Emily Pike’s family wants Amber Alert system for missing Indigenous people

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The death of 14-year-old runaway Emily Pike is leading to a possible change at the state Capitol.

There’s a renewed push to create an Amber Alert system for missing Indigenous people as HB 2281 makes its way through the Legislature.

The family of Emily Pike supports the measure. The 14-year-old girl was part of the San Carlos Apache tribe but was living in a group home in Mesa before she ran away on Jan. 27. Her remains were found stuffed into trash bags off the US 60 in eastern Arizona on Valentine’s Day.

Looking at pictures of his niece, Allred Pike Jr. will always see a little girl smiling back. “She’s still a baby to the family,” said Allred Pike Jr. “It’s hard enough that she’s gone but the way she went is just unbearable.”

It’s been terrifying and heartbreaking for Emily’s family as they wait for answers, but it has given them hope that Emily’s case could help create change.

“In the long run, that will help a lot in all Indian country. Twenty-two tribes just in Arizona,” Allred Pike Jr. said.

Allred Pike Jr. said while her case could help push this through to law, it’s hard to think about what could have happened if it already existed.

“Maybe we would have been able to locate Emily a whole lot sooner before this happened if we had such a system,” her uncle said.

While the Gila County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and other agencies investigate the death, Allred said the family is planning Emily’s funeral.

Her father is in prison, serving a sentence for criminal damage, but the family is hoping he can still attend the ceremony to say goodbye.

“The way she went and with him coping with it on his own, I just pray that they let him out so he could at least be there with family and see all the support he has behind him,” Allred said.

Support is something the entire Pike family has felt from the community, from social media, and from the nation. They’re choosing to look forward because they have to. “I tell my family we can’t get stuck in the what ifs because it’s going to prolong the pain we have. The right now is what can we do to help improve things, so this doesn’t happen again,” Allred said.

Arizona’s Family asked the Gila County Sheriff’s Office very specific questions about the investigation Monday but have not heard back.

As for HB 2281, it passed unanimously out of the House and will be heard by a Senate committee on Wednesday.

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