Today, we remember three Indigenous women and girls whose lives were stolen far too soon—and whose deaths remain shrouded in silence, injustice, and unanswered questions.
Bea Rosa Garza, a 26-year-old mother of two from Moorhead, Minnesota, died suddenly in April 2025. While police quickly ruled out foul play, her family insists otherwise—pointing to threats they’ve received and a justice system they say has failed her. Bea was a vibrant spirit: an artist, a baker, a music lover, and most of all, a loving mom. Her loved ones are still demanding a real investigation.
Then there’s Mona Renee Vallo, a 57-year-old grandmother and proud member of the Yakama Nation, who was found dead on the side of Route 66 in Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico. Her injuries suggest a hit-and-run, but no suspect has ever been caught.
And finally, we turn to Emily Pike, just 14 years old when she was found brutally murdered in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest. Born into hardship and failed by every system meant to protect her, Emily was seeking connection—and maybe even trying to make it home—when she vanished. Despite a $200,000 reward and a multi-agency task force, her killer remains free.
These are not isolated incidents. They’re part of a larger crisis affecting Indigenous women and girls across North America- a crisis ignored for far too long. Today, we say their names, and share their stories in hopes of raising awareness for these women and the multitude of others who have not received justice.
Bea Rosa Garza
On Friday, April 25, 2025, Bea Rosa Garza of Moorhead, MN, passed away, at Sanford Health Hospital, Fargo, ND. She was just 26 years old.
For those not geographically inclined (like myself), Moorhead MN and Fargo, ND are only about a mile apart, so it’s not out of the ordinary for her to be in ND, especially with her family ties there.
Bea Rosa, which means Beautiful Rose, was born on July 31, 1998, in Fargo, ND. She grew up in San Antonio, TX, where she attended school until 2015, when she moved to Mahnomen, MN. Her first son was born in 2016, and they moved to Moorhead, MN, before her second son was born in 2019.
Bea had an artistic eye and enjoyed tie-dying, drawing, and coloring in photos. She liked to go on shopping trips and going fishing. She was a great baker and cook and made the best lasagnas and cheesecakes. She loved music, especially Juice WRLD, 80’s music, and rap. Above all, she loved being a mother to her two sons Alexavier and Alexander.
West Fargo police say that after an initial response from officers, there is no indication of suspicious circumstances, but her loved ones disagree, especially considering that the family has been threatened by individuals who they believe may have been involved in Bea’s death since her passing.
There is a serious lack of trust that this case is being investigated properly and the people responsible will be brought to justice. Is the reason lack of resources/understaffing, or is there something more nefarious going on? It is well known that biases against “minorities” such as Indigenous peoples (let’s not forget we’re on Indigenous land here, and the colonizers made them a minority) often influence how an investigation is handled.
Bea’s family believes she was taken from downtown Fargo to a home in West Fargo where she was given, perhaps by force or under the guise of another substance, a lethal amount of drugs, but police do not believe this to be true, claiming this is just a case of overdose.
Bea’s loved ones are especially frustrated because not long prior to her death, there was an overdose at a gas station nearby, and the drug dealer who provided those drugs was caught very quickly by local police.
Unfortunately, there is not much more public information available on this case. If you have any information that could help bring justice for Bea, please contact the Fargo Police Department at 701-235-4493.
Mona Renee Vallo
On March 9, 2022, passers-by discovered the Mona Renee Vallo’s body on U.S. Route 66, New Mexico Highway 124, mile marker 20, in Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico. Her injuries were consistent with a hit-and-run crash and they estimate she may have been struck at approximately 7:00 p.m.
Mona was born July 24, 1965, in White Swan, Washington, on the Yakama Reservation.
The 57-year-old was proud of her roots. She was a member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. She also lived on the Acoma Pueblo.
Her lifelong friend Kelly Wells said in her testimony at the Not Invisible Act Commission hearings that growing up, Mona enjoyed powwows, hiking, and food gathering, and the two were so close that they introduced each other as their sister.
Kelly also said that even as a child, Mona was outspoken and compassionate.
Mona herself had five children: Adrian Jackson Jr., the oldest, followed by Cecil Jackson, Josephine Jackson, Serafina Vallo, and Irvin Vallo, as well as nine grandchildren.
She enjoyed going to the Yakama powwows and even made regalia for each of her children. She also enjoyed attending ceremonial gatherings, camping in the mountains, and just spending family time with her kids.
Her son Cecil Jackson said that he remembers her as very outgoing and outspoken. In her later years, spending time with her grandchildren was her favorite thing to do, and she helped keep her heritage alive in their family, from Feast Days, to religion and helping give her grandkids their Indian names.
Vallo’s life tragically came to an end on March 9. They believe she was hit by a large car like a truck or SUV and that vehicle likely sustained damage to the front and possibly under it as well.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of Mona Renee Vallo. If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office or you can submit an anonymous tip online.
Emily Pike
On January 27th, 2025, Emily Pike left from the group home where she was leaving on foot and when she didn’t return, the group home manager reported her missing. She was found by hikers deceased and dismembered nearly three weeks later in the Tonto National Forest, about 100 miles away from where she was staying.
Emily was born May 16, 2010. Her home life in Peridot was marked by instability. Her parents had long been separated, and her father cycled in and out of prison, most recently on charges related to arson. Although her mother retained custody, a history of substance addiction made it difficult for her to provide consistent care, according to family members.
Emily lived in a deteriorating manufactured home shared with her brother, mother, grandmother, aunts, and others. The residence sat along a dirt path strewn with broken glass, trash, and overgrown brambles. The house was frequently chaotic, with unreliable plumbing and a leaking roof patched with tarps.
At age 13, Emily was assaulted on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. The Game and Fish officers launched an investigation into the assault, and notified tribal authorities. Although tribal authorities arrested a relative in connection with the incident, the alleged assailant was ultimately released without prosecution. In August 2023 due to concerns for her safety, Emily was removed from her mother’s custody and placed in a group home where her contact with relatives was restricted. The San Carlos Apache Tribe’s Social Services Department placed Emily Pike at Sacred Journey, Inc., a residential childcare center located in Mesa, Arizona. Emily’s mother, Steff Dosela, was prohibited by tribal Social Services from having contact with Emily following her removal from the home.
In early September of 2023, Emily was hospitalized for self-harm. Later that month, her and another group home resident snuck out. The girls were eventually located at a Mesa playground at Kleinman Park. When questioned by police, both girls reportedly said they didn’t want to return to the group home because they were forced to clean — scrubbing walls, baseboards, window sills, and even getting on their hands and knees to scrub grout from the tile. The same month Emily was reported missing again by group home staff. While an officer was en route to the home, they spotted a teenager matching her description. Upon making contact, Pike told officers she did not want to return to the group home because “it makes her uncomfortable when the staff gets into arguments with other juveniles in the home.”
On Halloween night, 2023, Emily snuck out again, and upon her return to the group home staff allegedly overheard her say she had been “laced” (possibly drugged), but she was not sent for medical care, though her behavior was monitored overnight.
On November 8th, Emily attempted suicide a second time, and was hospitalized. A few weeks later, she was picked up by her aunt and uncle who took her on a Thanksgiving trip through Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah so she could meet other relatives. During the trip, however, Emily’s behavior raised some concern, and a couple days later, she ran away. When a police officer found her, she refused to leave with her relatives. She expressed suicidal thoughts, telling them she wanted to die and would see them in hell. The situation ultimately led to her hospitalization and a return flight to Arizona where she was placed in a secure behavioral health facility. She lived there for about a year, then was returned to the group home in December 2024.
According to a close friend that Emily met in the group home, who for safety purposes goes by Chelsea in interviews, Emily told her that she was leaving the group home on January 27th in order to meet up with a boy she met while taking guitar lessons. Video surveillance cameras captured images of Emily after she left, but authorities would not reveal where.
Chelsea believed that Emily used the fact that a church group was at the home, which allowed her to slip away while everyone was distracted, saying she likely used the window to sneak out. It was not uncommon for kids in the home to run away and as detailed above, it was not Emily’s first time doing so. For reasons unknown to the public, Emily’s case manager did not inform her mother, Steff Dosela, of her daughter’s disappearance until a week later.
Based on where Emily’s remains were found off U.S. 60 heading northeast, Chelsea believes Emily was just trying to go home, possibly hitchhiking back to her reservation to see her parents, and she just got picked up by the wrong people. Strangely, an unknown caller left a voicemail at the group home on February 2nd claiming that Emily was with her mother on San Carlos Apache land, which was proven to be false.
Upon the discovery of her remains, the Pinal County Medical Examiner conducted an extensive autopsy, ultimately determining her cause of death was “homicidal violence with blunt head trauma”. While it is rumored that there are 3 suspects in the case, no further information has been made public and no arrests made.
A multi-agency task force has been created to work on Emily’s case, and the reward to find her killer has been increased to $200,000. If you know anything about what happened to Emily, contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS where you can anonymously provide information.
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