Slain Arizona girl Emily Pike reportedly didn’t want to return to a Mesa group home, over a year before police found her murdered and dismembered.

Previously, CrimeOnline reported that Emily was last spotted in late January close to her group home situated at Mesa Drive and McKellips Road. Both officials and her family revealed that her remains were found on February 14 in a wooded area close to Globe, about 100 miles from where she vanished.

News of her death surfaced to the public last month following a leaked memo from Gila County police on social media. According to this memo, Emily’s head and torso were discovered inside bags, while her arms and hands remain missing.

On January 27, the manager of Emily’s group home notified Mesa Police that the 14-year-old was missing, having reportedly escaped through her bedroom window. The manager stated that Emily had run away on previous occasions.

The manager noted that Emily was last seen near Fitch Park during a previous incident. Staff at the Rock Teen Center checked a few days later, but no one there had seen or heard from her.

Court documents obtained by FOX 10 indicated that Emily ran away three times in 2023. She told police about her dissatisfaction with life at the group home, which the San Carlos Apache Tribe reportedly stated is managed by Sacred Journey Inc.

Emily and/or another child told police in all three reports that they refused to return to the group home. In each 2023 case, staff alerted police, and officers either took Emily to a behavioral health center or returned her to the home within hours.

Officials reviewed dozens of missing persons reports from the group home over three years, which documented a 10-bed capacity for children.

Now, the San Carlos Apache Tribe is urging state leaders to investigate residential group homes for children and tighten regulations following Emily’s murder.

NEW: San Carlos Apache Tribe urges AZ legislature to tighten regulations on group homes in response to murder of Emily Pike. Tribe wants lawmakers to pass HB2281 to establish Missing Indigenous Person Alert System.

This release also identifies the group home as Sacred Journey. pic.twitter.com/OLtOoMZU5F

— Justin Lum | 林俊豪 (@jlumfox10) March 24, 2025

The tribe is also advocating for House Bill 2281, which would create a missing Indigenous person alert system.

Chairman Terry Rambler said the tribal council has offered a $75,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Emily’s case.

Azcentral reports that the sheriff’s office announced Monday that multiple agencies formed the task force, including the sheriff’s office, the San Carlos Apache Police Department, the Mesa Police Department, the FBI, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The task force was formed shortly after the San Carlos Apache Tribe offered a $75,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in Emily’s case. 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.

Check back for updates.

[Feature Photo via Mesa police]