Photo of Emily Pike mural painted on a water tower behind the Bashas’ in Peridot by Phoenix tattoo artist AJ Larson and assistants.
By Jon Johnson
jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com
SAN CARLOS – The San Carlos Apache Tribe has announced a $75,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of 14-year-old Emily Pike.
Pike, a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, was living at a group home in Mesa when she went missing in late January. Her dismembered remains were found in a wooded area off Highway 60 northeast of Globe on Valentine’s Day.
The Tribe held a vigil for Pike on Saturday, and afterward Chairman Terry Rambler announced the reward.
“Our San Carlos Council is offering a reward of $75,000 for information leading to the arrest of whomever committed this horrible act,” Rambler said. “This will be a time to stand with all families that have lost a piece of their soul to this crisis. This is a time to work together to resolve unanswered questions.”
The San Carlos Apache Tribe will also perform an independent review of internal processes and meet with other tribes and state representatives to come up with a plan of action moving forward.
“So we can all unite and work together to improve the group home standard of those group homes off reservations where we send our children to,” Rambler said.
According to the Mesa Police Department, there has been 30 missing person reports out of the group home Pike was at in the past three years. Following Pike’s murder, an inquiry by the Arizona Department of Child Safety has been initiated.
Anyone with any information regarding the murder of Emily Pike is strongly encouraged to call the Gila County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 425-3231.
