Arcadia High School students killed: Suspect arrested 4 months after their deaths

MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. – A suspect has been arrested in connection to the deaths of two Arcadia High School students back in May.

What we know:

Thomas Brown, 31, was arrested more than four months after the deaths of 18-year-old Pandora Kjolsrud and 17-year-old Evan Clark, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office announced on Oct. 2.

Their bodies were found in the Mount Ord area of the Tonto National Forest. They both had gunshot wounds.

The sheriff’s office released limited details on this case so far, and at the time of the deaths, MCSO Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez said, the “circumstances surrounding their deaths are being treated as suspicious.”

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office website says he’s accused of first-degree premeditated murder.

The sheriff’s office released a video of Brown being booked into jail. It shows him getting out of a sheriff’s office SUV, getting a pat down, going through a body scanner, getting his mug shot taken, and then being put into a cell.

What they’re saying:

Brown made his initial court appearance on Thursday night, where an attorney called some of the evidence in the case into question.

“The case does involve, Your Honor, as you’re aware, the form 4 – the murder of two teenagers who were camping. Both of these victims were shot multiple times. Both of the victims were moved, concealed in the brush, as you know, in the form 4. Brown’s DNA was found in the SUV. Brown’s DNA was found inside the gloves, with the blood on the outside,” the attorney said.

The attorney also noted that Brown is a military veteran with no prior criminal history. His bond was set at $2 million.

What’s next:

Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan is holding a press conference on Friday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m. to address this case.

Map of the area where the victims were found

Crime and Public SafetyMaricopa CountyNews