Authorities in Arizona report that they are actively gathering evidence and have identified a person of interest in the investigation of the tragic murder of 14-year-old Emily Pike.
The Gila County Sheriff’s Office released a statement to ABC15, indicating that they have executed search warrants related to the case and have a person of interest, though no arrests have been made at this time.
“In recent weeks, with support from the FBI, search warrants have been carried out on a house, a car, and a storage trailer,” reported Lt. James Lahti from the GCSO.
“Items seized from those locations have been sent to the laboratory for analysis to determine if there may be links to Emily Pike’s Investigation. A person of interest was contacted and interviewed, but nothing that leads us to believe he is our suspect.”
Lahti added that investigators are still collecting leads and review newly collected data, though details about the data have not been made public.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Emily was reported missing from a group home in Mesa, operated by Sacred Journey Inc., three times in 2023 and a fourth time in January 2025.
Weeks later, on February 14, police found her dead off U.S. 60, near Globe. Someone dismembered her, leaving several body parts in trash bags. Some of her remains have yet to be recovered, and there have been no arrests in the case.
Earlier this week, the Mesa Police Department released bodycam footage that showed Emily speaking with officers after she fled the group home. She pleaded to retuen home to her mother and claimed no one understood what she was going through.
The Department of Child Safety said that Emily had been under Tribal Social Services’ care and placed at Sacred Journey Inc. by the tribe, following two reported incidents of sexual assault when Emily lived on the reservation. One of the attacks allegedly happened when a family member assaulted her.
Meanwhile, a $25,000 reward has been offered by the state, in addition to a $75,000 reward offered by the FBI and an additional $75,000 reward offered by the San Carlos Apache Tribe, for information that leads to an arrest in the case.
Police said that no one has been ruled out as a suspect in the ongoing murder investigation. The relative accused of sexual assault has not been publicly named, as the charges were dropped, but had reportedly visited Emily’s home even after the assault took place.
To assist in the investigation, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office and the San Carlos Apache Police Department have set up an online tip portal where anonymous tips can be submitted through tips411.
Information can also be reported to the Sheriff’s Office at 928-425-4449, option 1, or the San Carlos Apache Police Department at 928-475-1700.
Feature Photo via Mesa PD
