Almost a year after the tragic deaths of two teenagers during a hiking trip in Arizona, grim new insights have emerged from a largely censored medical examiner’s report.
Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17, were found dead on May 27 of last year, victims of a violent crime in the secluded Tonto National Forest.
Their deaths have been confirmed as homicides.
Recently unveiled documents from the Maricopa Medical Examiner’s Office indicate that Kjolsrud suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head and upper body, according to a report by AZ Family.
Clark also sustained several gunshot wounds to the head, as stated in the same report.
The details remain sparse as the report is heavily redacted, with only a single page released to the media following a judge’s order to keep much of the information sealed for privacy and ongoing investigation reasons, as noted by AZ Family.
Thomas Brown, 31, was arrested in October and accused of the murders of Kjolsrud and Clark. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty.
The military veteran was allegedly camping with his wife in the area before she left a day early. Brown had gone to police with tips and drone footage from the extra day he was alone.
Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17, were found dead on May 27 last year after they were murdered in a remote hiking spot in the Tonto National Forest
Clark was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head, while Kjolsrud sustained gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. Both of their deaths were ruled as homicide
Thomas Brown, seen with his wife, 31, was arrested in October and accused of the murders of Kjolsrud and Clark. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty
It remains unclear why Brown’s wife allegedly left the camping trip early without him.
On May 29, the suspected killer directly addressed the murders of Clark and Kjolsrud, sharing a link to a local news article and writing, ‘Nicole, Snoopy, and I were there days before. Terrible news, especially with the last days of school just prior.’
Four months later, he was arrested on suspicion of their murders.
The 31-year-old told investigators he had seen the two victims inside their car on the day of the murders.
Tips also came in to law enforcement from another group of campers who said they had encountered a man ‘acting strange’ in the area.
With suspicion mounting over his possible involvement, Brown was ultimately tied to the murders when his DNA was found in the victims’ SUV, according to court records.
Officials followed drag marks and found the teens bodies around a mile and a half from their car, where a bloody pillowcase was found inside, AZ Family reported.
A pair of gloves found near the scene was also found to contain DNA belonging to Brown, Kjolsrud, and Clark, as well as the victims’ blood, court records show.
Kjolsrud and Clark – who both attended Arcadia High School in Phoenix – had decided to go on a camping trip together over the Memorial Day weekend to ‘celebrate the start of summer vacation’
Officials followed drag marks and found the teens bodies around a mile and a half from their car, where a bloody pillowcase was found inside
Brown said in an interview with officials that he ran into a ‘younger male and female,’ with descriptions that matched the teens.
He claimed to have never had ‘physical contact’ with the two, but had gone through their belongings at the campsite before putting their things back, ABC 15 reported.
Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan called the murders a ‘senseless violent act’ and said the remote location and terrain of the crime scene had slowed the investigation.
The suspect is also believed to have acted alone, with officials assuring the community there is no ongoing danger.
Footage posted online by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office shows Brown’s vacant expression as he was perp-walked into the precinct.
Dressed in a khaki t-shirt, shorts and camo-patterned crocs, Brown was led from a car and into the building by two law enforcement officers in handcuffs.
After being processed, he was placed in a cell, staring ahead expressionless and sitting with his back straight and hands carefully placed on his knees as the door was shut, locking him inside.
Brown’s arrest brought an end to the victims’ families’ months-long agony.
Brown was seen sitting expressionless in a cell following his arrest for the teens’ murders
Brown was arrested in October on first-degree murder charges
Pandora Kjolsrud’s mother choked back tears as she spoke at a press conference in October
Kjolsrud and Clark – who both attended Arcadia High School in Phoenix – had decided to go on a camping trip together over the Memorial Day weekend to ‘celebrate the start of summer vacation,’ Simone previously told AZCentral.
Clark’s mother Sandra Malibu Sweeney told the outlet she had been wary about the trip because it meant the teens would be off grid.
Her worst fears became a reality when the pair failed to return home as planned on May 26.
Simone contacted law enforcement and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies searched the campsite just off State Route 87 near Mount Ord, finding the bodies of the two teens.
It is unclear if the victims were friends or romantically involved.
In a statement to 12News, Clark’s mom said the arrest finally gave her the ‘closure I desperately needed.’
‘The past four months, I’ve been haunted every night by the murder of my son. I hope now that they have someone in custody, everyone can sleep safe knowing this person can’t harm anyone else,’ she said.
Meanwhile, Simone vowed that her daughter’s ‘light and love and beauty’ would not be overshadowed by her killer’s actions.
‘The darkness she encountered on that day that she met her killer will not her life… is darkness will not overcome her light,’ she said.
‘My daughter Pandora was a beautiful, brilliant light in this world. She was so full of joy and life and love.’
