Southwest
Third teen death in national forest raises alarm as two high schoolers found shot during camping trip
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
High school students Pandora Kjolsrud and Evan Clark were found dead in a remote area of Arizona on May 27, marking the second and third teenagers found dead in Tonto National Forest since February.
Kjolsrud, 18, and Clark, 17, were both found shot to death on May 27 near Mount Ord in the Tonto National Forest, north of Mesa, Arizona. A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital that the deaths are being investigated as homicides.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said it’s “actively” investigating the deaths, but didn’t release additional details. According to Fox 10, the Arcadia High School students were on a camping trip when they were found shot to death.
The remains of Emily Pike, 14, were found on Feb. 14 in Tonto National Park, 19 miles north of Globe, Arizona. She went missing from a group home in January, according to Fox 10, which reported her death was treated as a homicide. Her body was found dismembered more than 70 miles away from the group home she was reported missing from.
ARIZONA PASTOR FOUND DEAD WITH HANDS PINNED TO WALL IN HOMICIDE AT HOME
18-year-old Pandora Kjolsrud and 17-year-old Evan Clark were found dead inside Tonto National Forest. (GoFundMe)
No arrests have been made in connection with Pike’s death. The FBI and several local law enforcement agencies are investigating her death.
There has not been any connection made between the two cases, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
A GoFundme for Kjolsrud’s family says the 18-year-old “had a vivacious personality with an infectious smile that brought joy to so many.”
3 ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH DEATH OF PIMA COUNTY GOOD SAMARITAN
Emily Pike went missing in January. (FBI)
“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,” the GoFundme stated.
In a message attached to a fundraiser, Sandra Malibu Sweeney, Clark’s mother, said that he “wasn’t a typical teenager.”
“He was funny, bright, kind and entrepreneurial. He was 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.”
A community member who spoke with Fox 10 said she wants answers about Kjolsrud and Clark’s deaths.
Pandora Kjolsrud was 18 years old. (GoFundMe)
“It’s really scary that it’s just so close to home and then their family. That’s the next thing you think about. It’s like, what are they going through? What happened to them? Are they going to get answers?” one community member said.
Read the full article from Here
A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
-
A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
Los Angeles, Ca
Boyle Heights warehouse cleanup begins as crews face 85 million pounds of spoiled food
Cleanup efforts are underway Thursday at the Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse that burned for eight days after firefighters officially declared the massive blaze knocked down Wednesday evening. Los Angeles Fire Department crews remain at the Lineage warehouse near Union Pacific Avenue and South La Puente Street as they transition into the overhaul phase, searching for […]
-
Virginia14 seconds agoVirginia Cannabis: Will Retail Finally Start In 2027?
-
Washington6 minutes agoTouring Trump’s Washington: How the president is putting his imprint on the nation’s capital
-
Wisconsin13 minutes agoNorthwest Wisconsin Highway Construction Update – Jun. 26, 2026
-
West Virginia16 minutes agoWest Virginia AD: McAfee’s Value to School ‘Maybe Eight Figures’
-
Wyoming21 minutes agoPoliticians mull action as details of alleged abuse, falsified records at Wyoming Boys’ School become public
-
Crypto28 minutes agoCLARITY Act Needs 60 Votes and 7 Democrats as GOP Races the August Recess Clock
-
Finance31 minutes agoS&P Global improves outlook on city of Houston’s finances | Houston Public Media
-
Fitness36 minutes agoCan VR Fitness Replace Traditional Exercise? – TechRound
