Authorities say missing Navajo Nation girl who was found dead may have been hit by car

PHOENIX — An 8-year-old girl from the Navajo Nation who was found dead in January may have been hit by a car, authorities said Wednesday.

Maleeka Boone was found dead on Jan. 16 after a Turquoise Alert was issued for her by the Arizona Department of Public Safety the day before.

The FBI Phoenix Field Office said recent developments in the investigation suggest that Boone was likely struck by a passing car on the evening of Jan. 15.

Investigators believe that she was walking home when the driver of a larger vehicle, possibly a pickup truck, may have hit Boone and not realized it.

Boone was reported missing around 6 p.m. on Jan. 15 and had been last seen playing outside on Cedar Loop in the Coalmine Navajo Housing Authority area.

Boone’s body was found around 8:30 a.m. the next day in a field within the Coalmine Navajo Housing Authority neighborhood.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about the vehicles traveling on Cedar Loop Road within the Coalmine Navajo Housing Authority between 5:50 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. on Jan. 15 to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for any information that helps investigators determine what happened to Boone.

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