Mystery as 'beautiful' teen friends found dead in forest just days into holiday

Two teenagers were mysteriously found in a national forest just days into their summer this week.

The bodies of Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17, were discovered in the Tonto National Forest near Mount Ord in Arizona, US, on the morning of May 27. Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez from Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said are treating their deaths as "suspicious" and an investigation is ongoing.

The suffered fatal gunshot wounds and their deaths - dated May 26 - are listed as homicides. No suspect information has been released as of yet. Pandora and Evan were friends and attended Arcadia High School in Phoenix, which is located around 64 miles from the forest where they were found dead.

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Friends of the two victims have created a memorial near Mount Ord, where they would watch the sunset together, according to local reports. Meanwhile, their loved ones have paid tribute to the tragic teens, with Evan's mother, Sandra Sweeney, saying: "This last week, Evan was taken from me, and my level of grief feels insurmountable. I find myself at a complete loss to imagine a life without him. It is a small comfort to share some things about this boy who was on his way to becoming a wonderful young man."

In a tribute posted on GoFundMe, the heartbroken woman described her son as "funny, bright, kind and entrepreneurial" and said he was "an old soul who was sensitive and loving." The mum added: "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."

Pandora was described on a page as "a beautiful human being and a bright light in this who loved every single person she met and had a unique ability to make every person feel special." According to the fundraiser, the young woman loved music and enjoyed playing violin, cello and guitar. She enjoyed spending time outdoors, doing activities like camping, horseback riding, kayaking and hiking with friends and family.

Her grieving mother said she was heartbroken since learning about her daughter's death. "Rest in peace my beautiful girl," she wrote on .

The mysterious circumstances of the pair's deaths have left the local community in disbelief with a person describing the tragedy as "shocking and really sad", according to . Another said: "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?"

A third added: "It's unbelievable. Very distressing. Very distressing, because they're so young, their lives haven't even begun yet." One more said: "It really makes me worry because I have nieces and nephews that age that something could happen to them."