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ARIZONA NEWS

FBI offers $25K for any help finding those responsible for Maleeka Boone’s death

A $25,000 reward is now being offered for information that helps investigators determine what happened to Maleeka Boone, a Navajo Nation girl.

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PHOENIX — A $25,000 reward is now being offered for any information that helps investigators determine what happened to Maleeka Boone.

The FBI announced the reward on Thursday, saying it will go to anyone whose information leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her death.

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Maleeka, an 8‑year‑old Native American girl, was found dead last Friday — one day after the Arizona Department of Public Safety issued a Turquoise Alert for her.

She was reported missing on Jan. 15. When she went missing, she was believed to have been playing outside on Cedar Loop in the Coalmine Navajo Housing Authority area, though Navajo police say the exact details of when she was last seen remain under investigation.

Her death was announced by the Navajo Police Department around 1:30 p.m. after a search involving community members, Navajo police officers, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, U.S. Marshals, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation.

Maleeka also went by the name Mollie and was described as 4 feet, 5 inches tall and 50-60 pounds, with brown eyes and long brown hair braided on each side.

Turquoise Alerts are issued when a missing person is under the age of 65, local law enforcement has exhausted all available resources, the person is believed to be in danger or in the company of someone potentially dangerous and the circumstances surrounding the disappearance are unexplained or suspicious.

The legislation that created Arizona’s Turquoise Alert system is known as “Emily’s Law” to honor San Carlos Apache tribal member Emily Pike, a 14-year-old girl whose remains were found after she went missing from her Mesa group home last year.r

Serena O'Sullivan KTAR News Reporter and Editor

Serena O’Sullivan is a Phoenix-based news reporter and content editor for KTAR.com, where she covers local and national stories with a digital-first approach. Her reporting has appeared in major outlets including USA Today, Arizona Republic, Phoenix… Read more

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