Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act

Photo of woman and girl. Image of Pamela Foster with Ashlynne Mike. — *The author, Pamela Foster, with her daughter, Ashlynne Mike (2004-2016)*

November 13, 2025: Today we celebrate our beautiful Ashlynne on what would have been her 21st birthday. So many milestones have come and gone, and though we’ve marked each one, they’ve never felt complete without her.

Ashlynne was an achiever—bright, determined, and full of promise. I often find myself wondering what incredible things she would have accomplished by now. My sweet girl continues to grow in spirit, even if she can’t be here to share in all that life has brought since she left us.

Her favorite food was spaghetti, so today our family gathers to share a meal, to play her favorite music, and to celebrate the joy she brought into every life she touched. I imagine her energy dancing around us, light and free, mingling with laughter, song, and memory. I feel her with me in every butterfly, dragonfly, and hummingbird that crosses my path. She gave so much of herself to this world, and though unseen, she has never truly left us.

Ashlynne is our angel, always watching over us—a loving soul who knew only how to love others. When she left us so suddenly, our hearts broke open. But from that heartbreak came purpose. I have carried her spirit with me as I’ve worked to bring about change, to protect others as she would have done. I believe she guided us, pulling the strings from above, helping to pass a law—the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018—to protect our Indigenous children. I am endlessly proud of her. Not a day passes that I don’t tell her, “I love you.”

Today, as we remember Ashlynne, we’ll laugh and cry and laugh again, letting the tears fall where they need to. Her light continues to shine through us all—in love, in hope, and in every beautiful memory she left behind.

✨Happy heavenly 21st birthday, my sweet Ashlynne. You are forever loved, forever missed, and forever ours. 💖🦋

Pamela Foster

The Missing & Murdered Diné Relatives (MMDR) Task Force continues to ramp up training initiatives as part of its strategy to combat the crisis of missing and murdered people across Navajo Nation. The Arizona group recently met with representatives of AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC), part of the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP), to review updates and information about the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act. It also learned more about AATTAP’s Child Abduction Tabletop Exercise (CATE), a tool that helps communities strengthen emergency response capabilities. MMDR Task Force Chair Amber Kanazbah Crotty called the presentation “a commitment to action, to justice, and to protecting our children and families.” The task force is collaborating with AIIC to schedule a series of training sessions to help Tribal law enforcement officials, educators, and community members be better prepared in cases of missing Indigenous children. It plans to integrate AIIC training programs into its regular meetings.

A Gifted Moment
Knowing that Pamela Foster’s daughter, Ashlynne Mike, loved butterflies, NCJTC Director/AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen presented Foster with a sterling silver necklace featuring a butterfly with Ashlynne’s name intricately cut into its wings. The necklace was crafted by AATTAP/AIIC Project Coordinator Alica Murphy Wildcatt, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The moment brought Foster to tears. “I will treasure this,” she said. “Thank you for always remembering Ashlynne.”

Ashlynne Mike’s mother, Pamela Foster, center, is shown with U.S. Representative Andy Biggs and Janell Rasmussen, NCJTC Director/AATTAP Administrator. “Pamela is a tremendous voice—a tremendous advocate for children,” Biggs said.

By Denise Gee Peacock

Throughout the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium, Indian Country discussions primarily centered on the need for training, technology, and collaboration

One workshop led by the Phoenix-area Gila River Police Department (GRPD) focused on a child abduction case in 2024, which occurred shortly after the GRPD had its first AMBER Alert in Indian Country implementation meeting and child abduction tabletop exercise (CATE).

Thanks to the scenario-based primer, following the missing child report, the GRPD was immediately able to activate resources, connect with partnering law enforcement agencies, and coordinate the successful response.

Pamela Foster served as keynote speaker. Her daughter, Ashlynne Mike, was abducted and murdered on the Navajo Nation reservation in 2016. In introducing Foster to attendees, Congressman Biggs said, “Not long after arriving in D.C., I met with her and learned of her tragedy. We decided to work together and try to turn her loss into something positive, something that addressed the specific needs of Tribal communities.”

Working with Foster, and U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona, Biggs helped champion passage of the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018, which provides training and tools for Tribes to best respond if a child goes missing. Find an excerpt of Foster’s message to attendees here.

Pamela Foster’s powerful presentation is excerpted here.

You are all advocates, protectors, and innovators. And we are here to work on behalf of two beautiful little girls who tragically lost their lives: my daughter, 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike, and 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, namesake of the AMBER Alert program.

In the wake of my daughter’s abduction and murder in 2016, I found out that our Navajo Nation, and other Tribes across the country, did not have the most recognized public safety tool, the AMBER Alert—the cornerstone of communication to protect our children. Thus, the resources needed to quickly search for Ashlynne were unavailable. That was tragic.

Statistics show that Indian country experiences a disproportionately high rate of violent crime. That should cause an overwhelming amount of concern.

We are accountable to our communities to find solutions to improve public safety. This is why I lobbied for passage of Ashlynne’s Law [the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act], which helps provide training and tools for Tribes to quickly respond should a child go missing.

We need law enforcement on Tribal land to share information with outside agencies so they can quickly apprehend criminals. Every child has the right to feel safe and live life to its fullest, and my fight is based on what I have experienced as a mother and a parent. I don’t ever want what happened to me to happen to another person.

Indian Country needs AMBER Alert.

By Jody Garlock

Red Lake, Minnesota, set on the idyllic shores of one the state’s largest lakes, is typically a tranquil community. But on March 15, 2024, it bore witness to an unfathomable chain of events. The sirens of fire trucks and police cars echoed throughout the Red Lake Nation’s towering pine and birch trees as first responders raced toward a one-story home from which smoke was billowing.

Tragically, emergency responders found two young boys with knife wounds inside the house; both boys died. The area was a crime scene, and agents from the FBI and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) were among those who joined the investigation.

Red Lake Police authorities would also soon learn that a third child lived at the house. Three-year-old Ethan Stately, authorities realized, was missing and feared to be in danger, taken by his mother (who also was the mother of the two other boys).

Although the Red Lake Department of Public Safety had never before initiated an AMBER Alert, Department Director Kendall Kingbird Sr. and Lieutenant Geoff Pierre sensed how dire the situation was. “We had to get it solved and find our missing boy and mother,” Kingbird says. “And we needed to do that as soon as possible.” The AMBER Alert that followed would be the first one issued for any Minnesota Tribe.

Photos of Ricky Wuori and Janell Twardowski with the Minnesota BCA as well as the AMBER Alert poster for Ethan Stately. — “With this AMBER Alert, we hit all the components,” says Minnesota AMBER Alert Coordinator Janell Twardowski (right), who worked on the case with BCA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ricky Wuori (left) and others.

The case’s participating law enforcement agencies consider the collaboration a textbook example of an AMBER Alert response. From the beginning, state, Tribal, and federal partners coordinated efforts and shared information. The FBI immediately partnered with the Red Lake public safety department and BCA—responsible for issuing AMBER Alerts in Minnesota—and avoided communication silos to ensure resources were aligned and deployed. And the on-site presence of BCA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ricky Wuori, alongside FBI agents and Red Lake officers, facilitated rapid decision- making and an efficient, unified response.

The AMBER Alert itself solidly met all of the criteria. There was an abundance of information: the mother’s and child’s photos, a picture of the vehicle, the complete license plate number, and a distinctive Red Lake Nation tag. The alert also provided enough descriptive information to prompt a motorist who had seen the AMBER Alert to call authorities. “He spotted the vehicle, confirmed the license plate, and called 911,” says Janell Twardowski, AMBER Alert Coordinator (AAC) with the BCA’s Operations Center. “With any AMBER Alert, we’re relying on the public to respond, and that’s exactly what happened in this case.”

Less than two hours after the statewide AMBER Alert was issued around 9 p.m., authorities acting on the motorist’s tip pulled over the mother’s vehicle on a Minnesota highway. The toddler was safe inside, but showed signs of neglect. The mother, Jennifer Stately, was arrested and has since been federally charged with various counts of murder, arson, and child neglect. (An indictment alleges that Stately fatally stabbed one of her boys and slashed the other before setting the house on fire and fleeing with Ethan. She has filed an insanity defense.)

The Red Lake Nation, one of the state’s 11 federally recognized Tribes, has full sovereignty, subject only to the federal government. (It’s one of two Minnesota Tribes exempt from Public Law 280; therefore state courts/government have no jurisdiction.)

The fact that Kingbird and Pierre made the swift decision to initiate the department’s first-ever AMBER Alert stems in part from a trusted relationship with Wuori, who works out of the BCA’s regional office in Bemidji. “They have assisted us with a lot,” Kingbird says.

Wuori credits ongoing communication as key to building trust between agencies. “When you have a good relationship, it’s easier to get things moving,” he says. “It’s constant communication—stopping in and checking on everybody from time to time, not just when you need something.” Tribal investigators regularly meet with BCA agents, and BCA has held training specific to AMBER Alerts. Additionally, over the years, Minnesota’s Tribal communities have received ongoing training and support from the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) and its AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and supported by the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act.

As Minnesota’s AAC, Twardowski points to similar relationship-building needed to ensure an AMBER Alert reaches as many people as possible. She credits the state’s media with timely stories and the state’s transportation department with posting roadside alert messages. “As an agency, we are committed to leveraging our partnerships to reach as many Minnesotans as possible,” she says.

In the aftermath of the incident, an outpouring of emotion filled the Red Lake community. A walk of remembrance and candlelight vigil were held to honor the 5- and 6-year-old brothers who died. Yet despite the profound grief, displays of hope and strength emerged. “We’re a tight-knitcommunity,” Kingbird says. For him, the tragedy instilled confidence in the AMBER Alert process. “We couldn’t have asked for a quicker response and a better outcome,” he says. “We’re glad the child was located, and it wouldn’t have been possible without an AMBER Alert.”

On January 31, 2020, AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program and AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AATTAP-AIIC) team members Tyesha Wood and Tanea Parmenter attended the quarterly meeting of the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada (ITCN) in Sparks, Nevada. During this meeting, they provided a brief presentation on the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018 and the ongoing efforts by AATTAP-AIIC to support its implementation.

The ITCN is comprised of members from the 27 Tribes in Nevada. The purpose of the Council is to promote opportunities for the Tribes and to assist with the Tribe’s partnerships with local and state organizations. AATTAP–AIIC staff will continue to collaborate with the ITCN council members and assist Tribes in developing programs that protect children and support the work being done with missing and exploited children programs in their communities.

Pamela Foster, the mother of Ashlynne Mike, an 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in the Navajo Nation, challenged Tribal, federal, state and local officials to do more to protect and find missing and abducted Native American Children. Foster was one of the featured speakers at the National AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium, held July 30-August 1, 2019, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The symposium brought together more than 200 Tribal leaders, public safety, and emergency management officers to focus on implementing the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018, a law providing funding and resources to integrate state and regional AMBER Alert Plans with federally recognized Tribes.

The 2019 National AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium will focus on the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act to support states and tribes in work to integrate AMBER Alert plans. The symposium, to be held July 30-August 1, 2019, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will include tribal public safety and emergency management leaders, state AMBER Alert coordinators and federal officials.

The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) is responsible for implementing the 2018 legislation. The act requires AATTAP to provide resources and policies to develop AMBER Alert plans in tribal communities. At this year's symposium, participants will: learn about the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018; discuss methods for improving the process of integration between state or regional AMBER Alert communication plans with federally recognized tribes from across the nation; examine current resources, tools, and technologies to enhance the AMBER Alert network within Indian Country; and increase collaboration with OJJDP, NCMEC, AATTAP, state AMBER Alert coordinators and other federal and state officials.

America has lost a hero and servant of the people with the passing of Senator John McCain of Arizona. Senator McCain exemplified all that is best about our country and made his life one of service to others. Senator McCain introduced what is now the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018 after the abduction and murder of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike of the Navajo Nation. While this is only one example of his leadership, we can hope to honor his legacy by the work we do to protect children and to be better servants of the communities we serve.

With deepest respect,

Jim Walters
Administrator, AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program
National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College

President Donald J. Trump signed into law a bill on April 13, 2018, that expands the AMBER Alert system to Tribal communities. The passage of this legislation comes nearly two years after 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike was sexually assaulted and murdered on the Navajo Nation reservation in New Mexico. The Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act gives tribes direct access to federal grants to improve AMBER Alert systems and provide additional training and technical assistance.

“This new law makes critical resources available to protect American Indian children and, we hope, will spare others the loss and suffering endured by Ashlynne's family,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio.

Friends and family of Ashlynne Mike gathered in Waterflow, New Mexico, the day after the act was signed. Hundreds of people participated in a 5K run, bike race and a visit to Ashlynne's school for presentations on safety awareness. “It is wonderful to have this AMBER Alert available to all the Native nations across the United States,” said Gary Mike, Ashlynne's father. “But it is also bitter in knowing it had to come in our lives; to have something like this happen to our child to open the eyes of people.”

Federal lawmakers are considering the “AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2017.” The act would make Tribes eligible for Department of Justice grants for developing and implementing AMBER Alert communication plans on Tribal lands. The bipartisan legislation is in response to the 2016 fatal abduction of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike on the Navajo Nation. The case raised questions about gaps in communication and coordination between Tribal and local law enforcement. The standing legislative committee of the Navajo Nation voted in July to support the measure.