PHOENIX, AZ — Evan Clark should have graduated from Arcadia High School. Instead, his family accepted an honorary diploma from the school on his behalf, one year after his killing.
Clark was 17 when he and 18-year-old Pandora Kjolsrud, another Arcadia High student, were shot and killed while camping at Mt. Ord.
Friends wanted to memorialize the pair in their senior year traditions, telling ABC15 at the beginning of the school year that their absence is painful.
The teens were honored during the graduation ceremony on May 21, with their photos placed on a chair alongside a cap and gown.
The man accused of killing them, Thomas Brown, pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. In March, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said prosecutors were not seeking the death penalty against Brown.
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.
See more of ABC15's coverage of this case in the video player above.
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.
