A suspect has been busted more than four months after two teens were found g*nned down in a remote section of an Arizona national forest.

Thomas Brown, 31, was apprehended by law enforcement on Thursday on mu*der charges after a months-long homicide investigation into the deaths of Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17, in Tonto National Forest.

Authorities haven’t announced what led them to Brown but court records indicate his DNA was allegedly found in one of the victims’ SUV, as well as inside a pair of gloves with blood on them, 12News reported.

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Thomas Brown was apprehended in the homicide investigation of two Arizona teens found dead on May 27, 2025.Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office

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Pandora Kjolsruds was found sh*t to death in the Tonto National Forest in Maricopa County, Arizona, on May 27, 2025.GoFundMe

Evan Clark with his mom, Sandra Malibu Sweeney, before his death on May 26, 2025.GoFundMe
It was not clear what led cops to Brown, nor how he was linked to the case.

More details on the arrest and charges are set to be announced later Friday, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said.

It comes after Brown was recorded being escorted from a deputy’s cruiser into the sheriff’s office headquarters, where he was processed and placed in a holding cell.

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Thomas Brown sits inside a holding cell after being processed into jail by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 2, 2025.Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
The teen victims were friends who both attended Arcadia High School in Phoenix, approximately 64 miles southwest of the national forest.

They were found with fatal g*nsh*t wounds to the head near Mount Ordo on the morning of May 27.

Officials at the time described their deaths as suspicious as they opened up the homicide investigation.

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Brown is escorted inside by a sheriff’s deputy after his arrest on Oct. 2, 2025.Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
“At this time, the circumstances surrounding their deaths are being treated as suspicious,” Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez said, according to Fox 10 Phoenix.

Fundraisers were set up to help both teens’ families fund celebrations of life after they held private funerals.

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Kjolsrud was remembered for her “vivacious personality” and smile.GoFundMe
Kjolsrud was remembered for her “vivacious personality” and smile.

“She was a beautiful human being and a bright light in this world who loved every single person she met and had a unique ability to make every person feel special,” Kathryn Leonard said on GoFundMe. “The outdoors is where she truly felt at home. She loved camping, horseback riding, kayaking and hiking with friends and family.”

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The teens were discovered near Mount Ord off State Route 87.12 News
Kjolsrud’s mother, Simone Kjolsrud, said her heart was shattered into a million pieces after learning of her daughter’s death.

“Rest in peace my beautiful girl,” the grieving mother wrote on Facebook.

Clark’s mother, Sandra Malibu Sweeney, penned a touching tribute to her son on a separate GoFundMe.

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Kjolsrud and Clark were friends and attended Arcadia High School in Phoenix, approximately 64 miles southwest of the national forest.Google Maps
“Evan Clark was my only child and my beloved son. This last week Evan was taken from me, and my level of grief feels insurmountable. I find myself at a complete loss to imagine a life without him. It is a small comfort to share some things about this boy who was on his way to becoming a wonderful man,” Sweeney wrote.

The teens’ friends created a makeshift memorial near Mount Ord, where the two would go and watch the sunset.AZ FamilyWhat do you think? Sweeney described her son as an “old soul who was sensitive and loving.
“Evan wrote me letters, the last of which he gave me on Mother’s Day that was so touching it made me both laugh and cry. He was special. He deserved a long life,” she said.