PHOENIX — A medical examiner has released reports showing that two teenagers who were killed on Mt. Ord last year suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
On May 27, 2025, deputies with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office were called to a remote camping area of Mount Ord, located off State Route 87, northeast of the Valley and south of Payson. Two teens were found dead at the scene.
See ABC15's previous coverage of this case in the video player above.
The teens were later identified as 18-year-old Pandora Kjolsrud and 17-year-old Evan Clark, who both attended Arcadia High School in Phoenix.
According to a report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner obtained on Tuesday, Kjolsrud’s death was a homicide, caused by gunshot wounds to her head and upper extremity.
Clark’s medical examiner report, which was also released Tuesday, showed that his death was also a homicide, caused by gunshot wounds to his head.
The man suspected of murdering the teens pleaded not guilty.
Suspect Thomas Brown, 31, entered a not guilty plea in front of a judge last year. He was indicted by a Grand Jury for two counts of first-degree murder.
According to court 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.”
According to court paperwork, Brown's DNA was allegedly found inside the victim's vehicle and in gloves found at the crime scene. 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.
At a previous news conference, 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.
