PHOENIX — An arrest has been made in the shooting deaths of two Valley teens who were camping near Mt. Ord in late May, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
MCSO held a press conference announcing the arrest on Friday morning:
Thomas Brown, 31, is in custody in connection with the shootings. On October 14, Brown was indicted by a Grand Jury on two counts of first-degree murder.
MCSO deputies were originally called to the area in a remote part of northeast Maricopa County on May 27 regarding the deaths of the two teens.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner ruled their deaths as "homicides," and later, MCSO revealed the teens had died from gunshot wounds.
Both Evan Clark's mother and father opened up to ABC15 after their son's death. His dad called Evan "every parent's hope," and "he had a zest for life."
Hear from Evan's mother in the player below:
Kjolsrud's mother told ABC15 in May that Pandora was "a bright light in this world who loved every single person she met."
Her mother also spoke out at Friday's press conference about her daughter and the arrest of the suspected killer:
During an initial appearance late Thursday night, a Maricopa County judge set a $2 million cash-only bond for Brown.
According to police documents, officials received numerous tips about the murders, including a tip from Brown, who said he had been camping in the area at the time and had video from his personal drone that he flew on the mountain.
A group of campers also shared a tip saying they encountered a man who was “being strange." The man was driving a Blue Kia Rio, which detectives tracked as being registered to Brown.
Brown told officials during an interview that he was camping in the area with his wife from May 23-26, however, his wife left on May 25. He said after his wife left, he encountered a “younger male and female” whose descriptions and vehicle matched those of the victims.
Brown said he never had “physical contact” with the victims but said he rummaged through the pair’s items that he found at their campsite, and “put the items back and left them there.”
Police documents say Brown denied knowing why his DNA would have been found on any of the victims. Brown’s claims contradicted the findings from evidence, police say. According to court paperwork, Brown's DNA was allegedly found inside the victim's vehicle and in gloves found at the crime scene.
“I understand is mention of Mr. Brown’s DNA on certain items on scene," a legal representative said at an initial appearance before a judge. "He doesn’t deny in the probable cause statement he was there camping, he was there hiking, but importantly, there was little reference to where Mr. Brown’s DNA was not found."
At a press conference with officials on Friday, MCSO said they are unaware of a prior association or link between the victims and the suspect, and the motive remains unclear. The teens' actions or behavior are not believed to have been the reasons for their killings.
Brown served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and with the Arizona Army National Guard as a Staff Sergeant from October 2013 to December 2022, according to Army officials.
The deaths brought out more safety concerns from those in the area, including a father and his 12-year-old son who were shot at near Mt. Ord in 2022.
