Missing 8-year-old girl from Navajo Nation found dead, officials announce

PHOENIX – A missing 8-year-old girl from the Navajo Nation has been found dead, officials announced.

Authorities issued a Turquoise Alert for Maleeka Boone on Friday morning after she went missing in Coalmine, Arizona, which is southeast of Tuba City.

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, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation.

The Coalmine area will be “on lockdown” until further notice as law enforcement officers investigate Boone’s death, police said. Anyone who lives in the area is being asked to remain in their homes.

Navajo police, the FBI and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation are now investigating Boone’s disappearance and death.

Navajo Nation girl found dead after Turquoise Alert issued

The Turquoise Alert was issued after Boone’s family became concerned about her welfare, as she hadn’t been seen since around 6 p.m. Thursday.

She was Native American, also went by the name Mollie and was last known to be playing outside on Cedar Loop in the Coalmine Navajo Housing Authority (NHA) area. However, Navajo police said that the details of when she was last seen are still under investigation.

She was described as 4 feet, 5 inches tall and 50-60 pounds, with brown eyes. She had long brown hair with braids 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.

KTAR News Senior Editor Kevin Stone contributed to this report. 

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