inflatable screen to watch the service.
The thing that united all the attendees was that they came to support Emily and her family and bring visibility to missing and murdered Indigenous people.
Emily: A light and a spark
Emily loved pink. She loved anything sparkly and colorful and had boundless creativity.
“Her hobbies were horizonless. … She wanted much more for herself,” said Alyssa Dosela, Emily’s aunt who lives on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Some family members drove over two hours to attend the vigil.
Family and friends described Emily as a sweet and soft-spoken girl who did well in school and was looking forward to college. She was kind and quiet, smart and jubilant. Many said she would light up a room just by smiling, her grin infectious. She was a spark, they said. One relative likened her to Tinker Bell, sparkling and full of light.
“I’ve been crying every day,” said Agatha Key, Emily’s grandmother, her voice breaking. “She’s my only granddaughter.”
Emily’s disappearance and death struck home for those in attendance, many sharing that they could have been her.
Shannon Bollinger, an attendee, said she was part of the foster care system in metro Phoenix, like Emily, and had run away at least once. Nobody came looking, she said.
Bollinger wasn’t alone. Speakers noted that Indigenous children in the foster care system were reported missing at a higher rate than their counterparts and that Indigenous children were murdered at a higher rate than their counterparts.
“This is an epidemic … and we’re finally getting recognition,” said April Victor, Emily’s aunt.
‘Let everyone know her name’
Chants of “Emily, Emily, Emily!” rang through the still night, a vow that her name would be remembered.
Hundreds of community members rallied around Emily’s death and family at Thursday’s vigil, the crowd outside the church spilling over the curb onto the street as the night continued. Inside, the church was packed full of relatives and those close to Emily.
Emily’s family and friends wore shirts with three photos of the teen with the words “In Loving Memory” and the dates May 16, 2010, and February 2025. The date of Emily’s death has not been released as the investigation continues.
Emily’s case ignited a renewed energy and focus on missing and murdered Indigenous women and people. Some speakers shared how their nieces, nephews, sons and daughters were found killed or had never been found. Others were motivated by spreading awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous people. Still, others felt it was their parental responsibility to attend in support of missing children.
“Everyone is taking this on a personal level,” said Gail Pechuli, a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, holding a drawn portrait of Emily.
Many attendees wore red as a tribute to the movement, while some painted a red handprint over their mouths. The handprint is a symbol of the voiceless and the silence of the media and law enforcement when it comes to missing Indigenous people, according to Native Hope, a Native American advocacy group.
According to data analyzed by the Urban Indian Health Institute in 2018, Arizona ranked third in states with the highest number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. In a survey of cities that provided data, Tucson ranked in the top 10.
Hashtags on social media, like #JusticeforEmilyPike, #NoMoreMMIW and #SayHerName, served as a reminder of Emily’s tragic death and brought visibility to missing and murdered Indigenous people.
Emily’s case has taken the national stage with the leaked details of her death catching like wildfire and breaking people’s hearts. Cities across the U.S., including Denver, planned to hold their own vigils for the teenager.
“That passion, that hurt, that anger, that sadness, it’s pouring out onto streets to let everybody know her name,” said Dosela, Emily’s aunt.
As the vigil came to a close and the wind blowing out the candles out stilled, Victor, Emily’s aunt, raised her voice, singing, “Remember me, down the road, hand in hand, you and me.” Soft voices picked up the song, carrying the message that Emily would not be forgotten.
What happened to Emily Pike?
Emily was last seen in late January walking on foot at McKellips Road and Mesa Drive near her group home in Mesa, according to Mesa police. Her remains were found almost three weeks later on Valentine’s Day in a woody area off U.S. 60, northeast of Globe in Gila County.
An internal memo from the Gila County Sheriff’s Office leaked information about the condition of Emily’s body when it was found, sparking outcry on social media. A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office said that the information was not officially released and declined to comment.
Two federal agencies, the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs, officially joined the investigation, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday night. Spokespeople for the FBI and Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the involvement of the federal bureaus. The Gila County Sheriff’s Office remained the lead agency.
The Sheriff’s Office said no suspects were identified as of Wednesday night.
