WHITE RIVER, AZ — ABC15 is pushing for answers after the family of a teen said she was found dead in White River, Arizona, which is on Fort Apache tribal land.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) confirmed that Challistia Colelay's death is being investigated as a homicide. ABC15 was also told that the teen was reported missing to White Mountain Apache Tribal Police on October 27.
On Friday, the BIA announced a $5,000 reward for "any information or leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) for the death of Challistia Colelay." Officials say you can remain anonymous and submit a tip by texting: BIAMMU followed by your message to 847411.
What we know
Social media posts by her family in late October said a police report was filed and they were looking for 16-year-old Challistia Colelay.
The family says that Challista's death is being investigated as a homicide by the BIA, FBI, and White Mountain Apache police.
They add that she was going to a friend's house and when she never returned, prompting a missing person report to be filed.
Her body was reportedly found less than a mile from her home.
On November 3, the White Mountain Apache Police Department posted that human remains had been found, giving a description of clothing. The post also said this was in the Knots Landing community in Whiteriver.
On November 5, police posted a new statement on their Facebook page.
"The BIA Fort Apache Agency and the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police are continuing to investigate this case to bring closure to Challistia Colelay's family and community and justice to those responsible," the statement read in part. "At this time, we do not have any additional information to share."
ABC15 reached out to police and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to ask if Colelay's case is being investigated as a homicide and for details on when the teen was reported missing. As of Thursday night, our team had not heard back.
Police did ask anyone with tips or information to call the BIA MMU hotline at 1-833-560-2065 or by email at OJS_MMU@bia.gov.
Questions on response
ABC15 also asked White Mountain Apache police why a Turquoise Alert was not sent out.
As we work to get answers, an Arizona group that provides services to families of missing children is asking authorities to avoid using the term "runaways".
The Arizona Missing Child Task Force said labeling a child as "just a runaway" delays public alerts, limits media response, and minimizes urgency.
"We want to prevent this from happening," said Leila Woodward, the Founder of Arizona Missing Child Taskforce. "We've had a handful of kids found deceased, and I do not want that to happen anymore. And within like 24 hours of a child going missing, there's an 85% chance that they are approached by a trafficker."
Her organization partners with three local non-profits, Missing in America Network, Starbright Foundation and ASA Now.
ABC15 also spoke with Anika Robinson, President of ASA Now about this case.
"How heartbreaking that must be," said Robinson. "When your child goes missing, you have the hope that you're going to find them."
ABC15 asked DPS about this case. The department sent a lengthy statement, which said this is the first their department had been made aware of the case.
"No formal request was made for a Turquoise Alert by the investigating agency," the statement also read.
DPS told ABC15 that, according to databases, Colelay had two other missing persons cases in October 2024. The department said both ended up closed.
The Department of Child Safety told ABC15 they have no record of any involvement with the teen.
"We really need to step up as a community and collaborate and bring all of these ideas together and have this supporting network," said Robinson. "Where, you know, we are actively looking at solutions and actively changing things so that we don't fall and have this conversation again next month; what else could we have done differently?"
Read DPS' full statement below:
"To clarify, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) does not independently initiate or investigate missing person cases. Once an investigating agency determines that a case meets statutory criteria, it is the responsibility of the agency to contact DPS, to request an alert activation, and follow standard procedural protocol through filing a missing person’s report, notifying DPS through the submission of an alert activation request packet, as well as a flyer or Be on The Lookout (BOLO), containing information of the missing person, for public dissemination. Without a formal request for the investigating agency, DPS has no lawful or operational basis to activate or assess individual cases. We review all requests for compliance and, if approved, coordinate statewide activation.
This is the first time our Department has been made aware of this specific case. After reviewing our Arizona Missing and Exploited Children’s (AMEC) database, the juvenile in question had two prior missing person cases filed in October of 2024; however, both of those cases were closed. For awareness and understanding, this database contains limited information as entered by the investigating agencies and do not include the detailed investigative context required to determine if alert criteria are met. No formal request was made for a Turquoise Alert by the investigating agency.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety remains committed to supporting every law enforcement agency across Arizona, ensuring all qualifying cases receive the full level of assistance available under Arizona Law. If a local, county, or tribal agency believes a case may meet the Turquoise Alert criteria, the DPS Duty office is available 24/7 to consult and assist with review and activation when warranted."
An online fundraiser has been created to help the Colelay family with funeral expenses.
ABC15 reached out to the BIA for an update on the investigation on Friday. Read the full statement below:
"At this time, the BIA Office of Justice Services has not made any arrests in the Challistia Colelay investigation and the investigation remains active and ongoing.
The BIA Fort Apache Agency and the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police are continuing to investigate this case to bring closure to Challistia Colelay's family and community and justice to those responsible. The BIA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the death of Challistia Colelay. For more information, please visit.
At this time, there is no indication or evidence to suggest that this case is connected to a serial offender. However, investigators are approaching this case with thoroughness and objectivity, considering all possibilities as they actively pursue all investigative leads. While there may be some similarities with other cases, American Indian and Alaska Native people are at a disproportionate risk of experiencing violence, murder, or going missing and make up a significant portion of the missing and murdered cases. For more information on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis and BIA’s actions to address it, please visit.
We want to assure the community that the BIA is treating this case with the utmost seriousness. All available resources, including investigative personnel, forensic experts, and specialized support teams, are being dedicated to identifying those responsible and ensuring they are held fully accountable.
While we are moving as swiftly as possible, we are also committed to conducting a thorough and meticulous investigation. We understand the community’s concern and are working diligently to bring answers and justice in this case.
Any members of the community with information related to Challistia Colelay's death are encouraged to please contact the BIA Missing and Murdered Unit Hotline by phone at 1 (833) 560-2065, by email at OJS_MMU@bia.gov, or by texting keyword BIAMMU and your tip to 847411."
