November 25, 2025 • 60 mins
On 02/14/2025, the gruesome discovery of a young indigenous girl’s remains was made in the Tonto National Forest near Globe, Arizona. The investigation into her disappearance and the events leading up to her death would reveal a long pattern of neglect and systemic failures. This is the story of Emily Pike of the San Carlos Apache Tribe of Arizona.
If anyone has any information about the death of Emily Pike, please contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS, your local FBI/American Embassy, or submit online at tips.fbi.gov.
Spread awareness and support the MMIWG Movement:
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center at https://www.niwrc.org
Alaskan Native Women’s Resource Center at https://www.aknwrc.org/
The Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto at https://nwrct.ca/
Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women at https://www.csvanw.org/If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, domestic violence, or is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact:
988lifeline.org call or text 988
Rainn.org 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Research for Episode 62 includes:
9 months later, where does Emily Pike's case stand?
About San Carlos — In the Gap Ministries
All-Cause Mortality Among Children in the US Foster Care System, 2003-2016
Emily Pike’s murder prompts changes to Arizona group homes
Feds offer $5K reward after teen girl found dead in eastern Arizona
From sexual assault response to missing person protocols: How systems failed Emily Pike
History & Culture | SAN CARLOS APACHE TRIBE - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Indigenous Teen Girl Missing for Days Was Murdered, Police Say
Mesa group home blames Emily Pike’s parents, San Carlos Apache Tribe in reply to lawsuit
Say Her Name: Emily Pike, Another Tale of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
When the gruesome discovery of ayoung girl's remains was made
along a trail in the forest nearthe San Carlos Apache
Reservation, it would horrify and enrage her tribal community
and the entire state of Arizona.The investigation into her death
would reveal a long pattern of neglect and systemic failures.
(00:27):
Who was this innocent victim, and will the monster who stole
her life ever be found and brought to justice?
(01:30):
Hello and welcome to Shades of Murder.
I am your host Alita Caldwell. In this podcast, I discuss cases
of murder from around the world and throughout history,
attempting to unravel the layersof darkness that help make
humans into monsters. Please be forewarned that each
episode contains specific and attimes very graphic and
(01:55):
disturbing details of the case. This show is not intended for
all audiences and listener discretion is strongly advised.
If you enjoy the show and want to support it, please help
spread the podcast. It only takes a moment to follow
rate on Apple or Spotify and leave a review.
Thank you for listening. On February 14th, 2025, along a
(02:18):
trail of Hwy. 60 in the Tonto National Forest near Globe, AZ,
a group of hikers came across two large construction type
trash bags. Upon closer inspection, they
found the bags to be suspicious looking and decided it was best
to contact the police. The officers were unprepared for
(02:38):
the horrific, gruesome scene. Inside one of the bags was a
girl's decapitated head and torso.
Inside the second trash bag wereher legs.
The preliminary autopsy results indicated that the young girl
had visible face and head trauma.
There were no identifiable itemsbelonging to the victim, such as
(02:59):
an identification card, clothing, or jewelry.
The forensic pathologist would later declare the cause of death
to be homicidal violence with blunt head trauma.
However, due to the dismemberment, it was impossible
to determine the girl's exact cause of death.
Five days after the body was found, the Bureau of Indian
Affairs contacted Mesa, AZ police.
(03:22):
They suspected the remains of their Jane Doe were missing 14
year old Emily Pike, a girl who had disappeared from a group
home in Mesa, AZ, over 100 milesaway in the Phoenix metropolitan
area. Finding out that your daughter
had been killed would undoubtedly be the most shocking
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and unbearably painful news a parent, much less a mother, can
never hear. It would be beyond difficult and
traumatic enough to receive a call or see a police officer
approaching your home when your child has gone missing.
But Emily Pike's mother didn't hear about her daughter's death
(04:07):
in either case. Instead of being told
respectfully and compassionately, she discovered
on social media there her 14 year old child had been brutally
slaughtered and disposed of liketrash on a highway and globe
near the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
(04:28):
This mother literally learned ofher daughter's tragic and
horrifying death by seeing photos of garbage bags that held
Emily's remains. These photos were released by an
individual or multiple people who worked for the HeLa County
Sheriff's Department. What little integrity and poor
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moral character must this personor persons have to not consider
how these grotesque and disturbing images would forever
impact the victim's loved ones. The police never contacted
Emily's mother, Steph Tosella. She was the one who called them
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after viewing these horrific images online that may have
involved her missing daughter's dismember her body.
The teenage girl had been missing for 18 days, but an
alert had never been issued for her after she ran away from a
group home in Mesa. Once again, the institutions had
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failed this young girl and her family.
The investigation into her disappearance and death would
reveal a pattern of systemic deficiencies and outright
failures. A lack of communication and
issues of complicated jurisdiction between the tribal
county and state systems had ledto this teenage girls untimely
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and most grisly demise. The neglect and failure to
protect this young girl had begun years earlier.
The San Carlos Apache Tribe, theArizona Department of Child
Safety, the group home, Sacred Journey in Mesa, and to some
extent her own family all playeda role in the horror that
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unfolded. On May 16th, 2011, Emily Pike
was born, one of three children to mother Steph Dossella.
She and her family lived in Peridot, Arizona, named for the
beautiful grain mineral Peridot,which is found in the basalt
flows near the area. Peridot is a tiny unincorporated
community in HeLa County locatedon the San Carlos Apache
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Reservation. In 2010, the population was 1350
residents. The San Carlos Apache
Reservation was established for the San Carlos Apache Tribe on
December 14th, 1872, one of foursettlements that the US
government had forced the Apachepeople to divide and relocate
to. It was designated Camp San
(07:07):
Carlos, at the junction between the Gila and San Carlos Rivers.
Initially it was the headquarters for the Indian
agency, but this would soon change and become a prison for
the tribe. Two years after the
establishment of the camp, the Department of the Interior
launched what it called a Program of Removal.
This imprisoned all western Apaches at San Carlos.
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By 1875, more than 4000 Apache, Mojave, Yavapai, and Chirico
Apaches were shoved into the SanCarlos camp, which consisted of
only 40 acres. These horrific, deplorable
living conditions would exist for many years before they were
free to return to their homelands.
(07:49):
It became known as Hells 40 Acres.
Then in 1924, the government constructed Coolidge Dam, which
robbed the tribe of their precious water sources, once
again forcing them to relocate. Over the next decade, the tribe
would become a tribal federal corporation, which granted some
collaborative power, including over natural resources and areas
(08:14):
of economic development. But still, the United States
government extended its powers over the tribe and continue to
reduce the size of its land six different times.
Specifically, each time a mineral or other precious
resource was located, they wouldresize the reservation so they
could steal the desired area from the tribe.
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The San Carlos Apache are known for their pride, resilience, and
their refusal to negotiate with the government.
Although the tribe has since established a casino and some
other lucrative businesses, the people's lives have not seen
much benefit. The San Carlos Apache
Reservation is the third largestin the state of Arizona,
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encompassing 1.8 million acres of land.
The population is around 10,300 people, but the tribal members
face some of the highest rates of poverty in the nation.
The median household income is below $25,000, which equates to
74% of the people being at or twice below the federal poverty
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line. Their unemployment rate on the
reservation is as high as 37%. For contextual comparison, the
national unemployment rate is approximately 4%, and the same
applies to the state of Arizona.A lack of education exacerbates
the problem, with almost one in four having less than a 9th
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grade education. It has also been acknowledged
and addressed that organized crime, in particular drug
traffickers, have taken great advantage over the vast lands
that exist amongst the reservations, making them prime
targets for users. The leading cause of death for
adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 is intentional self
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harm or suicide by hanging or strangulation.
For young adults aged 20 to 44, the leading cause of death is a
vehicle related accidents, and for middle-aged Indigenous
people it is alcohol related liver disease.
Similar to many communities thatstruggle with poverty,
unemployment, mental health issues and substance abuse,
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violent crime is extremely rampant.
The crime rate on the San CarlosApache Reservation is 10 times
the national average. You may be curious why I am
sharing this information with you.
First, it is Native American Heritage Month.
It is important to discuss with the San Carlos Apache Tribe,
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like all tribes in the United States, was forced to endure and
the struggles and battles they continue to face thanks to the
invasion, resettlement, and genocide induced by colonialism.
Second, it is crucial to understand the environment and
culture in which Emily was raised, as well as the numerous
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challenges she and her family faced.
Emily Pike's parents have been separated for many years.
Her father was in and out of thecriminal justice system
throughout her young life and was incarcerated for an arson
related offence. At the time of the events that
unfolded, her mother was unemployed and had long
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struggled with substance abuse. Along with her brother, mother,
grandmother, aunts, and other unspecified relatives, as well
as other possible tribal members, Emily lived in a
rundown trailer on the reservation along a dirt path.
The area was very uncapped with trash, broken glass, and
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overgrown shrubs. Her home was known for being
chaotic and unreliable. There were plumbing issues, no
electricity, and the roof was patched with tarps to prevent
leaking. Despite all of these obstacles
and not having an ideal living situation, Emily Pike was of
vibrant, smart and bubbly littlegirl known for her beautiful,
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infectious smile. In 2023, the San Carlos Apache
Police Department received a call from a remote part of the
reservation. It was Emily Pike.
She told them she had been raped.
However, when law enforcement arrived, no one came with any
background in handling such a sensitive crime, especially of a
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sexual nature. Instead, the tribal Fish and
Game department showed up. No one provided Emily Pike with
the support and resources she desperately needed after such a
violent and traumatic event. Once it was learned that it was
a family member who had assaulted the young girl, Emily
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was placed in the care of San Carlos Apache Social Services.
Initially, the man was arrested but was released soon after
without facing any charges. Some believe that members of
Emily's family did not want to press charges, but the Bureau of
Indian Affairs claimed there wasinsufficient evidence to support
the charges. Emily was initially held at the
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Tribal Social Services group home on the reservation, but it
lacked the resources support necessary for the young girl.
She was soon forced to leave herfamily behind on the
reservation. 12 year old Emily Pike was pulled away from her
tribe, everything and everyone she knew and loved, and was sent
to live in a residential group home in Mesa, which was over 100
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miles away from the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
What may have appeared to be a step to shield the girl from
further harm only LED her to be isolated, traumatized and re
victimized. The trauma Emily Pike
experienced from being assaulted, not supported by some
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of her own family members who sided with the assailant, and
then thrown into a group home with no one she knew, wore the
young girl down. Emily Pike began to struggle
with depression and suicidal ideation, attempting to kill
herself on at least one reportedincident.
Emily hated living at the group home and escaped the residence
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on multiple occasions. She missed her family deeply and
the simple cherished things on the reservation that she no
longer had in the city, like hergrandmother's acorn soup and
homeward tortillas. But she wasn't given a voice and
where she lived and her family had restrictions on their
contact with her, particularly her mother.
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Her mother understood the best she could given the assault that
had happened and her struggle with poverty and addiction, but
she was under the impression that her daughter was safe and
being well cared for at the group home.
Sacred Journey. On September 11th, 2023, Emily,
along with another girl from thegroup home, disappeared after a
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staff member gave them their medication before bed, which I
have no idea what that entailed,but the two girls ended up
escaping from the window. A Mesa police officer located
the girls safe at the nearby Kleiman Park.
When asked why they ran away, the girls claimed they've been
forced to scrub the walls, baseboards, window sill, and
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tiles on their hands and knees for hours.
One of the girls swore to the officer that if she were taken
back there, she would just run away again and that she would
rather go to jail. Both girls were promptly
returned to the group home. Sacred Journey.
It was reported by a staff member that one of the girls had
a cell phone that had been confiscated the night before.
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Only nine days after this incident, Emily Pike left the
facility once again. A Mesa police officer found her
walking in the neighborhood along the canal around 10:00
that night. This time, Emily told him,
though she hated how the staff argued with the girls there and
she didn't want to return. She also said to the officer
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like, well, I would rather stay with my grandma instead.
I want to speak to my mom. No one understands me or is
going to help me. I'm not going to go to that
fucking group home. I hate it there.
After this second incident of running away from the group
home, Sacred Journey ordered that Emily be sent to mine 24/7,
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which is a mental health facility, before she would be
allowed to return. Then about a month later, on
Halloween night, a staff member contacted the police saying that
Emily had run away again, but less than three hours later, she
returned. However, a staff member
overheard her tell another girl that she had taken something
(17:02):
that was laced with the drug, but the staff didn't see her
condition warranting any emergency treatment, so they
allegedly kept an eye on her throughout the night.
On November 8th, 2023, a little before 10 AM, Emily Pike was
discovered in a master bedroom closet with a shoestring placed
around her neck, which was tied to the door knob.
(17:26):
Emily was transferred to Oasis Behavioral Health Treatment
Facility where she remained for over a year.
It isn't known what kind of treatment or therapy she was
given during her stay. She remained in the treatment
facility until right before Thanksgiving when she was picked
up from the hospital by her auntand uncle.
Together they traveled through Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah,
(17:47):
meeting relatives along the way.Everything seemed normal, happy,
and Emily was enjoying the trip.But only two days later, her
behavior changed. There was a disagreement and
Emily ended up running away. When an officer located her, she
refused to leave with her aunt and uncle.
She told them she wanted to killherself and that she would see
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them all in hell. Emily was hospitalized and then
sent back to Arizona where she was placed in a secure
behavioral health facility. Emily Pike would be returned to
the Sacred Journey group home inMesa.
The last time Emily Pike was seen or heard from anyone who
knew her was on January 27th, 2025.
One of the girls of the group home informed staff members that
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they saw Emily crawl out the window.
She was described as wearing a pink and Gray striped long
sleeve shirt. When Emily went missing from the
group home, the most basic information given to the police
was inaccurate. First, the staff member Kathy
Montano stated that Emily was 15years old instead of her actual
age of 14. When the police dispatcher
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inquired as to whether the childhad any history of mental
illness or was a potential risk of harm to herself or others,
the woman replied no. Emily had documented history of
her stay at psychiatric hospitals and behavioral health
facilities where she resided forover a year before returning to
the group home and when asked tospell her name, she said EMILEY.
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When a police officer arrived atthe group home at 8:30 on the
night Emily Pike disappeared, the employee stated that they
had noticed the gate was open and the screen window had been
kicked out. According to Emily's roommate,
she claimed that she was going to meet up with a boy she had
met recently at a store. While looking at records, it was
reported that Emily Pike was taking medication for her mental
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health and behavioral issues, but the exact kind or name of
medication she was on has never been specified.
This is also very ironic considering how the staff member
who called police to inform themshe had gone missing claimed
that she didn't have any mental health concerns.
A witness last saw the 14 year old girl walking near Mesa Drive
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and Mckellips Rd. A statewide missing person
bulletin was issued 2 days aftershe was last seen.
The group home, Sacred Journey reported Emily missing
immediately, and the San Carlos Apache Tribe Social Services
were informed about her disappearance the day after.
However, the caseworker assignedto Emily didn't believe it was
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an emergency, as they were awarethat she had run away from the
group home on multiple occasionsand had always returned safely
in the past. It would be an entire week
before the San Carlos Apache Social Services contacted
Emily's family to inform them she had vanished.
On February 2nd, 2025, the grouphome received a call claiming
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that Emily was with her mother on the reservation, but at the
time it was left, they neglectedto check it.
Four days later, a Facebook postmade the same claim.
However, this was quickly dispelled once police spoke with
Emily Pike's mother. The next day, the group home
finally listened to the voicemail.
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On February 11th, the police listened to the voicemail, which
again confirmed by Emily's mother to be untrue.
Why would someone claim that shewas with her mother on the
reservation multiple times? Was it the person who had
murdered her and they wanted to interfere with the investigation
by making the police and the group home believe Emily was
safe? Back there?
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The police contacted her mother toward the end of that week.
In February, Emily Pike's mothertold law enforcement that she
thought her daughter was at the group home still and she had not
seen or heard from her. Something doesn't add up about
the situation, especially considering how close the
proximity was to the reservationwhere Emily's remains were
found. Emily Pike's mother, Steph
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Dusala, believes that she was sohomesick that she likely was
trying to make her way back to the reservation.
Did Emily hitchhike or get a ride with someone she'd possibly
met in Mesa up to the reservation?
Was her trip met with a violent altercation with a stranger, or
did she cross paths with someoneshe knew, possibly even the
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relative who had sexually assaulted her?
This is all pure speculation, but the factors of this case
don't make much sense. On March 18th, the Collaborative
Task Force of Law Enforcement Agencies was established.
The group included the HeLa County Sheriff's Office, the San
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Carlos Apache Police Department,the Mesa Police Department, the
FBI, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
On March 24th, the San Carlos Apache Tribe urged the Arizona
Legislature to pass HB2281, which would establish the
long-awaited Missing Indigenous Person Alert System, also known
as the Turquoise Alert. Legislation was created before
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Emily Pike went missing and was found murdered.
Similar to an Amber Alert issuedby the Department of Public
Safety, this kind of alert is specifically for when an
Indigenous person disappears. In her memory.
It was renamed Emily's Law the following day.
Chairperson of the Arizona Senate Health and Human Services
Committee Karine Werner call fora thorough investigation into
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the DCS group home regulations. On May 14th, several different
agencies came together at the Joint Legislative Oversight
Committee to discuss with Arizona lawmakers this crisis.
In addition to the various factors, specifically the lack
of action and poor communicationthat led to Emily Pike's death,
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the DCS, local and state law enforcement officials, leaders
of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and Emily's family members were
all in attendance. Emily's uncle, Elrod Pike, was
in attendance at the hearing andaddressed the total breakdown of
communication. He told them how the tribe, the
state, and the federal agencies had all failed.
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His niece Emily's death could have been prevented if it
weren't for how these systems each let her down.
Emily Pike was neglected by the system from the day she
contacted the tribal police about being raped to when she
disappeared the last and final time.
During the hearing, Sand Color Apache Police Chief Elliot
(24:21):
Sneezy responded to inquires about why the Fish and Game
Department have responded to a sexual assault call that day
instead of one of his trained officers.
He stated that the police were really busy that day Emily Pike
had called, and that Fish and Game were experts and locating
people in the most desolate and remote areas on the reservation.
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Although this excuse was really just that, an inexcusable error
in judgement, it couldn't be argued that the tribal police
were spread very thin. In fact, along this 1.8 million
acre reservation, there were only 22 police officers expected
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to handle crime, 22 officers patrolling 1.8 million acres of
land. The Director of Tribal Social
Services would later convey to the committee that cases of
sexual assault are very challenging to prosecute when
the family members protect the accused.
(25:24):
According to Terry Ross, the director, when an assault occurs
within the family, its members almost always support the
perpetrator and refuse to press charges.
As a result, social services areleft with very little choice but
to remove the child from the home.
When Emily Pike was sent to the group home in Mesa, no one was
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ever informed as to why she was sent there.
This background was critical to her caregiver's understanding of
her mood and behavior, but the DCS failed to communicate this
pertinent information. At the time, Emily was residing
at Sacred Journey Group Home, which was a DCS license.
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She was in the custody of the tribe, not the state, when the
Department of Children's Services became aware of Emily's
disappearance. Since she was in the custody of
the tribe and not them, there were no records of her family
contacts nor her friends. In fact, they didn't even have a
photo of Emily Pike. The reporting requirements under
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Arizona law firm Missing Child don't apply to a child who is in
the custody of a tribe. The DCS felt that their hands
were tied due to these jurisdiction issues and nothing
was done to inform the family that she had gone missing, much
less perform a thorough search for the young girl.
But Sacred Journey Group Home was expected to contact DCS
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regarding Emily Pike's disappearance even though she
was not in their custody. The previous year, Arizona had
witnessed a huge influx of runaways reported from the
Department of Children's Services Group Homes.
In response, an amended state law was signed that required
that family, friends and school be contacted within 24 hours of
(27:17):
a child's disappearance. The law also stipulated that the
family and tribe of the missing child must be contacted via
phone and in written communication.
However, tribal sovereignty means that state laws don't
apply to tribes because the state lacks the authority to
pass laws that dictate or control them.
(27:39):
At the time, the Arizona DCS hadwhat was referred to as a
memoranda of agreement, which would comply with such laws for
four Arizona tribes, but the SanCarlos Apache Tribe was not one
of them. As such, a child living on
tribal lands or who is in custody or enrolled by the tribe
has exclusive jurisdiction over what happens to the child.
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This undoubtedly stems from a long history of the traumatic
and unjust forced removal of Indigenous children from their
families on reservations. Many of the speakers spoke out
against the way jurisdiction took priority over locating A
vulnerable, missing child. No matter who the child is, they
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must be immediately considered missing, not a runaway, if the
speakers declare that the most innocent and most vulnerable
must be protected. These obstacles don't go away,
though, simply because officialsor community members want
jurisdiction not to matter. They do this for many reasons,
primarily to give Native tribes autonomy and authority or
(28:45):
sovereignty on their lands. Many agencies and individuals
within them don't want to interfere with tribal
jurisdiction for significant reasons.
Group homes are expected to report a missing child
immediately, though it is an ongoing issue that teens placed
in Group homes are frequent runaways who often end up
(29:08):
disappearing over the weekend and just resurface the next
week. Due to this fact, some have
recommended that these requirements be amended for
teens in Group homes Who disappear directly after being
told they can't go somewhere, specifically if a staff member
knows where they may have fled. Everyone at the committee agreed
that communication is essential to prevent more children going
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missing, especially those residing in Group homes.
There must be an open, honest flow of information about the
child's background and about their culture between tribal
social services and the group homes, in addition to an
agreement between the tribe and the DCS so when a child goes
missing, everyone involved has important information to help
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find them. After Emily Pike's disappearance
and murder, the San Carlos Apache Tribe requested that an
investigation be made into the Sacred Journey group home.
They also want state leaders to enact stricter regulations on
these state licensed residentialgroup homes.
Investigators would soon learn that over the past three years,
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more than 30 children had disappeared from there.
According to Elizabeth Morales, the CEO and home operator of
Sacred Journey, all 30 children have been safely located.
However, there is one particulargirl, a 17 year old named
Veronica Cruz, who disappeared in May 2024.
(30:39):
Now, according to Elizabeth Morales, the girl was located
after a year and reunited with her family, but the Mesa Police
Department never confirmed this to be true.
What does this indicate about the manner in which this
facility is being operated when this many young vulnerable girls
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are running away? According to their LinkedIn
profile, Sacred Journey Incorporated is a residential
living home designed to provide 24 hour a day, 365 days a year,
supervised care for children, specifically girls ages 7 to 18
years of age. Sacred Journey Incorporated
utilizes A holistic, therapeuticapproach to provide each child
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with a supportive, nonjudgmental, culturally based
experience so that each child can enhance and develop life
skills for future survival once they return to their natural
environment, their mission statement says.
We believe that every child has a right to grow up in a secure,
nurturing environment where theywill receive caring and
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emotional support from a trusting adult who instill a
sense of hope and self pride so that each child may grow to
their fullest potential. The purpose and main goal of
Sacred Journey Incorporated is to break the cycle of
intergenerational abuse through strengthening children and their
families. The CEO of Sacred Journey
(32:08):
address the care of children at the facility, stating we go
above and beyond, We're raising children and not just housing
children, we were parenting children, Elizabeth Morales
said. I'm going to really take the
time and energy to make sure that child is wrapped in
services. What an absolute joke.
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This is the place that was forcing little girls to scrub
their floors and walls on their hands and knees for hours at a
time. This so-called Wellness support
Center for young girls who didn't even know how to
correctly spell Emily Pike's name.
Which by the way, speaks volumeswhen their staff member doesn't
(32:51):
know how to even spell one of those common names in history
accurately. Only one day after Emily Pike's
remains were found, DCS launchedits own investigation to the
group home. It found that they weren't
responsible nor could they have prevented the tragedy that
happened to Emily, according to a spokesperson for DCS.
(33:13):
They stated to the media at thistime the department does not
believe any action taken or not taken by the group home caused
the terrible outcome in this case.
We have opened a licensing inquiry to determine whether
appropriate steps were taken by the group home during this
incident. The DCS investigation concluded
(33:34):
that it was in violation for failing to call the DCS hotline
to report Emily Pike missing as required by state policy.
So in response, the Department of Children's Services
instructed that they update their internal policies and
ensure all staff members are properly trained on this
procedure, regardless of what agency, whether it is state or
(33:58):
tribe, have placed the child at the home.
Really updating their handbook and training manual is the
extent of change requested by Arizona DCS to this very
sketchy, possibly abusive girls group home.
The real issue, though, is Arizona DCS and the tragic
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murder of Emily Pike and severalother young vulnerable children,
which have led lawmakers and local news stations to initiate
a deep look at the system and how can be changed.
Emily Pike is not the only murder case in recent years
involving a young vulnerable children associated with Arizona
(34:43):
Department of Children's Services.
In August of this year, the Arizona Department of Children's
Services was faced with a $60 million wrongful death suit
filed for the 2022 murder of 11 year old Cheske Davis, who died
from torture and starvation at the hands of his grandmother
(35:05):
Stephanie Davis and her boyfriend Tammis Deschornay.
This lawsuit was filed in the name of his surviving 13 year
old younger brother whose horrendous injuries, both
physical and psychological, haveleft him with such severe
cognitive disabilities, trauma and suffering that he will need
(35:26):
care for the rest of his life. Neither of these vicious
perpetrators had legal custody of Chaske, Davis or his younger
brother, and in fact, had abducted the children from their
home in Minnesota. Despite multiple reports filed
by two different schools in 2017that said there were serious
(35:48):
signs that the children were being abused, DCS didn't look
into the allegations very seriously.
The first incident involved scratches on Chaske's face and a
bruise on his head. The second incident concerned
his missing school in a severelyblackened eye.
The third allegation of abuse was made regarding his younger
(36:10):
half brother, whose head was discolored from his grandmother
allegedly picking him up and throwing him down.
The Arizona DCS investigated these three different claims of
child abuse and yet they decidedthere was insufficient evidence
and left the children in the care of the grandmother.
This sadistic grandmother, Stephanie Davis, would then pull
(36:32):
the two boys out of school to evade authorities.
In 2021, a hotel receptionist atExtended Stay America in
Scottsdale, AZ, observed the boys panhandling in the street
during the intense summer heat, wearing long sleeve shirts and
pants the two boys always had onbaseball caps, their heads
(36:53):
lowered, and their grandmother wouldn't allow them to speak.
The woman called DCS worried about the children's welfare,
but they never returned her call.
Then in 2022, the year Chess GayDavis was killed, there was
another report made sending possible child abuse.
This is where Chess Gay and his younger brother lived out the
(37:16):
last days of his life being severely tortured.
Yet DCS took no protective action.
If only they had looked closer into who their legal guardians
even were, they would have realized that these two little
kids have been abducted from their mother years ago and there
(37:38):
have been an arrest warrant for their grandmother since 2016.
Instead, the DCS dismissed thesegrievous signs of abuse and
neglect, and these young boys were subjected to the most
horrendous abuse and unspeakabletorture for years, ending in the
life of the eldest child. That there was a lack of a
(38:01):
thorough investigation and not demands for reform of the
Arizona Department of Children'sServices after this
heartbreaking and infuriating case makes no sense.
It wasn't until Emily Pike's tragic and atrocious murder that
lawmakers and community members began to demand accountability
(38:23):
and change. Emily's case is one of three
high profile cases that involvedyoung girls which have finally
ignited a deep probe into the DCS.
Zariah Dodd, a pregnant 16 year old who was in custody of the
state, was murdered in a park inPhoenix in July of 2025.
(38:48):
She had also run away from her group home in Surprise, AZ.
The two perpetrators of her death have since been arrested.
The other child, Rebecca Baptiste, was a 10 year old girl
whose school had called DCS morethan half a dozen times with
claims of the child being abusedat home.
(39:09):
DCS never did anything about it,and once they believed they
should look into the allegationscloser, the family had moved.
They had moved to a remote, isolated area in Arizona where
they were living in a yurt. The little girl was found
unresponsive and she was taken to the emergency room where she
(39:31):
died three days later on July 30th from severe abuse and
malnutrition. Her father and his girlfriend
have since been arrested and charged with first degree
murder. Several reforms have been
proposed to prevent future tragedies like what happened to
Emily, Rebecca and Zariah. Critical information packets
(39:54):
will be created for every child in a group home, including a
current photograph, their history and their family
members. As part of a class action
lawsuit five years ago against Arizona DCS, they had agreed to
stop their over reliance on placing children into group
homes. They claim that although they
have tried to find more foster homes for these kids, most of
(40:16):
them are older and have complicated backgrounds and
needs. After what happened to Emily
Pike, you would expect a higher degree of investment,
accountability, and due diligence on the part of DCS to
keep children safe. Unfortunately, these examples,
both before Emily Pike and afterward, show otherwise.
(40:40):
Despite the heightened criticismand community outrage, nothing
significant in the system appears to have changed.
Local Phoenix news station ABC15launched DCS State of Failure to
raise awareness of this escalating problem that is
existed in the state for decades.
(41:01):
They intend to reveal how the system has failed to protect
countless children from neglect,abuse and violence at the hands
of their caretakers, whether it is their biological parents,
foster or a group home. It is an ongoing crisis that
must be exposed for real reform to come.
(41:22):
The research on the high risk ofabuse and death of children and
Child Protective Services is deeply alarming.
Children in foster care, which include group homes, are 42%
more likely to die, regardless of their race or age than
children not in the system. An audit performed in 2019
(41:43):
revealed that states failed to report 34,800 missing foster
children to either the police orthe National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children. A report released by the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children discovered
that approximately 40% of missing foster children
(42:04):
disappear on average 4 times while in the custody of the
state. Several studies have shown that
between 25% to 40% of foster kids have reported being victims
of abuse or neglect while in state care.
Research conducted on older children formerly in the system
found that 27% of them were victims of sexual abuse.
(42:28):
Foster kids in Group homes face an even higher risk of being
sexually abused than in alternative living situations.
Some studies indicated that theywere 28 times more likely to be
sexually abused. Another study done on foster
parents showed that they had committed 41% of the incidents
of sexual abuse. It should come as no surprise
(42:51):
that a very high number of children and adolescents in the
foster care system become the most marginalized and vulnerable
members of society. About 29% of homeless youth and
young adults have experienced living in the foster care
system. Black and Native American
children are overrepresented in the system and comprise A
(43:14):
disproportionate number of missing children in relation to
their percentage in the population.
There are currently 1400 children in Group homes in
Arizona. As of October 2025, more than 90
foster kids have been reported as missing runaways or abducted.
Not only was Emily Pike a vulnerable target, being a young
(43:37):
girl in the child welfare system, but her Native American
heritage placed her at an extremely high risk of becoming
a victim of violence. Rates of violence occur on
reservations at 10 times the rate of the national average
outside the tribal lands. Although the studies vary, some
(43:57):
research has indicated the indigenous girls and women are
as high as seven times more likely to be murdered than non
indigenous females. The homicide rate is on average
three times higher than that of non Hispanic white women, and
murder is the third highest cause of death for Native
(44:17):
American and Alaskan Native females, both between the ages
of 15 and 19 and 20 to 24. There are particular regions of
the country where indigenous girls and women are at an even
higher risk of becoming victims of murder.
Across 11 counties in the UnitedStates, indigenous females face
homicide rates that are more than 10 times the national
(44:41):
average. There is also a significant
disparity in the official records regarding the numbers
who have gone missing. In 2016, the National Crime
Information Center reported that5712 Indigenous girls and women
were missing, but according to the US Department of Justice's
website, there are only 116. That is an enormous difference
(45:08):
that has never been formally addressed.
In 2023, there were 5800 Indigenous females reported as
missing and 74% of them were children.
On September 15th, 2025, Emily Pike's father, Jensen Pike,
filed A wrongful death lawsuit against the Sacred Journey Group
(45:31):
home for negligence. The seven page complaint claims
that the staff were negligent and failed to reasonably watch,
supervise, care for, and protectEmily while in their care,
blaming them for her wrongful death through their action or
inaction by staff members. One to five that were hired, who
have not been identified, were inexperienced, reckless, and
(45:53):
negligent. However, in their response to
the lawsuit, the Sacred Journey Group Home facility claims that
many agencies are to blame for Emily's murder, including him
and her mother. In the lawsuit, they contended
that Emily Pike's parents, Jensen Pike and Stephanie
(46:14):
Dosella are unfit, unresponsive,and neglectful.
Sacred Journey also laid fault on the San Carlos Apache Tribe
since they knowingly placed her in a non secure voluntary
residential home, claiming that Emily Pike left the residential
home of her own free will. This statement, if anything,
(46:34):
pains Sacred Journey in a negative light.
Despite their flaws as parents, which certainly helped lead to
the traumatic situations Emily Pike faced when she was sent to
the Groupon facility. It then became their
responsibility, their job to look after her and provide her
with a safe and supportive home.How can you call a girl's home
(46:56):
Sacred Journey and not help these girls overcome their
trauma and show them the kindness and compassion that is
needed to encourage them to be on a better, more positive path
in their lives? Emily wasn't sent to the group
home out of any wrongdoing of her own.
(47:16):
She did nothing to deserve beingtreated and handled as if she
were a bad kid, a troubled juvenile.
She was a victim, a child victimof sexual assault who was taken
away from her family, away from the reservation and tossed into
the care of a facility that clearly was not fit to take care
(47:41):
of her or any of these young vulnerable girls.
It has been reported that some of Emily Pike's relatives are
not supportive of Jensen Pike's lawsuit.
They believe it is outrageous and exploitative of her death
and that if there is any financial reward that should be
(48:01):
received, it should be placed ina charity to honor his daughter
or help locate her killer ratherthan benefiting him.
Who was in prison when Emily went missing and was killed?
The San Carlos Apache Tribe is committed to finding Emily
Pike's killer and has offered a $75,000 reward for information
(48:24):
leading to the arrest and conviction.
The investigation is currently acollaborative effort made by the
Helic County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, the San Carlos Apache
Tribal Police Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Who are committed to solving Emily Pike's murder?
The HeLa County Sheriff's Officehas been relatively tight lipped
(48:45):
about the case, stating that it remains open and active, but no
information is available to release.
A $200,000 reward has been offered by the FBI, leading to
an arrest for the murder of Emily Pike.
It can't be denied that this reward by the FBI is much larger
than most, indicating that they are fully committed to solving
(49:09):
her case. Why is it then that with all of
this alleged law enforcement teamwork, her death still does
not appear to be prioritized? Why is it that nine months
later, very little progress has been made on her case?
And how can anyone explain, muchless condone, how only a few
(49:31):
weeks ago another Apache girl was found murdered and a
turquoise alert had never been issued?
When 16 year old Chalistia Tia Colele told her family she was
going to stay at a friend's house, they didn't worry when
they didn't see her for a few days.
Then a few days turned into 10 and on October 27th, her family
(49:55):
reported her missing to the White Mountain Apache Police.
But for some unknown and unjustifiable reason, they never
issued A turquoise alert for theyoung girl.
The FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the tribal police
began a search for the missing child on November 3rd.
(50:17):
Her remains were found in the Knotts Landing area in White
River, Arizona, within a mile ofher home on the reservation.
It is unknown what information they received which led to her
remains. After the discovery of the young
girl's body, which had evidence of foul play, Arizona DCS
(50:39):
addressed questions as to why a turquoise alert was never
issued. They stated that without a
formal request from the tribal police, they have no legal or
operational authority to activate an alert. 16 year old
Chalistia Colele had been reported missing on 2 separate
occasions in October 2024, with both having been closed after
(51:01):
she was located. A little less than two weeks
after her body was found, there was news of an arrest in her
murder, according to the family,and agent from the BIA or Bureau
of Indian Affairs visited them and informed them that they had
someone in custody who was a minor and not directly
associated with the family. However, the BIA released a
(51:24):
statement to the press which conflicted with this
information. They told the media that the
homicide investigation was open and ongoing and that no arrests
had been made. It is also interesting and
bizarre that the FBI is allegedly not directly involved
and Celestia Kolale's homicide investigation.
(51:46):
Now, this makes no legal or logical sense because the FBI
has shared jurisdiction in all cases of homicide that occur on
federally recognized land. Under the federal law, they have
primary jurisdiction over any Major Crimes and would work
alongside the White River Mountain Apache Tribal police
(52:06):
and the BIA. The claim being made by some
sources that the FBI is not working on Celestia Cololi's
case appears to be incorrect information.
However, if this is true, it only adds to the baffling
questions and mystery surrounding her disappearance,
death, and a subsequent investigation.
(52:27):
And yet, there are no suspects or any leads in the brutal
murder of Emily Pike. Keeping the case active in the
community talking about Emily isthe top priority for Emily's
aunt, Carolyn Pike Bender and her uncle, Elrin Park Junior.
Emily's aunt and uncle adored her, and they miss her deeply.
(52:48):
Her aunt Carolyn Bender confessed to how she cries
herself to sleep some nights because she is so haunted.
Why? What happened to her young
niece? Her uncle Elrod Pike has
expressed the impact the entire tribe has felt after Emily's
death. And I quote, everybody feels the
(53:09):
pain. What happened to her?
We just don't want her to be another statistic.
Emily Pike's family does their best to hold on to hope and have
patience waiting for answers. But nine months after Emily's
tragic death, there are few. No suspects have been identified
(53:33):
and although it is known that search warrants were served on
the group home and other possible locations of interest,
law enforcement hasn't shared any information with Emily
Pike's family. As I have mentioned in previous
episodes, I prefer to cover solved cases because I like to
(53:53):
delve deeply into all aspects. When you don't know the legal
outcome, much less even a suspect in a crime, this can be
difficult, if not impossible to do.
But there are cases where I feelcompelled to use my boys to
(54:14):
spread awareness and help increase interest and solving
them. Each case I cover matters to me.
But there are some cases where Ithink, what if?
What if, just maybe by sharing this unsolved homicide, it could
trigger someone, somewhere to come forward with what they
(54:39):
know. This is especially true for
cases of marginalized victims who don't receive the same
national media coverage as othervictims do.
I decided it was time to cover Emily Pike's case.
While doing research, I then read the news that this other
(55:02):
young Apache girl, 6 year old Chalistia Cololae, had been
found deceased under suspicious circumstances.
Her body had been discovered andthe autopsy has determined she
has been a victim of homicide. Emily's Law, also known as the
Turquoise Alert, has since been passed in honour and memory of
(55:23):
her to help prevent this kind ofviolence from happening to
another innocent Indigenous person.
And yet somehow it was never issued when Chalestia Colele
disappeared. Once again, the system and these
(55:43):
so-called preventative measures put in place have failed these
children and their families. I was hoping that after nine
months following the horrific discovery of Emily Pike's
remains and the bizarre and disturbing circumstances that
(56:05):
surrounded her disappearance anddeath, that some kind of justice
would have been found, or at least some answers.
Unfortunately, there hasn't beenmuch progress made in this
investigation. Someone, either at the Sacred
Journey group home or on the reservation, possibly both,
(56:26):
knows something, but no one is talking.
Emily can't be just another missing and murdered Indigenous
girl like her uncle said, she can't be another statistic.
Emily Pike's family is still waiting for the truth to service
and for justice to arrive one day.
(56:50):
If anyone has information that can help solve Emily Pike's
murder, you can submit information or tip in several
ways. If you wish to remain anonymous,
you can contact Silent Witness at 480 Witness.
You can also contact the FB is toll free tip line at 1800.
(57:11):
Call FBI. You can contact your local FBI
office, the nearest American embassy or consulate, or submit
online tips at tips.fbi.gov. Thank you so much for listening
to the absolutely tragic, heartbreaking and infuriating
(57:31):
case of Emily Pike. May she rest in peace and
justice be granted to her one day.
For those of you who aren't already aware, I alone am Shades
of Murder and it's a true labor of love.
I know there are countless true crime podcasts out there and
(57:53):
your support listening and following the show means the
world to me. But I need your help to grow the
podcast and the best way you cando this is make sure you're
following or subscribed of course, and rate it.
Leave a review and share the show with a friend.
(58:15):
It's easy, free, and will only take a moment of your time.
Each one of your voices and yoursupport truly makes a
difference. If you are on Spotify,
underneath the title and cover art, there is a gear or three
dots. You just click on that and you
can write from there. If you prefer to leave a rating
(58:36):
and review on Apple, you can simply Scroll down the page of
the show, select a rating, and then tap on Write a Review.
Alternatively, you can leave reviews on the platforms Cast
Box, Pod Chaser, Audible, and through Amazon Music.
Reviews don't have to be long orcomplicated.
You can simply tell me what yourfavorite episode has been so far
(58:57):
or what kind of cases you would like to hear more about.
Sharing your thoughts and comments about the show with
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(59:18):
absolutely thrilled to read it on the show.
Your support means the world to me, and if you let me know you
left a review, I would be thrilled to read it on the next
episode. Again, thank you so much for
listening. Until next time, stay safe and
(59:40):
watch out for Shades of Murder happening in the streets next
door, especially inside your ownhome.
Shades of Murder is created, researched, written and edited
by Elita Caldwell. Original music Stranger composed
(01:00:04):
by Stereo Code.
When the gruesome discovery of ayoung girl's remains was made
along a trail in the forest nearthe San Carlos Apache
Reservation, it would horrify and enrage her tribal community
and the entire state of Arizona.The investigation into her death
would reveal a long pattern of neglect and systemic failures.
(00:27):
Who was this innocent victim, and will the monster who stole
her life ever be found and brought to justice?
(01:30):
Hello and welcome to Shades of Murder.
I am your host Alita Caldwell. In this podcast, I discuss cases
of murder from around the world and throughout history,
attempting to unravel the layersof darkness that help make
humans into monsters. Please be forewarned that each
episode contains specific and attimes very graphic and
(01:55):
disturbing details of the case. This show is not intended for
all audiences and listener discretion is strongly advised.
If you enjoy the show and want to support it, please help
spread the podcast. It only takes a moment to follow
rate on Apple or Spotify and leave a review.
Thank you for listening. On February 14th, 2025, along a
(02:18):
trail of Hwy. 60 in the Tonto National Forest near Globe, AZ,
a group of hikers came across two large construction type
trash bags. Upon closer inspection, they
found the bags to be suspicious looking and decided it was best
to contact the police. The officers were unprepared for
(02:38):
the horrific, gruesome scene. Inside one of the bags was a
girl's decapitated head and torso.
Inside the second trash bag wereher legs.
The preliminary autopsy results indicated that the young girl
had visible face and head trauma.
There were no identifiable itemsbelonging to the victim, such as
(02:59):
an identification card, clothing, or jewelry.
The forensic pathologist would later declare the cause of death
to be homicidal violence with blunt head trauma.
However, due to the dismemberment, it was impossible
to determine the girl's exact cause of death.
Five days after the body was found, the Bureau of Indian
Affairs contacted Mesa, AZ police.
(03:22):
They suspected the remains of their Jane Doe were missing 14
year old Emily Pike, a girl who had disappeared from a group
home in Mesa, AZ, over 100 milesaway in the Phoenix metropolitan
area. Finding out that your daughter
had been killed would undoubtedly be the most shocking
(03:43):
and unbearably painful news a parent, much less a mother, can
never hear. It would be beyond difficult and
traumatic enough to receive a call or see a police officer
approaching your home when your child has gone missing.
But Emily Pike's mother didn't hear about her daughter's death
(04:07):
in either case. Instead of being told
respectfully and compassionately, she discovered
on social media there her 14 year old child had been brutally
slaughtered and disposed of liketrash on a highway and globe
near the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
(04:28):
This mother literally learned ofher daughter's tragic and
horrifying death by seeing photos of garbage bags that held
Emily's remains. These photos were released by an
individual or multiple people who worked for the HeLa County
Sheriff's Department. What little integrity and poor
(04:52):
moral character must this personor persons have to not consider
how these grotesque and disturbing images would forever
impact the victim's loved ones. The police never contacted
Emily's mother, Steph Tosella. She was the one who called them
(05:12):
after viewing these horrific images online that may have
involved her missing daughter's dismember her body.
The teenage girl had been missing for 18 days, but an
alert had never been issued for her after she ran away from a
group home in Mesa. Once again, the institutions had
(05:32):
failed this young girl and her family.
The investigation into her disappearance and death would
reveal a pattern of systemic deficiencies and outright
failures. A lack of communication and
issues of complicated jurisdiction between the tribal
county and state systems had ledto this teenage girls untimely
(05:56):
and most grisly demise. The neglect and failure to
protect this young girl had begun years earlier.
The San Carlos Apache Tribe, theArizona Department of Child
Safety, the group home, Sacred Journey in Mesa, and to some
extent her own family all playeda role in the horror that
(06:21):
unfolded. On May 16th, 2011, Emily Pike
was born, one of three children to mother Steph Dossella.
She and her family lived in Peridot, Arizona, named for the
beautiful grain mineral Peridot,which is found in the basalt
flows near the area. Peridot is a tiny unincorporated
community in HeLa County locatedon the San Carlos Apache
(06:45):
Reservation. In 2010, the population was 1350
residents. The San Carlos Apache
Reservation was established for the San Carlos Apache Tribe on
December 14th, 1872, one of foursettlements that the US
government had forced the Apachepeople to divide and relocate
to. It was designated Camp San
(07:07):
Carlos, at the junction between the Gila and San Carlos Rivers.
Initially it was the headquarters for the Indian
agency, but this would soon change and become a prison for
the tribe. Two years after the
establishment of the camp, the Department of the Interior
launched what it called a Program of Removal.
This imprisoned all western Apaches at San Carlos.
(07:29):
By 1875, more than 4000 Apache, Mojave, Yavapai, and Chirico
Apaches were shoved into the SanCarlos camp, which consisted of
only 40 acres. These horrific, deplorable
living conditions would exist for many years before they were
free to return to their homelands.
(07:49):
It became known as Hells 40 Acres.
Then in 1924, the government constructed Coolidge Dam, which
robbed the tribe of their precious water sources, once
again forcing them to relocate. Over the next decade, the tribe
would become a tribal federal corporation, which granted some
collaborative power, including over natural resources and areas
(08:14):
of economic development. But still, the United States
government extended its powers over the tribe and continue to
reduce the size of its land six different times.
Specifically, each time a mineral or other precious
resource was located, they wouldresize the reservation so they
could steal the desired area from the tribe.
(08:37):
The San Carlos Apache are known for their pride, resilience, and
their refusal to negotiate with the government.
Although the tribe has since established a casino and some
other lucrative businesses, the people's lives have not seen
much benefit. The San Carlos Apache
Reservation is the third largestin the state of Arizona,
(08:58):
encompassing 1.8 million acres of land.
The population is around 10,300 people, but the tribal members
face some of the highest rates of poverty in the nation.
The median household income is below $25,000, which equates to
74% of the people being at or twice below the federal poverty
(09:22):
line. Their unemployment rate on the
reservation is as high as 37%. For contextual comparison, the
national unemployment rate is approximately 4%, and the same
applies to the state of Arizona.A lack of education exacerbates
the problem, with almost one in four having less than a 9th
(09:43):
grade education. It has also been acknowledged
and addressed that organized crime, in particular drug
traffickers, have taken great advantage over the vast lands
that exist amongst the reservations, making them prime
targets for users. The leading cause of death for
adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 is intentional self
(10:09):
harm or suicide by hanging or strangulation.
For young adults aged 20 to 44, the leading cause of death is a
vehicle related accidents, and for middle-aged Indigenous
people it is alcohol related liver disease.
Similar to many communities thatstruggle with poverty,
unemployment, mental health issues and substance abuse,
(10:32):
violent crime is extremely rampant.
The crime rate on the San CarlosApache Reservation is 10 times
the national average. You may be curious why I am
sharing this information with you.
First, it is Native American Heritage Month.
It is important to discuss with the San Carlos Apache Tribe,
(10:53):
like all tribes in the United States, was forced to endure and
the struggles and battles they continue to face thanks to the
invasion, resettlement, and genocide induced by colonialism.
Second, it is crucial to understand the environment and
culture in which Emily was raised, as well as the numerous
(11:14):
challenges she and her family faced.
Emily Pike's parents have been separated for many years.
Her father was in and out of thecriminal justice system
throughout her young life and was incarcerated for an arson
related offence. At the time of the events that
unfolded, her mother was unemployed and had long
(11:35):
struggled with substance abuse. Along with her brother, mother,
grandmother, aunts, and other unspecified relatives, as well
as other possible tribal members, Emily lived in a
rundown trailer on the reservation along a dirt path.
The area was very uncapped with trash, broken glass, and
(11:56):
overgrown shrubs. Her home was known for being
chaotic and unreliable. There were plumbing issues, no
electricity, and the roof was patched with tarps to prevent
leaking. Despite all of these obstacles
and not having an ideal living situation, Emily Pike was of
vibrant, smart and bubbly littlegirl known for her beautiful,
(12:21):
infectious smile. In 2023, the San Carlos Apache
Police Department received a call from a remote part of the
reservation. It was Emily Pike.
She told them she had been raped.
However, when law enforcement arrived, no one came with any
background in handling such a sensitive crime, especially of a
(12:44):
sexual nature. Instead, the tribal Fish and
Game department showed up. No one provided Emily Pike with
the support and resources she desperately needed after such a
violent and traumatic event. Once it was learned that it was
a family member who had assaulted the young girl, Emily
(13:05):
was placed in the care of San Carlos Apache Social Services.
Initially, the man was arrested but was released soon after
without facing any charges. Some believe that members of
Emily's family did not want to press charges, but the Bureau of
Indian Affairs claimed there wasinsufficient evidence to support
the charges. Emily was initially held at the
(13:26):
Tribal Social Services group home on the reservation, but it
lacked the resources support necessary for the young girl.
She was soon forced to leave herfamily behind on the
reservation. 12 year old Emily Pike was pulled away from her
tribe, everything and everyone she knew and loved, and was sent
to live in a residential group home in Mesa, which was over 100
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miles away from the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
What may have appeared to be a step to shield the girl from
further harm only LED her to be isolated, traumatized and re
victimized. The trauma Emily Pike
experienced from being assaulted, not supported by some
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of her own family members who sided with the assailant, and
then thrown into a group home with no one she knew, wore the
young girl down. Emily Pike began to struggle
with depression and suicidal ideation, attempting to kill
herself on at least one reportedincident.
Emily hated living at the group home and escaped the residence
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on multiple occasions. She missed her family deeply and
the simple cherished things on the reservation that she no
longer had in the city, like hergrandmother's acorn soup and
homeward tortillas. But she wasn't given a voice and
where she lived and her family had restrictions on their
contact with her, particularly her mother.
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Her mother understood the best she could given the assault that
had happened and her struggle with poverty and addiction, but
she was under the impression that her daughter was safe and
being well cared for at the group home.
Sacred Journey. On September 11th, 2023, Emily,
along with another girl from thegroup home, disappeared after a
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staff member gave them their medication before bed, which I
have no idea what that entailed,but the two girls ended up
escaping from the window. A Mesa police officer located
the girls safe at the nearby Kleiman Park.
When asked why they ran away, the girls claimed they've been
forced to scrub the walls, baseboards, window sill, and
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tiles on their hands and knees for hours.
One of the girls swore to the officer that if she were taken
back there, she would just run away again and that she would
rather go to jail. Both girls were promptly
returned to the group home. Sacred Journey.
It was reported by a staff member that one of the girls had
a cell phone that had been confiscated the night before.
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Only nine days after this incident, Emily Pike left the
facility once again. A Mesa police officer found her
walking in the neighborhood along the canal around 10:00
that night. This time, Emily told him,
though she hated how the staff argued with the girls there and
she didn't want to return. She also said to the officer
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like, well, I would rather stay with my grandma instead.
I want to speak to my mom. No one understands me or is
going to help me. I'm not going to go to that
fucking group home. I hate it there.
After this second incident of running away from the group
home, Sacred Journey ordered that Emily be sent to mine 24/7,
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which is a mental health facility, before she would be
allowed to return. Then about a month later, on
Halloween night, a staff member contacted the police saying that
Emily had run away again, but less than three hours later, she
returned. However, a staff member
overheard her tell another girl that she had taken something
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that was laced with the drug, but the staff didn't see her
condition warranting any emergency treatment, so they
allegedly kept an eye on her throughout the night.
On November 8th, 2023, a little before 10 AM, Emily Pike was
discovered in a master bedroom closet with a shoestring placed
around her neck, which was tied to the door knob.
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Emily was transferred to Oasis Behavioral Health Treatment
Facility where she remained for over a year.
It isn't known what kind of treatment or therapy she was
given during her stay. She remained in the treatment
facility until right before Thanksgiving when she was picked
up from the hospital by her auntand uncle.
Together they traveled through Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah,
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meeting relatives along the way.Everything seemed normal, happy,
and Emily was enjoying the trip.But only two days later, her
behavior changed. There was a disagreement and
Emily ended up running away. When an officer located her, she
refused to leave with her aunt and uncle.
She told them she wanted to killherself and that she would see
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them all in hell. Emily was hospitalized and then
sent back to Arizona where she was placed in a secure
behavioral health facility. Emily Pike would be returned to
the Sacred Journey group home inMesa.
The last time Emily Pike was seen or heard from anyone who
knew her was on January 27th, 2025.
One of the girls of the group home informed staff members that
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they saw Emily crawl out the window.
She was described as wearing a pink and Gray striped long
sleeve shirt. When Emily went missing from the
group home, the most basic information given to the police
was inaccurate. First, the staff member Kathy
Montano stated that Emily was 15years old instead of her actual
age of 14. When the police dispatcher
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inquired as to whether the childhad any history of mental
illness or was a potential risk of harm to herself or others,
the woman replied no. Emily had documented history of
her stay at psychiatric hospitals and behavioral health
facilities where she resided forover a year before returning to
the group home and when asked tospell her name, she said EMILEY.
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When a police officer arrived atthe group home at 8:30 on the
night Emily Pike disappeared, the employee stated that they
had noticed the gate was open and the screen window had been
kicked out. According to Emily's roommate,
she claimed that she was going to meet up with a boy she had
met recently at a store. While looking at records, it was
reported that Emily Pike was taking medication for her mental
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health and behavioral issues, but the exact kind or name of
medication she was on has never been specified.
This is also very ironic considering how the staff member
who called police to inform themshe had gone missing claimed
that she didn't have any mental health concerns.
A witness last saw the 14 year old girl walking near Mesa Drive
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and Mckellips Rd. A statewide missing person
bulletin was issued 2 days aftershe was last seen.
The group home, Sacred Journey reported Emily missing
immediately, and the San Carlos Apache Tribe Social Services
were informed about her disappearance the day after.
However, the caseworker assignedto Emily didn't believe it was
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an emergency, as they were awarethat she had run away from the
group home on multiple occasionsand had always returned safely
in the past. It would be an entire week
before the San Carlos Apache Social Services contacted
Emily's family to inform them she had vanished.
On February 2nd, 2025, the grouphome received a call claiming
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that Emily was with her mother on the reservation, but at the
time it was left, they neglectedto check it.
Four days later, a Facebook postmade the same claim.
However, this was quickly dispelled once police spoke with
Emily Pike's mother. The next day, the group home
finally listened to the voicemail.
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On February 11th, the police listened to the voicemail, which
again confirmed by Emily's mother to be untrue.
Why would someone claim that shewas with her mother on the
reservation multiple times? Was it the person who had
murdered her and they wanted to interfere with the investigation
by making the police and the group home believe Emily was
safe? Back there?
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The police contacted her mother toward the end of that week.
In February, Emily Pike's mothertold law enforcement that she
thought her daughter was at the group home still and she had not
seen or heard from her. Something doesn't add up about
the situation, especially considering how close the
proximity was to the reservationwhere Emily's remains were
found. Emily Pike's mother, Steph
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Dusala, believes that she was sohomesick that she likely was
trying to make her way back to the reservation.
Did Emily hitchhike or get a ride with someone she'd possibly
met in Mesa up to the reservation?
Was her trip met with a violent altercation with a stranger, or
did she cross paths with someoneshe knew, possibly even the
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relative who had sexually assaulted her?
This is all pure speculation, but the factors of this case
don't make much sense. On March 18th, the Collaborative
Task Force of Law Enforcement Agencies was established.
The group included the HeLa County Sheriff's Office, the San
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Carlos Apache Police Department,the Mesa Police Department, the
FBI, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
On March 24th, the San Carlos Apache Tribe urged the Arizona
Legislature to pass HB2281, which would establish the
long-awaited Missing Indigenous Person Alert System, also known
as the Turquoise Alert. Legislation was created before
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Emily Pike went missing and was found murdered.
Similar to an Amber Alert issuedby the Department of Public
Safety, this kind of alert is specifically for when an
Indigenous person disappears. In her memory.
It was renamed Emily's Law the following day.
Chairperson of the Arizona Senate Health and Human Services
Committee Karine Werner call fora thorough investigation into
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the DCS group home regulations. On May 14th, several different
agencies came together at the Joint Legislative Oversight
Committee to discuss with Arizona lawmakers this crisis.
In addition to the various factors, specifically the lack
of action and poor communicationthat led to Emily Pike's death,
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the DCS, local and state law enforcement officials, leaders
of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and Emily's family members were
all in attendance. Emily's uncle, Elrod Pike, was
in attendance at the hearing andaddressed the total breakdown of
communication. He told them how the tribe, the
state, and the federal agencies had all failed.
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His niece Emily's death could have been prevented if it
weren't for how these systems each let her down.
Emily Pike was neglected by the system from the day she
contacted the tribal police about being raped to when she
disappeared the last and final time.
During the hearing, Sand Color Apache Police Chief Elliot
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Sneezy responded to inquires about why the Fish and Game
Department have responded to a sexual assault call that day
instead of one of his trained officers.
He stated that the police were really busy that day Emily Pike
had called, and that Fish and Game were experts and locating
people in the most desolate and remote areas on the reservation.
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Although this excuse was really just that, an inexcusable error
in judgement, it couldn't be argued that the tribal police
were spread very thin. In fact, along this 1.8 million
acre reservation, there were only 22 police officers expected
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to handle crime, 22 officers patrolling 1.8 million acres of
land. The Director of Tribal Social
Services would later convey to the committee that cases of
sexual assault are very challenging to prosecute when
the family members protect the accused.
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According to Terry Ross, the director, when an assault occurs
within the family, its members almost always support the
perpetrator and refuse to press charges.
As a result, social services areleft with very little choice but
to remove the child from the home.
When Emily Pike was sent to the group home in Mesa, no one was
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ever informed as to why she was sent there.
This background was critical to her caregiver's understanding of
her mood and behavior, but the DCS failed to communicate this
pertinent information. At the time, Emily was residing
at Sacred Journey Group Home, which was a DCS license.
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She was in the custody of the tribe, not the state, when the
Department of Children's Services became aware of Emily's
disappearance. Since she was in the custody of
the tribe and not them, there were no records of her family
contacts nor her friends. In fact, they didn't even have a
photo of Emily Pike. The reporting requirements under
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Arizona law firm Missing Child don't apply to a child who is in
the custody of a tribe. The DCS felt that their hands
were tied due to these jurisdiction issues and nothing
was done to inform the family that she had gone missing, much
less perform a thorough search for the young girl.
But Sacred Journey Group Home was expected to contact DCS
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regarding Emily Pike's disappearance even though she
was not in their custody. The previous year, Arizona had
witnessed a huge influx of runaways reported from the
Department of Children's Services Group Homes.
In response, an amended state law was signed that required
that family, friends and school be contacted within 24 hours of
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a child's disappearance. The law also stipulated that the
family and tribe of the missing child must be contacted via
phone and in written communication.
However, tribal sovereignty means that state laws don't
apply to tribes because the state lacks the authority to
pass laws that dictate or control them.
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At the time, the Arizona DCS hadwhat was referred to as a
memoranda of agreement, which would comply with such laws for
four Arizona tribes, but the SanCarlos Apache Tribe was not one
of them. As such, a child living on
tribal lands or who is in custody or enrolled by the tribe
has exclusive jurisdiction over what happens to the child.
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This undoubtedly stems from a long history of the traumatic
and unjust forced removal of Indigenous children from their
families on reservations. Many of the speakers spoke out
against the way jurisdiction took priority over locating A
vulnerable, missing child. No matter who the child is, they
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must be immediately considered missing, not a runaway, if the
speakers declare that the most innocent and most vulnerable
must be protected. These obstacles don't go away,
though, simply because officialsor community members want
jurisdiction not to matter. They do this for many reasons,
primarily to give Native tribes autonomy and authority or
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sovereignty on their lands. Many agencies and individuals
within them don't want to interfere with tribal
jurisdiction for significant reasons.
Group homes are expected to report a missing child
immediately, though it is an ongoing issue that teens placed
in Group homes are frequent runaways who often end up
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disappearing over the weekend and just resurface the next
week. Due to this fact, some have
recommended that these requirements be amended for
teens in Group homes Who disappear directly after being
told they can't go somewhere, specifically if a staff member
knows where they may have fled. Everyone at the committee agreed
that communication is essential to prevent more children going
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missing, especially those residing in Group homes.
There must be an open, honest flow of information about the
child's background and about their culture between tribal
social services and the group homes, in addition to an
agreement between the tribe and the DCS so when a child goes
missing, everyone involved has important information to help
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find them. After Emily Pike's disappearance
and murder, the San Carlos Apache Tribe requested that an
investigation be made into the Sacred Journey group home.
They also want state leaders to enact stricter regulations on
these state licensed residentialgroup homes.
Investigators would soon learn that over the past three years,
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more than 30 children had disappeared from there.
According to Elizabeth Morales, the CEO and home operator of
Sacred Journey, all 30 children have been safely located.
However, there is one particulargirl, a 17 year old named
Veronica Cruz, who disappeared in May 2024.
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Now, according to Elizabeth Morales, the girl was located
after a year and reunited with her family, but the Mesa Police
Department never confirmed this to be true.
What does this indicate about the manner in which this
facility is being operated when this many young vulnerable girls
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are running away? According to their LinkedIn
profile, Sacred Journey Incorporated is a residential
living home designed to provide 24 hour a day, 365 days a year,
supervised care for children, specifically girls ages 7 to 18
years of age. Sacred Journey Incorporated
utilizes A holistic, therapeuticapproach to provide each child
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with a supportive, nonjudgmental, culturally based
experience so that each child can enhance and develop life
skills for future survival once they return to their natural
environment, their mission statement says.
We believe that every child has a right to grow up in a secure,
nurturing environment where theywill receive caring and
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emotional support from a trusting adult who instill a
sense of hope and self pride so that each child may grow to
their fullest potential. The purpose and main goal of
Sacred Journey Incorporated is to break the cycle of
intergenerational abuse through strengthening children and their
families. The CEO of Sacred Journey
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address the care of children at the facility, stating we go
above and beyond, We're raising children and not just housing
children, we were parenting children, Elizabeth Morales
said. I'm going to really take the
time and energy to make sure that child is wrapped in
services. What an absolute joke.
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This is the place that was forcing little girls to scrub
their floors and walls on their hands and knees for hours at a
time. This so-called Wellness support
Center for young girls who didn't even know how to
correctly spell Emily Pike's name.
Which by the way, speaks volumeswhen their staff member doesn't
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know how to even spell one of those common names in history
accurately. Only one day after Emily Pike's
remains were found, DCS launchedits own investigation to the
group home. It found that they weren't
responsible nor could they have prevented the tragedy that
happened to Emily, according to a spokesperson for DCS.
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They stated to the media at thistime the department does not
believe any action taken or not taken by the group home caused
the terrible outcome in this case.
We have opened a licensing inquiry to determine whether
appropriate steps were taken by the group home during this
incident. The DCS investigation concluded
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that it was in violation for failing to call the DCS hotline
to report Emily Pike missing as required by state policy.
So in response, the Department of Children's Services
instructed that they update their internal policies and
ensure all staff members are properly trained on this
procedure, regardless of what agency, whether it is state or
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tribe, have placed the child at the home.
Really updating their handbook and training manual is the
extent of change requested by Arizona DCS to this very
sketchy, possibly abusive girls group home.
The real issue, though, is Arizona DCS and the tragic
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murder of Emily Pike and severalother young vulnerable children,
which have led lawmakers and local news stations to initiate
a deep look at the system and how can be changed.
Emily Pike is not the only murder case in recent years
involving a young vulnerable children associated with Arizona
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Department of Children's Services.
In August of this year, the Arizona Department of Children's
Services was faced with a $60 million wrongful death suit
filed for the 2022 murder of 11 year old Cheske Davis, who died
from torture and starvation at the hands of his grandmother
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Stephanie Davis and her boyfriend Tammis Deschornay.
This lawsuit was filed in the name of his surviving 13 year
old younger brother whose horrendous injuries, both
physical and psychological, haveleft him with such severe
cognitive disabilities, trauma and suffering that he will need
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care for the rest of his life. Neither of these vicious
perpetrators had legal custody of Chaske, Davis or his younger
brother, and in fact, had abducted the children from their
home in Minnesota. Despite multiple reports filed
by two different schools in 2017that said there were serious
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signs that the children were being abused, DCS didn't look
into the allegations very seriously.
The first incident involved scratches on Chaske's face and a
bruise on his head. The second incident concerned
his missing school in a severelyblackened eye.
The third allegation of abuse was made regarding his younger
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half brother, whose head was discolored from his grandmother
allegedly picking him up and throwing him down.
The Arizona DCS investigated these three different claims of
child abuse and yet they decidedthere was insufficient evidence
and left the children in the care of the grandmother.
This sadistic grandmother, Stephanie Davis, would then pull
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the two boys out of school to evade authorities.
In 2021, a hotel receptionist atExtended Stay America in
Scottsdale, AZ, observed the boys panhandling in the street
during the intense summer heat, wearing long sleeve shirts and
pants the two boys always had onbaseball caps, their heads
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lowered, and their grandmother wouldn't allow them to speak.
The woman called DCS worried about the children's welfare,
but they never returned her call.
Then in 2022, the year Chess GayDavis was killed, there was
another report made sending possible child abuse.
This is where Chess Gay and his younger brother lived out the
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last days of his life being severely tortured.
Yet DCS took no protective action.
If only they had looked closer into who their legal guardians
even were, they would have realized that these two little
kids have been abducted from their mother years ago and there
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have been an arrest warrant for their grandmother since 2016.
Instead, the DCS dismissed thesegrievous signs of abuse and
neglect, and these young boys were subjected to the most
horrendous abuse and unspeakabletorture for years, ending in the
life of the eldest child. That there was a lack of a
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thorough investigation and not demands for reform of the
Arizona Department of Children'sServices after this
heartbreaking and infuriating case makes no sense.
It wasn't until Emily Pike's tragic and atrocious murder that
lawmakers and community members began to demand accountability
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and change. Emily's case is one of three
high profile cases that involvedyoung girls which have finally
ignited a deep probe into the DCS.
Zariah Dodd, a pregnant 16 year old who was in custody of the
state, was murdered in a park inPhoenix in July of 2025.
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She had also run away from her group home in Surprise, AZ.
The two perpetrators of her death have since been arrested.
The other child, Rebecca Baptiste, was a 10 year old girl
whose school had called DCS morethan half a dozen times with
claims of the child being abusedat home.
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DCS never did anything about it,and once they believed they
should look into the allegationscloser, the family had moved.
They had moved to a remote, isolated area in Arizona where
they were living in a yurt. The little girl was found
unresponsive and she was taken to the emergency room where she
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died three days later on July 30th from severe abuse and
malnutrition. Her father and his girlfriend
have since been arrested and charged with first degree
murder. Several reforms have been
proposed to prevent future tragedies like what happened to
Emily, Rebecca and Zariah. Critical information packets
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will be created for every child in a group home, including a
current photograph, their history and their family
members. As part of a class action
lawsuit five years ago against Arizona DCS, they had agreed to
stop their over reliance on placing children into group
homes. They claim that although they
have tried to find more foster homes for these kids, most of
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them are older and have complicated backgrounds and
needs. After what happened to Emily
Pike, you would expect a higher degree of investment,
accountability, and due diligence on the part of DCS to
keep children safe. Unfortunately, these examples,
both before Emily Pike and afterward, show otherwise.
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Despite the heightened criticismand community outrage, nothing
significant in the system appears to have changed.
Local Phoenix news station ABC15launched DCS State of Failure to
raise awareness of this escalating problem that is
existed in the state for decades.
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They intend to reveal how the system has failed to protect
countless children from neglect,abuse and violence at the hands
of their caretakers, whether it is their biological parents,
foster or a group home. It is an ongoing crisis that
must be exposed for real reform to come.
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The research on the high risk ofabuse and death of children and
Child Protective Services is deeply alarming.
Children in foster care, which include group homes, are 42%
more likely to die, regardless of their race or age than
children not in the system. An audit performed in 2019
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revealed that states failed to report 34,800 missing foster
children to either the police orthe National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children. A report released by the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children discovered
that approximately 40% of missing foster children
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disappear on average 4 times while in the custody of the
state. Several studies have shown that
between 25% to 40% of foster kids have reported being victims
of abuse or neglect while in state care.
Research conducted on older children formerly in the system
found that 27% of them were victims of sexual abuse.
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Foster kids in Group homes face an even higher risk of being
sexually abused than in alternative living situations.
Some studies indicated that theywere 28 times more likely to be
sexually abused. Another study done on foster
parents showed that they had committed 41% of the incidents
of sexual abuse. It should come as no surprise
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that a very high number of children and adolescents in the
foster care system become the most marginalized and vulnerable
members of society. About 29% of homeless youth and
young adults have experienced living in the foster care
system. Black and Native American
children are overrepresented in the system and comprise A
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disproportionate number of missing children in relation to
their percentage in the population.
There are currently 1400 children in Group homes in
Arizona. As of October 2025, more than 90
foster kids have been reported as missing runaways or abducted.
Not only was Emily Pike a vulnerable target, being a young
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girl in the child welfare system, but her Native American
heritage placed her at an extremely high risk of becoming
a victim of violence. Rates of violence occur on
reservations at 10 times the rate of the national average
outside the tribal lands. Although the studies vary, some
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research has indicated the indigenous girls and women are
as high as seven times more likely to be murdered than non
indigenous females. The homicide rate is on average
three times higher than that of non Hispanic white women, and
murder is the third highest cause of death for Native
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American and Alaskan Native females, both between the ages
of 15 and 19 and 20 to 24. There are particular regions of
the country where indigenous girls and women are at an even
higher risk of becoming victims of murder.
Across 11 counties in the UnitedStates, indigenous females face
homicide rates that are more than 10 times the national
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average. There is also a significant
disparity in the official records regarding the numbers
who have gone missing. In 2016, the National Crime
Information Center reported that5712 Indigenous girls and women
were missing, but according to the US Department of Justice's
website, there are only 116. That is an enormous difference
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that has never been formally addressed.
In 2023, there were 5800 Indigenous females reported as
missing and 74% of them were children.
On September 15th, 2025, Emily Pike's father, Jensen Pike,
filed A wrongful death lawsuit against the Sacred Journey Group
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home for negligence. The seven page complaint claims
that the staff were negligent and failed to reasonably watch,
supervise, care for, and protectEmily while in their care,
blaming them for her wrongful death through their action or
inaction by staff members. One to five that were hired, who
have not been identified, were inexperienced, reckless, and
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negligent. However, in their response to
the lawsuit, the Sacred Journey Group Home facility claims that
many agencies are to blame for Emily's murder, including him
and her mother. In the lawsuit, they contended
that Emily Pike's parents, Jensen Pike and Stephanie
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Dosella are unfit, unresponsive,and neglectful.
Sacred Journey also laid fault on the San Carlos Apache Tribe
since they knowingly placed her in a non secure voluntary
residential home, claiming that Emily Pike left the residential
home of her own free will. This statement, if anything,
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pains Sacred Journey in a negative light.
Despite their flaws as parents, which certainly helped lead to
the traumatic situations Emily Pike faced when she was sent to
the Groupon facility. It then became their
responsibility, their job to look after her and provide her
with a safe and supportive home.How can you call a girl's home
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Sacred Journey and not help these girls overcome their
trauma and show them the kindness and compassion that is
needed to encourage them to be on a better, more positive path
in their lives? Emily wasn't sent to the group
home out of any wrongdoing of her own.
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She did nothing to deserve beingtreated and handled as if she
were a bad kid, a troubled juvenile.
She was a victim, a child victimof sexual assault who was taken
away from her family, away from the reservation and tossed into
the care of a facility that clearly was not fit to take care
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of her or any of these young vulnerable girls.
It has been reported that some of Emily Pike's relatives are
not supportive of Jensen Pike's lawsuit.
They believe it is outrageous and exploitative of her death
and that if there is any financial reward that should be
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received, it should be placed ina charity to honor his daughter
or help locate her killer ratherthan benefiting him.
Who was in prison when Emily went missing and was killed?
The San Carlos Apache Tribe is committed to finding Emily
Pike's killer and has offered a $75,000 reward for information
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leading to the arrest and conviction.
The investigation is currently acollaborative effort made by the
Helic County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, the San Carlos Apache
Tribal Police Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Who are committed to solving Emily Pike's murder?
The HeLa County Sheriff's Officehas been relatively tight lipped
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about the case, stating that it remains open and active, but no
information is available to release.
A $200,000 reward has been offered by the FBI, leading to
an arrest for the murder of Emily Pike.
It can't be denied that this reward by the FBI is much larger
than most, indicating that they are fully committed to solving
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her case. Why is it then that with all of
this alleged law enforcement teamwork, her death still does
not appear to be prioritized? Why is it that nine months
later, very little progress has been made on her case?
And how can anyone explain, muchless condone, how only a few
(49:31):
weeks ago another Apache girl was found murdered and a
turquoise alert had never been issued?
When 16 year old Chalistia Tia Colele told her family she was
going to stay at a friend's house, they didn't worry when
they didn't see her for a few days.
Then a few days turned into 10 and on October 27th, her family
(49:55):
reported her missing to the White Mountain Apache Police.
But for some unknown and unjustifiable reason, they never
issued A turquoise alert for theyoung girl.
The FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the tribal police
began a search for the missing child on November 3rd.
(50:17):
Her remains were found in the Knotts Landing area in White
River, Arizona, within a mile ofher home on the reservation.
It is unknown what information they received which led to her
remains. After the discovery of the young
girl's body, which had evidence of foul play, Arizona DCS
(50:39):
addressed questions as to why a turquoise alert was never
issued. They stated that without a
formal request from the tribal police, they have no legal or
operational authority to activate an alert. 16 year old
Chalistia Colele had been reported missing on 2 separate
occasions in October 2024, with both having been closed after
(51:01):
she was located. A little less than two weeks
after her body was found, there was news of an arrest in her
murder, according to the family,and agent from the BIA or Bureau
of Indian Affairs visited them and informed them that they had
someone in custody who was a minor and not directly
associated with the family. However, the BIA released a
(51:24):
statement to the press which conflicted with this
information. They told the media that the
homicide investigation was open and ongoing and that no arrests
had been made. It is also interesting and
bizarre that the FBI is allegedly not directly involved
and Celestia Kolale's homicide investigation.
(51:46):
Now, this makes no legal or logical sense because the FBI
has shared jurisdiction in all cases of homicide that occur on
federally recognized land. Under the federal law, they have
primary jurisdiction over any Major Crimes and would work
alongside the White River Mountain Apache Tribal police
(52:06):
and the BIA. The claim being made by some
sources that the FBI is not working on Celestia Cololi's
case appears to be incorrect information.
However, if this is true, it only adds to the baffling
questions and mystery surrounding her disappearance,
death, and a subsequent investigation.
(52:27):
And yet, there are no suspects or any leads in the brutal
murder of Emily Pike. Keeping the case active in the
community talking about Emily isthe top priority for Emily's
aunt, Carolyn Pike Bender and her uncle, Elrin Park Junior.
Emily's aunt and uncle adored her, and they miss her deeply.
(52:48):
Her aunt Carolyn Bender confessed to how she cries
herself to sleep some nights because she is so haunted.
Why? What happened to her young
niece? Her uncle Elrod Pike has
expressed the impact the entire tribe has felt after Emily's
death. And I quote, everybody feels the
(53:09):
pain. What happened to her?
We just don't want her to be another statistic.
Emily Pike's family does their best to hold on to hope and have
patience waiting for answers. But nine months after Emily's
tragic death, there are few. No suspects have been identified
(53:33):
and although it is known that search warrants were served on
the group home and other possible locations of interest,
law enforcement hasn't shared any information with Emily
Pike's family. As I have mentioned in previous
episodes, I prefer to cover solved cases because I like to
(53:53):
delve deeply into all aspects. When you don't know the legal
outcome, much less even a suspect in a crime, this can be
difficult, if not impossible to do.
But there are cases where I feelcompelled to use my boys to
(54:14):
spread awareness and help increase interest and solving
them. Each case I cover matters to me.
But there are some cases where Ithink, what if?
What if, just maybe by sharing this unsolved homicide, it could
trigger someone, somewhere to come forward with what they
(54:39):
know. This is especially true for
cases of marginalized victims who don't receive the same
national media coverage as othervictims do.
I decided it was time to cover Emily Pike's case.
While doing research, I then read the news that this other
(55:02):
young Apache girl, 6 year old Chalistia Cololae, had been
found deceased under suspicious circumstances.
Her body had been discovered andthe autopsy has determined she
has been a victim of homicide. Emily's Law, also known as the
Turquoise Alert, has since been passed in honour and memory of
(55:23):
her to help prevent this kind ofviolence from happening to
another innocent Indigenous person.
And yet somehow it was never issued when Chalestia Colele
disappeared. Once again, the system and these
(55:43):
so-called preventative measures put in place have failed these
children and their families. I was hoping that after nine
months following the horrific discovery of Emily Pike's
remains and the bizarre and disturbing circumstances that
(56:05):
surrounded her disappearance anddeath, that some kind of justice
would have been found, or at least some answers.
Unfortunately, there hasn't beenmuch progress made in this
investigation. Someone, either at the Sacred
Journey group home or on the reservation, possibly both,
(56:26):
knows something, but no one is talking.
Emily can't be just another missing and murdered Indigenous
girl like her uncle said, she can't be another statistic.
Emily Pike's family is still waiting for the truth to service
and for justice to arrive one day.
(56:50):
If anyone has information that can help solve Emily Pike's
murder, you can submit information or tip in several
ways. If you wish to remain anonymous,
you can contact Silent Witness at 480 Witness.
You can also contact the FB is toll free tip line at 1800.
(57:11):
Call FBI. You can contact your local FBI
office, the nearest American embassy or consulate, or submit
online tips at tips.fbi.gov. Thank you so much for listening
to the absolutely tragic, heartbreaking and infuriating
(57:31):
case of Emily Pike. May she rest in peace and
justice be granted to her one day.
For those of you who aren't already aware, I alone am Shades
of Murder and it's a true labor of love.
I know there are countless true crime podcasts out there and
(57:53):
your support listening and following the show means the
world to me. But I need your help to grow the
podcast and the best way you cando this is make sure you're
following or subscribed of course, and rate it.
Leave a review and share the show with a friend.
(58:15):
It's easy, free, and will only take a moment of your time.
Each one of your voices and yoursupport truly makes a
difference. If you are on Spotify,
underneath the title and cover art, there is a gear or three
dots. You just click on that and you
can write from there. If you prefer to leave a rating
(58:36):
and review on Apple, you can simply Scroll down the page of
the show, select a rating, and then tap on Write a Review.
Alternatively, you can leave reviews on the platforms Cast
Box, Pod Chaser, Audible, and through Amazon Music.
Reviews don't have to be long orcomplicated.
You can simply tell me what yourfavorite episode has been so far
(58:57):
or what kind of cases you would like to hear more about.
Sharing your thoughts and comments about the show with
other potential listeners is thebest way to support the show and
help it grow. Your support means the world to
me, and if you let me know you left a review, I would be
(59:18):
absolutely thrilled to read it on the show.
Your support means the world to me, and if you let me know you
left a review, I would be thrilled to read it on the next
episode. Again, thank you so much for
listening. Until next time, stay safe and
(59:40):
watch out for Shades of Murder happening in the streets next
door, especially inside your ownhome.
Shades of Murder is created, researched, written and edited
by Elita Caldwell. Original music Stranger composed
(01:00:04):
by Stereo Code.
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