By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office officials announced late last week that detectives have taken a 31-year-old Chandler man into custody and charged him with murdering two Valley teens.

Thomas Brown has been arrested and charged with killing Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17, in late May in the Mount Ord area.

Capt. Bill Lee of the Sheriff’s Office, speaking at an Oct. 3 news conference, said the case can be traced to a call to the Gila County Sheriff’s Office about an “overdue party,” meaning Kjolsrud and Clark hadn’t returned from a popular Mount Ord camping area when expected.

Lee explained the chain of events in the initial investigation in which a Gila County deputy found Clark’s vehicle with what Lee called “suspicious observations regarding that car.”

Deputies made their way to a campground and discovered “evidence of someone or something” being dragged away from a campsite, soon discovering the deceased Clark and Kjolsrud.

The Gila / Maricopa county line runs right across the mountain, Lee said, so MCSO detectives took over the case.

The Sheriff’s Office received several useful tips from the public in the case, including one from Brown himself, who told police he’d been camping in the Mount Ord area at about the same time.

Detectives eventually spoke with Brown at length about his whereabouts, timing and events.  Tips from other campers about Brown’s “strange” behavior and other evidence pointed to Brown’s involvement, Lee said.

Lee said Brown told police he was camping with his wife until the morning of May 25, when she left, with Brown remaining on the mountain another 24 hours or so, until the morning of May 26.

Lee said Brown gave an accurate description of the victims and Clark’s vehicle and was asked about “various evidentiary items” from the scene. There was also considerable DNA evidence collected and “many people” were interviewed, Lee said.

“Based on the evidence, Mr. Brown provided false and misleading information about his involvement,” Lee said.

Brown was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on Oct. 2 on two counts of first-degree murder.

Lee thanked all the detectives, the FBI and others for their help in the investigation. He said he was purposely vague on some details.

“We are still pre-indictment,” Lee said. “I don’t want to negate all the hard work of detectives by sharing too much, too early.”

Lee said there’s nothing suggesting a prior connection between Brown and either Kjolsrud or Clark, nor did any of their own actions contribute to their deaths.

“They were, as far as we know, complete strangers to Mr. Brown,” Lee said.

Kjolsrud and Clark were about to begin their senior years at Arcadia High School. Kjolsrud’s mother, Simone, spoke at the Oct. 3 news conference as well, her voice breaking as she listed the many positive characteristics of her daughter.

“All of life’s beauty feels less bright without her here,” Simone Kjolsrud said. “But the killer’s darkness won’t overcome her light. My daughter’s life matters — and I look forward to the day the perpetrator is convicted and punished for his crimes.”

Lee took a few questions, including one about the manner of death, saying only that both victims were shot multiple times. He wouldn’t discuss motive, the type of gun or weapons used or the amount of knowledge Brown’s wife had of her husband’s actions.

Lee did say that Brown didn’t self-surrender, though didn’t say where he was arrested.

“We had to go get him,” Lee said.

Sheriff Jerry Sheridan started Friday’s news conference by pointing out the difficult nature of outdoor investigations in remote areas, far from the cameras and other technology used to track activity.

Sheridan spoke about the difficult, sometimes emotional work deputies and detectives must do in such a case, which he called a “senseless violent act — the murder of two teenagers while out camping.”

Jason W. Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@iniusa.org.  Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our  Civility Guidelines.

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.