Nearly a year has passed since the remains of 16-year-old White Mountain Apache teen Challistia Lulani “Tia” Colelay were found in Knots Landing in Whiteriver. Authorities ruled her death a homicide, but the case remains unsolved, with no arrests made.
In November, her community will hold a memorial dinner and walk to honor Colelay's memory. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in her case.
"She had her whole life ahead of her, but she became one more victim of the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis before she even had the chance to graduate high school," said Amber Rabon-Luna in a GoFundMe started to help with costs for the event. "As is often
the case with MMIP victims, a year has passed and there has been no arrest. No one has been held accountable for her murder. This is the MMIP crisis."
In Apache culture, Rabon-Luma said, a memorial dinner is a “spiritual necessity.” It is a time to feed and honor the family and those who helped with Colelay’s three-day burial process, while affirming that her life mattered. The community hopes to raise funds to help cover the cost of the memorial dinner and encourage as many people as possible to participate in the walk honoring Colelay in November.
"The more people we can feed, the more people we can bring to the walk, the more the media will care, and the more law enforcement will work to get justice for her," said Rabon-Luma. "Do for this child and her family what you would want someone to do for your child or for you."
BIA points to Biden for case backlog
As family members mourn Colelay, two new reports cast light on federal efforts to address the MMIP crisis. A recent audit report by the U.S. Interior Department's Office of Inspector General found a backlog within the BIA's Missing and Murdered Unit.
Five years after the BIA's Missing and Murdered Unit was established, referred cases remain unresolved and pending. Persistent challenges, including overwhelming workloads, a lack of established timelines for case assessments and staffing shortages, continue to contribute to the backlog.
In November 2024, the unit had 83 open cases and 394 pending referrals. Of those, 284 referrals, or 72%, were received between 2020 and 2023, with the remaining 110 received in 2024. The BIA estimates approximately 4,200 missing and murdered Indigenous cases remain unsolved, often due to limited investigative resources.
Ongoing staffing shortages hindered the unit's ability to fulfill its mission, the audit found, while agents also failed to consistently contact victim specialists as required by its own procedures. The BIA insisted past leadership was to blame.
"Under President Trump’s leadership, Indian Affairs is taking concrete steps to strengthen the MMU, restore accountability, and ensure that cases receive the attention and investigative support they require," the BIA said after the audit report was published.
The BIA also said that deficiencies identified in the audit reflect operations and management decisions from 2021-2024, under former President Joe Biden's administration, and were inconsistent with the objectives and protocols developed through Operation Lady Justice and when the Missing and Murdered initiative was initially developed.
"Most of the OIG’s recommendations have already been implemented," the BIA said. "We are improving case intake and accountability, reinforcing investigative protocols, strengthening partnerships with tribal, federal, and state law enforcement agencies, implementing advanced AI technology and ensuring that MMU resources are directed toward its core public-safety mission."
FBI reports 'Operation Not Forgotten' progress
Two months after Colelay’s remains were found, 8-year-old Maleeka “Mollie” Boone, a Navajo girl, was found dead in the Navajo community of Coalmine Canyon, one day after a Turquoise Alert was issued for her on Jan. 16.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Boone’s death. Announced in August, the FBI’s “Voices Not Forgotten” initiative establishes rewards of up to $25,000 for publicly advertised homicide, kidnapping, and missing-person cases in Indian Country under FBI jurisdiction.
Boone and San Carlos Apache 14-year-old girl Emily Pike, whose remains were recovered Feb. 13, 2025, by Gila County sheriff’s deputies near Forest Road 355 on state land near the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, is among six cases highlighted as part of the initiative.
While the homicides of Colelay, Boone, and Pike remain unsolved, the Department of Justice and the FBI have released results from the 2026 Operation Not Forgotten personnel surge, which targeted unresolved cases in Indian Country, prioritizing violence against women and children, including missing and murdered individuals.Operation Not Forgotten, which assigns FBI personnel to key offices serving Native communities, was started in 2023 as part of the government’s Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, also known as Operation Lady Justice. The task force was established by an executive order in 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term.
In its fourth year, Operation Not Forgotten surged personnel and investigative resources across the country from April 1 through Sept. 30, resulting in 118 arrests, 41 individuals charged federally, 25 child victims identified or located, and 72 weapons recovered. FBI agents conducted 990 interviews and 232 search operations. Arrests increased by 123% and subjects charged by 52% over 2025.
“The Department of Justice will always work to deliver justice for the victims of violent crime in Indian country,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, our U.S. Attorneys, and other federal and tribal partners, Operation Not Forgotten and Operation Steadfast Promise are helping make communities safer and providing comfort for victims and families.”
In the District of Arizona, at least four cases were filed, including two violent assaults, an arson, and the aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under 12, all of which occurred on the Navajo Nation, as well as an additional assault that was committed on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
Arlyssa D. Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: FBI touts arrests in Arizona with push to solve missing persons cases
