The FBI is putting up a minimum of $25,000 in reward money for six high-profile Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples’ cases in hopes of garnering tips that lead to convictions.
Along with the reward funds is a new FBI webpage with a searchable database and interactive map that includes names and information posters of people who have gone missing or have been murdered in Indian Country.
Native communities face a disproportionate amount of violence, with a high number of cases going unsolved, which experts say is a result of inadequate public safety resources, jurisdictional confusion and federal apathy.
According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, there are 4,200 unsolved violent cases in Indian Country, but advocates say that the actual number is likely much higher. In 2023, homicide was the fourth leading cause of death among Native men, and the sixth leading cause of death among Native women.
Cases receiving the reward money include: Angel Beach, Sa’wade Birdinground, Maleeka “Mollie” Boone, Logan Warrior Goings, Mary Johnson (Davis), and Emily Pike.
The six cases were designated in close collaboration with on-the-ground investigators working the cases, FBI Violent Crimes Section Chief Michael Peasley told Native News Online.
“They believe it [the reward] will nudge them in the right direction to have exposure to the public and get tips,” Peasley said.
Not every case benefits from reward money, Peasley said. Investigators might want to keep information about the investigation, including how close they are to solving it, out of the public eye, or an influx of tips may derail efforts to pursue solid leads.
“At the end of the day, it is up to the individual agent in the field who has the case to determine would a tip, would additional public knowledge of this case assist me in bringing the case to closure, and so I think it’s important for families to understand that just because their family member does not appear on this list does not mean that it’s not getting attention,” Peasley said.
Peasley notes the FBI is encouraging people to avoid flooding tip lines with rumors and instead submit only information they know firsthand.
“We hope that at least some of these cases, somebody is nudged in the right direction to just step forward and give us that information,” Peasley said.
