FBI Probes Death of 8‑Year‑Old Navajo Girl After Turquoise Alert in Arizona
Navajo Nation officials say 8‑year‑old Maleeka Boone, who went missing Thursday evening in the Coalmine Canyon area of the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, was found dead on Friday, and the FBI has opened an investigation alongside tribal police. Maleeka’s disappearance triggered a Turquoise Alert — Arizona’s alert system for missing Indigenous people, created under 'Emily’s Law' after the death of Emily Pike — underscoring continued concern over missing and murdered Native Americans. An FBI spokesperson declined to release details about how she died, and Navajo Nation police have not yet responded publicly about the circumstances or possible suspects. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren called the death 'devastating' in a social media video and said the tragedy 'weighs heavy' on his heart, as the community awaits answers. The case is likely to fuel renewed scrutiny of how quickly law enforcement responds to missing Native children and how effectively the Turquoise Alert system is being used.
📌 Key Facts
- Victim identified as 8‑year‑old Maleeka Boone of the Navajo Nation
- She was last seen Thursday evening in the Coalmine Canyon area, about 240 miles north of Phoenix
- Her body was found Friday, and the FBI is investigating with Navajo Nation police after a Turquoise Alert was issued
📊 Relevant Data
American Indian and Alaska Native women face homicide rates more than 10 times the national average.
Data indicates that Native women and girls experience a murder rate 10 times higher than the national average — House Committee on Appropriations
In 2023, there were 10,650 missing persons cases filed for American Indians and Alaska Natives, with 1,631 remaining active by the end of the year, while American Indians and Alaska Natives comprise about 2.9% of the U.S. population (approximately 9.7 million people).
After years of funding, Indigenous women still missing and murdered at alarming rates — Arizona Mirror
The poverty rate on the Navajo Nation Reservation is 35.5%, compared to the U.S. national poverty rate of 12.5%.
Navajo Nation Reservation - Profile data — Census Reporter
Jurisdictional complexities on tribal lands, where federal, state, and tribal authorities overlap, can delay investigations of crimes, including those involving missing persons.
General Guide to Criminal Jurisdiction in Indian Country — Tribal Court Clearinghouse
American Indian and Alaska Native children are overrepresented in foster care in nearly every state, with many missing Native children reported as endangered runaways from foster homes.
US Foster Care Statistics 2025: Data & Trends [Updated Nov 2025] — Center on the Family of the American Orphan (CAFO)
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time