What started as a carefree Memorial Day weekend camping trip turned into heartbreak for two Arizona teens and their families.
Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17—high school sweethearts from Arcadia High School—set off on May 25 to celebrate the end of their junior year with a camping trip in Tonto National Forest. Two days later, on May 27, they were found dead from gunshot wounds near Mount Ord, a remote part of the forest. Authorities suspect foul play and are investigating their deaths as homicides.
The teens were reported missing after their families couldn’t reach them. Evan’s mother, Sandra Sweeney, drove up to the mountain herself, desperate for answers. But it was sheriff’s deputies who made the tragic discovery near their secluded campsite.
No arrests have been made, and investigators have shared few details. The pain of not knowing who is responsible has only deepened the grief.
Loved ones remember Evan as a kind, wise-beyond-his-years son who wrote heartfelt letters—one just given to his mom on Mother’s Day. Pandora, they say, lit up every room she entered and had a deep love for animals and people alike.
The loss has rocked their school and community, leaving friends mourning online and sharing memories of two bright lives taken far too soon.
As questions remain, families and friends now hold onto their memories—and hope for answers and justice.
