Overview

• Maricopa County deputies arrested Thomas Brown, 31, and booked him on two counts of first-degree murder in the May deaths of Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17, near Mount Ord.
• Court filings say DNA linked Brown to the teens’ bodies, their SUV and bloodied gloves, which investigators say contradicts his claim that he had no physical interaction with them.
• A judge set a $2 million cash-only bond after prosecutors highlighted forensic results and public safety concerns; the defense cited Brown’s lack of criminal history and acknowledged he had contact with the teens.
• Investigators reported finding shell casings at the campsite, a bloody pillowcase inside the SUV, and the victims’ bodies concealed in brush about 1.5 miles from the vehicle.
• Detectives say Brown called the tip line offering drone footage and said he camped in the area, while other campers reported him as a “strange” man driving a blue Kia; his next court date is Oct. 8.