Mesa group home Emily Pike ran from before her death denies lawsuit’s allegations

PHOENIX — Sacred Journey Inc., the Mesa group home named in a wrongful death lawsuit by the father of slain teen Emily Pike, has formally denied all allegations.

Phillips Law Group filed the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of her father, Jensen Pike, on Aug. 5 and submitted an amended version in September.

Olivia Lemorocco, vice president of operations at the firm, previously told KTAR News 92.3 FM that the lawsuit aims to bring justice to Emily’s family and improve oversight of group homes in Arizona.

However, the defendant — Sacred Journey Inc., which operated the Mesa group home Emily fled from before her death — filed a formal response last Wednesday, according to court records.

In its filing, the group home claimed the lawsuit lacked sufficient information, demanded strict proof of the allegations and asked the Maricopa County Superior Court to dismiss the case and award recovery of its legal costs and attorneys’ fees.

Put simply, this means the group home is challenging both whether it was responsible and whether its actions led to Emily’s death.

What does this mean for the Emily Pike lawsuit moving forward?

“Strict proof” is a procedural request commonly included in defense responses, Lemorocco told KTAR News on Thursday.

“Phillips Law Group will provide all necessary evidence supporting our claims as the case moves through discovery and trial preparation,” she said. “We are fully prepared to prove our allegations that Sacred Journey failed in its duty to protect and properly supervise Emily Pike.”

Additionally, Sacred Journey’s denial is part of standard legal procedure, so it doesn’t necessarily dispute the facts, she added.

“By denying the claims and requesting strict proof, Sacred Journey is positioning itself to contest both liability and causation,” Lemorocco said. “The case now moves into discovery, where both sides exchange documents, witness statements and expert evaluations to substantiate their positions.”

Why did father of Emily Pike file lawsuit against Mesa group home?

Lemorocco is confident that, through the discovery process, plaintiffs will prove their stance that the group home should have taken more actions to protect Emily. The San Carlos Apache teen was under the care of Tribal Social Services, and the Mesa group home where she was living is licensed by the state, according to ABC15.

“This case underscores the need for stronger oversight and accountability in group homes responsible for vulnerable minors,” Lemorocco said.

“Our goal is not only to obtain justice for Emily and her family but also to drive awareness and change within Arizona’s residential care system to prevent similar tragedies in the future.”

Jensen Pike believes that the facility his daughter was living in failed to provide reasonable care. According to court documents, he believes Sacred Journey failed to properly care and protect her, resulting in her being able to flee the group home.

KTAR News reached out to Sacred Journey Inc., but it did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

What happened to Emily Pike, and what impact has her case had on Arizona?

The lawsuit is the latest stage of a high-profile case that dates back to January, when Emily’s remains were discovered along U.S. 60 near Globe. No suspect has been identified.

The 14-year-old girl’s death sparked renewed activism focused on raising awareness about the disproportionate number of disappearances and violent deaths affecting Native American communities for decades.

“Our goal is not only to obtain justice for Emily and her family but also to drive awareness and change within Arizona’s residential care system to prevent similar tragedies in the future,” Lemorocco said.

Emily is the namesake of “Emily’s Law,” which Gov. Katie Hobbs signed in May. The legislation established a “Turquoise Alert” system that issues unique alerts when an endangered person under 65 goes missing in Arizona.

Following Pike’s death, the Department of Child Safety committed to making several changes, including addressing gaps in communication between tribal governments and DCS, as well as inconsistent collaboration between DCS and law enforcement agencies when children run away from group homes.

Related

Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Mesa group home Emily Pike ran away from before her murderSilent Witness reward in Emily Pike murder case increased to $27,000San Carlos Apache teenager's death reverberates throughout Indian CountryDepartment of Health confirms first case of Clade I mpox in Arizona but says public risk lowJay Feely, Amish Shah win respective primaries, will face each other for CD-1Kimberly Yee wins GOP primary for Arizona schools chief over Tom Horne