At the intersection of Mesa Drive and McKellips Road in Mesa, Ariz., there is a chain link fence covered in flowers, per the Arizona Republic . The words “Justice for Emily” have been spelled out using red plastic cups pushed into the holes of the fence. Since March 2, 2025, people have been leaving stuffed animals, handwritten messages, and balloons nearby. Rocks have been placed at the base of the fence, one of which has the words “Forever 14” painted on it.
This is a tribute to Emily Pike , a 14-year-old Native American teenager who disappeared on Jan. 27, 2025, from the group home where she was living. Pike left on foot and when she didn’t return, the group home manager reported her missing. Her body was found nearly three weeks later in the Tonto National Forest. What happened? Here’s what we know.
What happened to Emily Pike? She might have left her group home to meet a boy.
A former roommate of Pike’s spoke with CBS 5 about the hours leading up to her young girl’s disappearance. Wishing to remain anonymous, the individual said, “My relationship with Emily was trying to steer her in the right direction because it’s hard being in the group home.” This person, who is referred to as Chelsea to protect their identity, lived in the group home for four years. During that time, Pike stayed there twice.
According to Chelsea, despite the fact that Pike’s family lived nearby on the San Carlos Apache reservation, the teenager ended up at the group home due to struggles with her mental health. There were more resources available at the group home. Although Chelsea wasn’t living in the group home when Pike went missing, they still kept in touch. This is how Chelsea knew that Pike left the home on that fateful day in order to meet up with a boy she met while taking guitar lessons…