The state of Arizona has added money to the reward for information leading to an arrest in the death of San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike.
Governor Katie Hobbs announced the additional $25,000 on Wednesday during a ceremonial bill signing for Emily’s Law, which will create a “turquoise alert” system for missing Indigenous people.
The legislation was named for the 14-year-old, who was found dead Feb. 14, weeks after she was reported missing from a group home in Mesa. Emily’s death has drawn renewed national attention to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous persons.
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“She was murdered. She was dismembered. She was tossed to the side of the road like she didn’t matter,” said her uncle, Allred Pike Jr.
Emily’s mother stood next to him in tears.
“She was our daughter, our niece, our granddaughter, our cousin, our friend, and we’re here to tell you that she mattered. Her life mattered,” he said.
Pike urged anyone who knows anything about his niece’s death to contact authorities.
“We still have to keep fighting,” he said. “Her killer has not been located yet. He’s not been found. … This person shouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else.”
What Emily’s Law does
Emily’s Law creates a rapid-response alert system for missing members of federally recognized tribes, similar to Amber alerts.
No Amber Alert was issued when Emily disappeared in January because she was classified as a runaway, and an alert can only be issued if a child is abducted. Under Emily’s Law, a turquoise alert can be issued if law enforcement has reason to believe the missing person is in danger.
Turquoise alerts can be issued for anyone up to the age of 65, including children.
Emily’s Law took effect immediately, and Hobbs said the turquoise alert system should be up and running by the end of the summer.
Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis called the bill the most important legislation in Arizona to address the MMIP crisis.
But more work is still ahead. Tribes need robust victim services and specialized units to handle the cases, he said.
“Some tribes have those resources. Some don’t or have or have that capacity,” Lewis said. “I think both you know, state and federal, we need resources to build, you know, that standard up among all the tribes in Arizona.”
