Father of Emily Pike files lawsuit against group home where Pike lived

MESA, Ariz. — The father of an Arizona girl reported missing and then found dead weeks later filed a lawsuit against the group home where she lived prior to her disappearance, court documents state.

The 14-year-old member of the San Carlos Apache tribe was reported missing in January 2025 and was then found murdered in February. Her remains were found near the US-60 near Globe. Her head and torso were in trash bags. 

The lawsuit, filed by Emily’s father Jensen Pike, alleges the group home was negligent and that their “actions and/or inactions” directly resulted in Emily’s fatal injuries.

12News is not naming the group home to protect the safety of the children who still live there.

“Plaintiff has forever been deprived of the love, care, attention, companionship, guidance, counseling and services of the Decedent and has thereby been damaged in an amount to be proven at the time of trial,” the lawsuit states.

The second count of the lawsuit alleges the group home also knew or should have known that five employees were “inexperienced, reckless and negligent.” 

“Defendant [group home] should not have hired Defendants John and Jane Doe Employees 1-5 and/or should not have retained them and/or should have provided proper training,” the lawsuit states. 

The Phillips Law Group represents Emily’s father. 

According to court documents, the case is a wrongful death case, which is a civil case, and, pursuant to rule 26.2(b) of the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure, is a tier 3 case. A tier 3 case is for actions claiming $300,000 or more in damages, according to the Superior Court of Maricopa County.

12News reached out to the group home for comment and has not yet heard back. 

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