Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode Title: Emily Pike, 14, Body Found Dismembered Off US 60, Killer Still on the Loose

Date: March 18, 2026

Episode Overview

Nancy Grace takes a hard look at the tragic and unsolved murder of Emily Pike, a 14-year-old Native American girl discovered dismembered off US 60 in Arizona. The episode scrutinizes the events leading up to her death, systemic failures surrounding Emily’s life and investigation, and the larger, disturbing epidemic of violence against Indigenous women and girls. Joined by family, experts, and investigative journalists, Nancy demands answers—calling out law enforcement mishandling, group home failures, and jurisdictional gaps that have left the killer free and the family devastated.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Case of Emily Pike: What Happened?

• Emily Pike, 14, found dismembered off US 60 (02:51)
• Body discovered in multiple trash bags on a lonely desert highway, with arms and hands still missing.
• Cause of death determined as homicidal blunt force trauma—her head was smashed and evidence of violence and dismemberment was found.
  • Quote: “To bludgeon a little girl dead and then dismember her and throw her on the side of the road and in a trash bag like she’s trash. I mean, what other indignity could be done to this child?” – Nancy Grace (12:12)
• The initial notification to Emily’s family was accidentally leaked via Facebook by the sheriff's department, deepening their trauma.
  • Quote: “It was the saddest way to find out.” – Allred Pike Jr., Emily’s uncle (06:57)
• Law enforcement has not identified a suspect and little information is shared with the family.
  • Quote: “From the beginning to now, there’s no real updates regarding my niece’s case.” – Allred Pike Jr. (48:17)

2. Systemic Failures and Neglect

• Removal from home: Emily was sexually assaulted by a male relative at a young age. Instead of the perpetrator being removed, Emily was taken from her family and placed in group homes due to systemic failings.
  • Quote: “She was the victim, but yet she was removed from the home and she never came home.” – Allred Pike Jr. (16:13)
  • The sexual assaulter remained at the home, while Emily was relocated far from relatives desperate to bring her back.
• Emily's distress in group homes: Emily frequently ran away, trying to return to her mother and beloved cat, Millie, and even attempted suicide to avoid group home life.
  • Bodycam audio reveals distressing footage of Emily pleading, “I just want to see my mom.” (19:29, 27:37)
  • Police response: Officers threaten to handcuff her for acting out, further traumatizing Emily.
    • “If you’re going to act like a child, we’re going to put you in handcuffs.” (19:45)
  • Quote: “She is a child. What is wrong with these people?” – Nancy Grace (20:04)
• Notification and transparency breakdown: Family wasn’t notified that Emily was missing until a week after her disappearance; cause of death was leaked online before being conveyed directly.

3. Jurisdictional & Law Enforcement Challenges

• Mishandled communications: Information about the crime and investigation is neither timely nor transparent.
  • Families are left in the dark and lose trust in authorities.
  • “There should be one point of contact… suggests a lack of experience on their part.” – John Bueller, former detective (48:41)
• Native American jurisdictional barriers: Neither local law enforcement nor federal agents can freely investigate crimes on reservations; cases get stalled, resources are thin, and perpetrators go uncaught.
  • Quote: “There are so many unsolved cases… and the fact that she was removed from the home, it doesn’t make sense one bit. It makes so many of us in the community very angry.” – Mary Kim Titla, Executive Director of UNITY (31:48)
  • “You have to allow local law enforcement and the feds onto the reservation to help find missing people and solve unsolved homicides. 5,000 Native American women missing a year is unacceptable.” – Nancy Grace (33:13)
• Evidence challenges: Dismemberment creates significant forensic evidence, making cleanup very difficult, which could be an investigative lead if the primary scene is found.
  • Quote: “When you’re dismembering a body... it’s going to cause blood, bodily fluids, tissue to get everywhere… No matter how good they clean it up, it’ll still be able to be found.” – Dr. Kendall Crowns (46:14)

4. Wider Issues of Indigenous Women & Violence

• MMIW (Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls):
  • Four out of five Indigenous women experience violence in their lifetime.
  • Over 5,000 Native American women go missing each year in the US, and many cases remain unsolved.
  • Quote: “She has become everyone’s daughter, granddaughter, niece.” – Mary Kim Titla (21:54)
  • Tribes and families struggle to trust law enforcement and get justice.
• Efforts for Awareness:
  • Community groups and the family have established a large $200,000 reward for tips.
  • Billboards and a mural have been created to keep Emily’s case in the public eye.
  • Turquoise Alert system and task force initiated—but more action is needed.

5. Advocacy and Calls to Action

• Expert recommendations:
  • Detectives must be allowed to specialize and receive mentorship in violent crimes (“That’s where your success rate comes from.” – John Bueller, 39:44)
  • Violent offenders need tougher prosecution; repeat offenders often escalate.
    • “Soft punishment is very violent to the victim. Twice.” – John Bueller (39:44)
  • Community and citizens must pressure tribal authorities and law enforcement to act: “We as citizens have to do it for them.” – Dr. John de la Torre (37:04)
• Jurisdictional reform advocated: Listeners and citizens urged to support changes so local and federal investigators can intervene in reservation cases.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “A 14 year old little girl thrown off the side of the highway like she’s trash.”
  — Nancy Grace (02:51)
• On group home trauma:
  “She hated it so much that at one point... tried to hang herself rather than stay in a group home.” – Nancy Grace (10:28)
• On notification heartbreak:
  “That was the saddest way to find out.” – Allred Pike Jr., Emily’s uncle (06:57)
• On law enforcement's failure:
  “Are you ever not shocked anymore?... because I am not.” – Nancy Grace (08:09)
• On MMIWG:
  “Over 5,000 Native American women go missing in the US and nobody seems to care.” – Nancy Grace (20:56) “Justice has not been served in this case. We have to work together. We are searching for answers.” – Mary Kim Titla (21:54)
• On evidence:
  “When you’re dismembering a body… it causes blood… you can’t get all the evidence out. There’ll be DNA.” – Dr. Kendall Crowns (46:14)
• On reward:
  “There’s a nearly quarter million dollar reward for information regarding Emily Pike’s killer.” – Nancy Grace (51:27)
• On second missing teen from same group home:
  “Another teen goes missing from the same group home.” (49:08)
• Dr. de la Torre on what listeners can do:
  “We can absolutely put pressure… these are not cold cases; they can be solved.” (37:04)

Segment Timestamps

• Emily’s story, crime recap & early investigation (02:51 - 06:54)
• Family finds out via online leak (06:54 - 07:57)
• Expert/Investigator analysis, group home background (08:09 - 15:29)
• Emily's prior sexual assault, failures in child welfare (15:29 - 19:02)
• Play/Discussion of bodycam footage, Emily’s distress (19:02 - 20:14; replayed at 27:27)
• Native women and girls statistics, community response (20:56 - 23:36; 21:54 - 23:36)
• Cause of death details, forensics (12:58 - 15:29)
• Systemic and jurisdictional barriers to justice (31:20 - 34:57)
• Expert panel on what can be done, future reforms (34:57 - 44:29)
• Forensic trace evidence & law enforcement mishandling (46:00 - 48:28)
• Additional missing teen, group home accountability (49:08 - 49:51)
• $200,000 reward & call for leads (50:33 - 51:27)
• Contact numbers for tips (51:27)

Summary of Calls to Action

• Public urged to come forward with tips about Emily Pike or other missing Indigenous women.
  • Call: 928-200-2352 or 505-917-7830
• Citizens asked to push government, tribal leaders, and law enforcement for procedural reforms and greater accountability.
• Continued awareness: By supporting murals, billboards, and sharing Emily’s story, pressure can be kept on authorities to prevent her case from going cold.

Final Thoughts

Nancy Grace closes the episode with her hallmark intensity and demand for justice: outrage and sorrow are not enough. She appeals to listeners, law enforcement, and tribal authorities to act. The case of Emily Pike is emblematic of a much larger, dire crisis affecting Native American women and girls—a crisis of violence, invisibility, and legal complexity that must be remedied if justice is ever to be found for Emily and countless others.