MESA, AZ — A memorial for Emily Pike that’s been up in Mesa for months was removed Friday. It’s unclear who took the tributes down and moved them to a trash bin. By Friday night, members of several tribal communities were putting teddy bears, flowers, and garlands back up.
“When I got here this afternoon on my lunch break, Emily was alone in the trash. All her things were in the trash, and she was alone,” Celeste Bonito-Nash, advocate, said. “When I came back this evening, all her things had been taken out of the trash, and there's a crowd of people here putting things up. And it meant so much to me that all these people came to say, Emily, you're not alone.”
The memorial is at Mesa Drive and McKellips Road, where the 14-year-old was last seen, before her body was later found near Globe last February.
The city of Mesa confirms the memorial was not taken down by the city. There are no trespassing signs up on the lot where it's been built.
Pike's family tells us the removal was shocking, saying the tribute was not just for them, but for the whole community. They hope the city might consider a permanent memorial.
"It tells a story of how my niece was living in a place that she wasn't used to, she never got used to," said Emily's uncle Allred Pike Jr. when asked about the importance of having a memorial in Mesa.
"Yes, a permanent memorial would be perfect," said Allred. "The location. It's up to the city, you know, wherever they can find a spot."
Local advocates told us they are working with the family to place a permanent memorial, potentially in Mesa. They have already put in requests and reached out to city leaders and state agencies to learn the next steps.
ABC15 contacted a Mesa city spokesperson about the possibility of a permanent memorial location.
"We understand how important it is to honor Emily's memory," Deputy Communications Director Casey Blake said in an email response. "The City is looking into what options we might be able to offer within our existing policies.”
Emily's family is also pushing for justice and hoping for answers in her murder case.
ABC15 had multiple sources who said there is a new lead investigator on the case. Our team has reached out to the Gila County Sheriff's Office for an update, sending a long list of questions. We have not received a response yet.
You can watch the full story in the viewer above.
