Emily Pike’s family sues Mesa group home she ran away from
MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — The family of a 14-year-old Emily Pike, who was found murdered and dismembered off a forest road east of the Valley, is suing the Mesa group home she ran away from.
Her family says the home didn’t follow proper protocols in reporting Emily missing to keep her safe. Pike’s family told attorneys their primary reason for filing the lawsuit is to ensure that what happened to Emily doesn’t happen to another child in the group home system. They believe the lawsuit will force group homes to take better care of the kids under their watch.
They also want justice for Emily. “There’s so many questions about what could have been done to prevent this,” said Olivia Lemorrocco, a spokesperson for Phillips Law Group, the firm representing the Pike family.
Emily was last seen alive on Jan. 27 near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road. The Gila County Sheriff’s Office said her remains were found dismembered in trash bags on Feb 14. They were about 100 miles from where she had run away, off U.S. 60 near Globe.
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“Did the group home follow all the rules and regulations that were supposed to be followed? And could this have been prevented ultimately, is a big question,” Lemorrocco said.
She says attorneys believe it’s possible the group home could be found liable if they were not following correct protocols and procedures to keep Emily safe, and should be educating staff on how to spot signs a child may run away. “We’ve pulled all of the records from the state, from the group home, everything, and we’re in the process right now of going through all of the evidence,” Lemorrocco said.
She says lawsuits like this one can force group homes to update their safety policies so they don’t lose their insurance. She’s hoping this lawsuit encourages other group homes to take a careful look at how they can improve.
Last month, Arizona’s Family spoke exclusively with the manager of the group home. They mentioned Emily had run away before and that police reports are filed each time a child runs away. The manager also said group home staff followed all protocols the day Emily went missing.
Arizona’s Family reached out to the manager of the group home on Friday to see if they could comment on the lawsuit. We have not heard back.
No arrests have been made in Emily’s murder case.
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