MESA, AZ — Mesa police have released three other missing persons reports involving Emily Pike while she was living at her group home in Mesa.
The home, which the San Carlos Apache Tribe said is operated by Sacred Journey Inc., reported Pike missing three times in 2023, and then a fourth time in January 2025, prior to her being found killed off the U.S. 60, northeast of Globe.
ABC15 is working to learn more about the 15 months in between the reports.
All three reports mention Pike, or another child with the then 13-year-old, telling officers they don't want to go back to the group home.
In each of the 2023 cases, Pike was returned to the home or was taken to a behavioral health center within hours of employees alerting police.
Dozens of missing persons reports from the group home were read through, involving other children over the course of three years. Those reports say the home had 10 beds to house children.
Pike was not in the care of the Arizona Department of Child Safety, but the state has issued a licensing inquiry into the home. ABC15 has tried for weeks to get in touch with administrative officials at Sacred Journey Inc. but has not heard back.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
In the report, it appears group home staff reported Pike and another child missing. That employee told the officer she had given them their medication but when she went back to check on them, the two were gone.
According to the report, there are cameras in the hallways and office of the home, but the two were not seen leaving. The employee said they must have climbed out a bedroom window and exited out a side gate.
The employee said that one of the children had a "secret cellphone" that was confiscated the night before.
The pair was eventually found at a Mesa playground. Pike and the other child allegedly told police "they did not want to go back to the group home because they make them work by scrubbing walls, baseboards, window seals and even getting on their hands and knees to scrub the grout on the tile."
Police say one child, it's not clear who, told officers they would run away again if taken back and "she would rather go to jail or live with her grandma."
SEPTEMBER 20, 2023
Pike was reported missing, but an officer spotted a teenager matching her description en route to the home.
The report said Pike told officers she did not want to go back to the group home "because it makes her uncomfortable when the staff gets into arguments with other juveniles in the home."
OCTOBER 31, 2023
Pike was reported missing in the evening hours. It appears a group home employee told police the then 13-year-old left on foot. Around 9:15 p.m. the home called officers to let them know Pike had returned.
JANUARY 27, 2025
On Friday, March 21, the ABC15 investigators obtained the report from the day Pike went missing in January. The group manager told Mesa police that Pike had left out of her bedroom window. The report said the window's screen had been pushed out from the inside. The original call was made at 8:19 p.m. and indicated a "juvie AWOL approximately 30 minutes prior."
According to Mesa police, this was the fourth missing persons report regarding Pike. The group home manager indicated the last time Pike ran away she had been found near Fitch Park. The report said the officer checked that park and did not find the teen.
On January 28, police spoke to what appears to be an employee with the group home. The report says she told Mesa police that Pike was on medication for mental health and behavioral issues. The employee also provided the contact for Pike's case manager with the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
The report says on January 29 at 3:35 p.m. a missing bulletin was sent out statewide.
On February 14, Pike was found dismembered off the U.S. 60. The Gila County Sheriff's Office said her body was found by people on a trail near mile marker 277.
ABC15 reached out to GCSO on Monday, March 24 regarding Emily's case, requesting an interview with the Gila County Sheriff, and asking for an update.
At time of reporting, there were still no persons of interest or suspects in the case and there had been no arrests. There is a tip link set up by the taskforce investigating the case.
