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Mesa, AZ
A heartbreaking tragedy has gripped Arizona as the remains of 14-year-old Emily Pike, a San Carlos Apache tribe member, were discovered dismembered along a highway. Emily vanished on January 27, sparking a multi-agency search that ended in devastating news on Valentine's Day—the one-month anniversary of her disappearance.
Authorities revealed that Emily's body had been brutally dismembered and placed into trash bags, with her torso and head in one bag and her legs in another, while her arms remain missing. Before her disappearance, Emily lived in a group home in Mesa, though her family resides on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.
Foster care advocate Anika Robinson, who knew Emily well, tearfully offered a heartbreaking theory to local reporters. "I can only imagine that the fact her arms haven't been found means she fought back against her attacker," Robinson said, her voice trembling with emotion. "We're all in shock over her untimely loss, and the staff and girls at her home are devastated." Robinson also noted that Emily had a history of running away, a cry for independence and a longing to return to a place of belonging.
Emily's mother, Stephanie Dosela, was informed of her daughter's disappearance a week after she went missing. Dosela described Emily as "a pleasant and kind person" who had a passion for painting and dreams of studying art in college. "Why did it have to go this far? She was just an innocent child," Dosela said in a phone interview. "You'll never be forgotten. I love you. Until we meet again, rest in peace."
In a bid to support her grieving family, relatives have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses. Community members will also honor Emily's memory by placing yellow ribbons at the site where she was last seen.
The case, now ruled a homicide, is under investigation by the Gila County Sheriff's Office, with support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the San Carlos Apache Tribal Police. While police have not yet named any suspects, they have indicated that three persons of interest exist and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Emily's tragic death also casts a harsh light on the broader crisis of violence against Indigenous women. Despite comprising only a tiny percentage of the U.S. population, Indigenous women and girls face murder rates ten times higher than those of other groups. According to the Native Women's Wilderness organization and data from the National Institute of Justice, more than 80% of Indigenous women have experienced violence, with half enduring sexual abuse.
As the investigation continues, the community mourns the loss of a bright young life and demands answers for a future where such tragedies no longer occur.
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