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‘She Was A Baby’ - Emily Pike Homicide Investigation · Murder Files Unsealed

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Imagine getting the news that a loved one's gone missing,
• 0:03
  vanished into thin air, then weeks later, their remains are
• 0:06
  found miles away, dumped in trash bags. It's a horrifying thought,
• 0:11
  and sadly, it's the reality for one Arizona family. The
• 0:15
  story is full of twists and turns, and that's what
• 0:17
  we're going to unpack today. We're diving deep into the
• 0:20
  case of fourteen year old Emily Pike. We'll be using
• 0:23
  news articles and police reports from the initial investigation to
• 0:27
  figure out what we know, what's still a mystery, and
• 0:30
  why this story is just so heartbreaking.
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: It really is a puzzle, isn't it. There are so
• 0:34
  many missing pieces.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: Which makes understanding who Emily was and what might have
• 0:39
  led up to her disappearance even more important.
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: You're right, So let's start with Emily herself. We know
• 0:44
  she was fourteen years old and lived on the San
• 0:46
  Carlos Apache Reservation, but she was so much more than
• 0:49
  just those facts. Her mother described her as a genuinely
• 0:53
  happy and kind person, someone who loved art and even
• 0:56
  dreams of going to art school someday. Yeah, it's that
• 0:58
  detail about her dreams. It really gets to me. A
• 1:01
  young life, full of potential, just cut short like that.
• 1:05
  It really makes you think about the circumstances that could
• 1:08
  lead to such a tragic outcome.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, and that brings us to the timeline, which is
• 1:13
  where things start getting really complicated. On January twenty seventh,
• 1:17
  at seven point four five pm, Emily was last seen
• 1:20
  at her group home in Mesa. Now, a group home
• 1:23
  is a type of residential facility for kids who can't
• 1:26
  live with their families for whatever reason, and it's usually
• 1:29
  supervised by a case manager who oversees their care for
• 1:32
  those who might not be familiar with how the foster
• 1:34
  care system works. I thought that might be a helpful detail.
• 1:36
  But here's the thing. While the police initially said that
• 1:39
  Emily had a history of running away, her mother said
• 1:42
  it took an entire week for the case manager at
• 1:44
  the group home to even let her know that Emily
• 1:46
  was missing. That delay is well, it's huge, right.
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: It's definitely significant. I mean raises all sorts of questions
• 1:52
  about the level of supervision and care they were providing
• 1:55
  at that group home. And if you think about Emily's
• 1:59
  background and maybe even a desire to get back to
• 2:01
  the reservation, it really highlights the complexities of the foster
• 2:05
  care system, especially for kids from indigenous communities, it might
• 2:09
  already be struggling with feelings of not fitting in being
• 2:12
  away from their families. Imagine how much harder it is
• 2:14
  to be away from your family and community when you're
• 2:16
  already dealing with all the challenges of just being a teenager.
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: That's a lot to process, for sure, And tragically, the
• 2:23
  story gets even darker. On Valentine's Day, February fourteenth, Emily's
• 2:27
  remains were found off Highway sixty. That's a good distance
• 2:29
  from Mesa. But here's the detail that really sends chills
• 2:33
  down my spine. The remains were found in contractor trash bags.
• 2:37
  The way they were disposed of it just points to
• 2:39
  something more sinister than just a random act, wouldn't you say? Oh?
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: Absolutely. The fact that they use those specific bags and
• 2:46
  the way they were used it suggests they were trying
• 2:48
  to hide they did, maybe even make it harder to
• 2:50
  identify her. It feels planned calculated. And then you add
• 2:54
  in the fact that Emily's legs and hands are missing
• 2:56
  from the scene. It just throws another wrench into the investigation.
• 3:00
  And think about it, removing body parts that could be
• 3:03
  a way to make it harder to identify the victim,
• 3:06
  or sometimes it's even about keeping well souvenirs, which often
• 3:11
  suggests a more psychologically disturbed defender.
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: It's also unsettling, and it wasn't until February twenty seventh
• 3:17
  that authorities finally confirmed that the remains were Emily's. And
• 3:21
  get this, that was after some of the information had
• 3:23
  already been leaked online. It makes you wonder about the
• 3:26
  balance between keeping an investigation under wraps and keeping the
• 3:29
  public informed, especially when you have a community that's grieving
• 3:32
  and desperate for answers.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: Transparency is so important in any investigation, but you also
• 3:38
  have to protect the integrity of the process. The way
• 3:40
  information is handled can really impact public trust and sometimes
• 3:44
  it can even hurt the investigation, you know, accidentally kipping
• 3:47
  off suspects or messing with evidence.
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: So we know this is an act of homicide investigation,
• 3:52
  and the preliminary autopsy showed that Emily had suffered trauma
• 3:56
  to her face and head. Emily's mother even had to
• 3:58
  provide a DNA sample to help identify her daughter's remains.
• 4:02
  Just think about what that must have been like for her.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: It's a brutal reminder that behind all the headlines and
• 4:08
  the investigation details, there's a family that's been shattered by
• 4:11
  this loss. And that's why getting justice for Emily is
• 4:14
  so crucial. It's not just about solving a crime. It's
• 4:17
  about honoring her memory, holding the people who did this accountable,
• 4:21
  and hopefully bringing some peace to her family.
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: Now, detectives have said they have three suspects, but they
• 4:26
  haven't released any names yet. This obviously tells us that
• 4:29
  they're following leads, but they're being super careful about what
• 4:32
  they share publicly. Could this level of secrecy be a
• 4:35
  way to avoid tipping off those suspects.
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: It's definitely possible. In an active investigation, especially one as
• 4:41
  delicate as this, authorities have to weigh the pros and
• 4:44
  cons of releasing information. Sometimes sharing too much too soon
• 4:49
  can actually backfire, you know, giving suspects a chance to
• 4:52
  cover their tracks, or even leading to evidence being destroyed.
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: And in this case, with Emily's connection to the reservation,
• 4:59
  there could be jurisdictional issues to think about as well.
• 5:02
  It's not unusual for investigations involving Native American communities to
• 5:07
  run into unique challenges because of the different jurisdictions of tribal,
• 5:11
  federal and state law enforcement agencies. It gets pretty complicated.
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: That's a really good point. Navigating those jurisdictional boundaries can
• 5:18
  sometimes create obstacles and delays and investigations, so it is
• 5:22
  even more crucial for authorities to proceed with caution and
• 5:25
  have a solid strategy in place. And of course, you
• 5:27
  can't ignore the sensitivity surrounding the whole issue of missing
• 5:30
  and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Emily's case sadly highlights
• 5:35
  a much bigger, much more troubling systemic problem.
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: You're right, it's a problem that demands attention. And to
• 5:41
  really understand what might have led to Emily's disappearance, we
• 5:45
  need to look closer at the foster care system and
• 5:47
  what life is like for young people like Emily. We'll
• 5:50
  do that when we come back.
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: You know, before we jump into the foster care system.
• 5:54
  I want to back to something you mentioned earlier about
• 5:56
  Emily's love of art and that dream of hers going
• 5:59
  to art school.
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: Oh yeah, for sure. Her mom shared those details and
• 6:02
  it really gave us a glimpse of Emily as this
• 6:06
  person with a bright future ahead of her.
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: Exactly and if you think about that passion, that love
• 6:12
  for art, alongside the fact that she was living in
• 6:15
  this group home, probably feeling isolated from her family, her community,
• 6:19
  it just adds another layer to understanding, you know, what
• 6:21
  she might have been going through. Art can be such
• 6:24
  a powerful way to express yourself, to connect with your emotions,
• 6:27
  to find a sense of belonging. I wonder if Emily's
• 6:30
  art was a way for her to cope, to find
• 6:32
  some comfort during a really tough time.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: It's a really interesting thought, and it makes me wonder
• 6:37
  if her artwork, you know, her drawings or paintings or
• 6:40
  whatever she created, could offer any clues maybe about what
• 6:44
  she was feeling, what she was experiencing, or even why
• 6:46
  she left the group home. Do we know if investigators
• 6:49
  have looked into that at all.
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: That's a great question. Honestly, I haven't seen anything about
• 6:55
  whether they've actually examined her artwork as part of the investigation,
• 6:58
  but it definitely highlights how important it is to look
• 7:02
  beyond the surface, to consider the emotional and psychological side
• 7:06
  of a case like this, you know, dig a little deeper, right.
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: And you know, we've talked about the challenges of investigating
• 7:12
  cases on tribal lands. But it's important to remember that
• 7:14
  Emily's case is well, it's tragically not unique. There's this
• 7:18
  much bigger and more disturbing issue here, the number of
• 7:21
  missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. It's a crisis.
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: You're absolutely right to bring that up. This isn't just
• 7:27
  an isolated incident. It's a systemic problem, and it's rooted
• 7:30
  in all these historical injustices, you know, this ongoing marginalization
• 7:34
  and a lack of resources support for Native American communities, and.
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: It often feels like these cases they don't get the
• 7:40
  same attention, the same resources as other missing person's cases.
• 7:45
  It's like they're invisible.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, there's definitely a lack of awareness, not enough media coverage,
• 7:50
  which makes it worse. You know, it contributes to the
• 7:52
  sense that these communities are being ignored, marginalized, and when
• 7:57
  you combine that with the jurisdictional issues we're talking about,
• 8:00
  it creates this, well, this perfect storm where Justine is
• 8:03
  delayed or even worse, denied.
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: It's a heartbreaking reality, that's for sure. So as we
• 8:08
  dig into the foster care system and try to understand
• 8:11
  why Emily might have disappeared, it's crucial to keep that
• 8:14
  bigger context in mind. We need to understand the unique
• 8:17
  challenges and vulnerabilities faced by kids like Emily, especially those
• 8:21
  from indigenous communities.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, and that brings us back to Anica Robinson, the
• 8:25
  foster care advocate. Remember she talked about how teenagers who
• 8:28
  are labeled as runaways, they're often running from something, you know,
• 8:32
  some difficult situation. They're looking for control, for a sense
• 8:35
  of belonging.
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: It's so easy to jump to conclusions about teenagers, especially
• 8:39
  when they're going through that rebellious phase or struggling to
• 8:42
  adjust to a new environment. But what Anika Robinson said,
• 8:46
  it challenges us to look past those labels and try
• 8:49
  to understand the real reasons behind their actions.
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: It's about recognizing that their behavior it's often a symptom
• 8:56
  of something deeper, something like trauma, abuse, neglect, or even
• 9:01
  just a lack of support resources. And for kids in
• 9:03
  the foster care system, those challenges can be so much
• 9:06
  harder because of the constant instability, the uncertainty of their
• 9:10
  living situation.
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: So thinking about Emily, could it be that desire for belonging,
• 9:15
  for connection to her family and community that was a
• 9:17
  factor in her decision to leave the group home.
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: It's definitely a possibility, especially when you consider how far
• 9:24
  away that group home in Masa was from her family
• 9:27
  on the reservation, and then you factor in the delay
• 9:30
  in reporting her disappearance. It makes you wonder if she
• 9:33
  felt like she could reach out for help, if she
• 9:35
  even knew where to turn.
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: It's tough to imagine a young girl feeling so lost
• 9:38
  and alone.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: It really underscores the need for culturally sensitive care within
• 9:43
  the foster care system. For Native American youth being placed
• 9:46
  in a home that's miles away from their community, it
• 9:49
  could be so damaging, cutting them off from their culture,
• 9:52
  their language, their whole sense of identity. It's vital to
• 9:56
  make sure they can maintain those connections whenever possible.
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: It should be a price, and beyond just placements. We
• 10:02
  need a better understanding of what these Indigenous youth and
• 10:05
  care are going through, what their needs are. We need
• 10:07
  to make sure they have access to mental health services,
• 10:10
  culturally appropriate counseling and support systems that can help them
• 10:14
  navigate being a teenager while also honoring their heritage. It's
• 10:18
  a delicate balance.
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, It's about giving them the tools and support they
• 10:21
  need to find their voice, to feel seen and heard,
• 10:25
  to have control over their own lives, and that takes
• 10:27
  a systemic approach, one that looks at the immediate needs
• 10:30
  of these young people, but also at the bigger societal
• 10:34
  factors that make them vulnerable in the first place. It's
• 10:36
  a complex issue.
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: Now, switching gears back to the investigation for a moment,
• 10:41
  There's one detail we haven't really talked about yet. Those
• 10:43
  yellow ribbons that people put up near Emily's last known location.
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: Those ribbons are powerful, aren't they a symbol of remembrance,
• 10:51
  of hope and a whole community's grief.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: It's a way for people to show support for Emily's family,
• 10:57
  to let them know she's not forgotten, and to keep
• 10:59
  the pressure on to find answers to get justice.
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: But they also serve as a stark reminder, don't they
• 11:05
  of the bigger issue here? Those ribbons. They represent all
• 11:09
  those other missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls whose
• 11:13
  stories haven't gotten the same attention, whose families are still
• 11:16
  waiting for answers, for closure. It's a long road.
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: It's a reminder that Emily's case, as tragic as it is,
• 11:22
  is part of a much bigger and deeply troubling pattern,
• 11:25
  and that's something we can ignore.
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, those yellow ribbons are such a powerful image. They
• 11:30
  make you think about all the other families out there
• 11:32
  who are going through the same things, still searching for answers,
• 11:34
  still waiting for justice. We can't let Emily's case fade away, exactly.
• 11:39
  We as a community, as people who care, we have
• 11:42
  to keep the conversation going. We can't forget about Emily.
• 11:45
  We have to keep asking those tough questions, demanding answers,
• 11:48
  supporting the people who are working to bring those responsible
• 11:52
  to justice.
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely right, And I think one of the most
• 11:55
  important things we can do is spread awareness. Just talk
• 11:58
  about this case with our friends or families, our communities,
• 12:01
  Sharing information, you know, like what we've been talking about today,
• 12:04
  that can be so powerful. You never know, someone out
• 12:07
  there might have a piece of the puzzle that could
• 12:08
  help crack this whole thing wide open.
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: It's true, you know, sometimes it's the smallest thing, something
• 12:14
  that seems insignificant on its own, that turns out to
• 12:17
  be the key piece in desigators needed.
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: And speaking of information, for any of our listeners out
• 12:22
  there who might have any details about Emily's case, anything
• 12:26
  at all, no matter how small or unimportant it might seem.
• 12:29
  We want to give you the contact information for the authorities.
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, please do. Even the tiniest detail could be what
• 12:36
  they need to solve this case. Yes, and bring some
• 12:39
  peace to Emily's family, all.
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: Right, So, if you have any information at all, you
• 12:42
  can call the Gila County Sheriff's Office detective at nine
• 12:45
  two eight two hundred two three five two. You can
• 12:47
  also reach the Bureau of Indian Affairs Special Agent at
• 12:50
  five zero five nine one seven seven eight three zero,
• 12:55
  or you can contact the San Carlos Apache Treble Police
• 12:57
  detective at nine two eight for seven five one seven
• 13:01
  five y five. We'll also put all these numbers in
• 13:03
  the episode description so you can find them easily.
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: Perfect And remember, even if you think what you know
• 13:08
  isn't important, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
• 13:11
  Reach out to the authorities, let them decide what's relevant,
• 13:14
  you know what I mean.
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: So, as we wrap up our deep dive into Emily
• 13:17
  Pike's case, it's obvious that there are still so many questions,
• 13:20
  so much we don't know. But even with the tragedy,
• 13:22
  with all the uncertainty, there's this strong sense of resilience.
• 13:26
  It gives me hope.
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: I agree. You see it in the community's determination to
• 13:29
  find answers, in those yellow ribbons that symbolize hope and remembrance,
• 13:33
  and in the ongoing efforts to address this larger issue,
• 13:36
  this crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: It's inspiring Emily's story. It's a stark reminder of how
• 13:43
  vulnerable children in the system are, the complexities of runaway cases,
• 13:47
  and the desperate need for justice in Indigenous communities. But
• 13:51
  it's also a story about the power of awareness, the
• 13:54
  strength of community, and the unwavering hope that truth and
• 13:57
  justice will win in the end. Story we can all learn.
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: From, absolutely, and that's why we can't let her story
• 14:03
  be forgotten. We have to keep saying her name, keep
• 14:06
  pushing for change, and keep working towards the future where
• 14:09
  these kinds of tragedies don't happen anymore. Thank you for
• 14:11
  joining us on this deep dive. We'll see you next time.