More than four months after Evan Clark, 17, and Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, were discovered dead at a campground northeast of Phoenix, an arrest has been made in the case.

The bodies of the teens were found with gunshot wounds just off of State Route 87 near Mount Ord on May 27 following a report of overdue campers on May 26. The tragic and horrific situation prompted quite a bit of concern among the local outdoor recreation community, with a killer believed to be on the loose.

The two victims had reportedly taken the camping trip to celebrate the start of summer vacation, less than an hour away from home.

On October 2, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office announced that 31-year-old Thomas Brown of Chandler, Arizona had been arrested in connection with the investigation.

In an October 3 press conference hosted by the sheriff’s office, difficulties posed by the remote location of the crime scene were noted, contributing to the long amount of time it took to make an arrest.

Information released in the press conference was limited given the ongoing nature of the investigation, but some details were addressed.

One detail that was noted was that a tip came in about suspect Thomas Brown camping on Mount Ord around the time the crimes took place. Another tip came from a group of campers who left the area on May 26, claiming to have encountered someone who was acting strangely. The account from the campers aided in law enforcement finding additional evidence related to the case.

Law enforcement also addressed an interview with suspect Brown in which he told authorities he was camping on Mount Ord from May 23 to May 26 with his wife, with his wife leaving on the morning of May 25. He is also said to have stated that he encountered a male and female in a vehicle matching the description of the victim’s car.

Law enforcement concluded that Brown made false statements about his involvement in the case based on a comparison of his account and evidence at the scene. FOX 10 Phoenix reports that DNA evidence found on a pair of bloody gloves inside the teen’s vehicle ultimately led to the arrest.

FOX 10 also reports that Brown became a person of interest early on in the investigation after making social media posts about camping in the area. Brown is also said to have given drone footage from his camping trip to authorities saying that he was “helping” them with the case.

Brown has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is being held on a $2 million cash-only bond.

Brown is former military and reportedly self-employed in the 3D-printing industry.

FOX 10 reports that the attack is believed to be random and that Brown is believed to have acted alone.

Condolences go out to those impacted by the deaths of Evan Clark and Pandora Kjolsrud.

All charges are merely accusations and all suspects are to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.