Alleged killer of 2 teens offered information to investigators

Suspect offered false information to detectives before arrest in murder of 2 teens

31-year-old Thomas Brown was arrested Oct. 2 in a shocking twist in the murder investigations of two high schoolers. Maricopa County investigators said they first knew of him after the Chandler man reached out offering to help.

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Thomas Brown is accused of killing 18-year-old Pandora Kjolsurd and 17-year-old Evan Clark in May. But he was a suspect from the start.

What we know:

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said 31-year-old Brown allegedly contacted officers shortly after the two teens were found shot to death in the Tonto National Forest.

However, investigators first knew of him after the Chandler man reached out, offering to help with the case.

What they're saying:

"It's that narcissistic, power hungry attitude," said retired FBI Special Agent Lance Leising.

He reportedly offered up drone footage he had taken of the area the same weekend of the murders and went as far as to describe an encounter with two young people in a vehicle that matched the description of the one Pandora and Evan were driving.

Leising said that despite what may be seen on crime dramas, homicide suspects don't normally insert themselves into investigations.

"So when it does happen, it's really interesting because you get into the mind of a killer. You see what's driving that individual and you don't see it often, it's pretty rare, but it happens enough that when you're an investigator investigating a crime such as an arson or a serial killer type investigation, those are the ones where you're looking around at the people at the scene and you're interviewing everybody there that stays at the scene and you're looking for those that their statements just don't match the physical evidence. Often, that's really where you find your suspects."

Dig deeper:

Court documents show Brown was quick to offer investigators drone footage he had shot that Memorial Day weekend. He went as far as to tell investigators he encountered a young male and female in an SUV matching one belonging to 17-year-old Evan Clark.

Since investigators called the murders random, Leising says Brown was likely fueling his ego by reaching out to MCSO and talking to the media.

"It’s, 'Hey, I’ve committed the perfect crime, I know it’s right, and I wanna feel more powerful by seeing all the chaos I’ve caused and investigators aren’t able to solve this and I wanna feel that,'" Leising said. "It’s almost a real rush for these individuals, they’re reliving this experience, they’re part of it, they’re in the moment, and they’re thinking, 'Hey, I’m smarter than everybody else here, nobody’s gonna be able to prove this.'"

Documents show that when detectives interviewed Brown, he denied touching the teens or entering their vehicle. But investigators say his DNA told a different story. Forensic clues were found on the two bodies, bloodied gloves, and also inside Clark's vehicle. 

That DNA was later linked to the scene, and he was arrested on Oct. 2.

Leising said this reported level of narcissism points to a very dangerous person.

"The fact that he’s showing some of these behaviors, staying at the scene, investigators are going to have to dig to see if he’s been involved in anything else," Leising said.

What's next:

Brown's attorney pointed out in his initial appearance that Brown has no prior criminal history. His bail is set at $2 million.