A Mesa group home in Arizona, where slain Indigenous teen Emily Pike lived, has been asked to update its policies following an Arizona Department of Child Safety investigation.
ABC 13 obtained a letter from DCS, which indicated that the DCS hotline was not called when 14-year-old Pike disappeared earlier this year, after running away from the group home, although staff did contact Mesa police.
Pike had already fled the group home three times prior, before police found her remains on February 14, 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.
In the letter, DCS instructed the group home’s owner, Sacred Journey Inc., to train its staff members to always call the DCS hotline, no matter what agency placed the child in their care.
Pike was placed in the group home by Tribal Social Services, following two reported sexual assaults while she lived on the San Carlos Apache Tribe reservation.
One of the attacks allegedly happened when a family member assaulted her.
No arrests have been made in connection with Pike’s disappearance and death.
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.
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[Feature Photo via Mesa PD]
