Two missing 16-year-olds found shot to death in woods in Alaska hours after disappearing
Two 16-year-olds who went missing in Alaska have been found shot dead in the wilderness, police say.
Leotis Phillips and Zoey Clark were discovered in a wooded area above the Glacier Highway in Juneau, a coastal road near the Glacier Bay National Park.
The teenagers were found hours after they were reported missing on August 31, and police said details surrounding their mysterious deaths are still being investigated.
‘Preliminary information indicates that both juveniles died from gunshot wounds,’ the Juneau Police Department said.
The department said a firearm was located at the scene, however, it is unclear who pulled the trigger or how their deaths unfolded.
Officials said Phillips was last seen leaving his residence on Kanata Street shortly before 6am, while Clark was reported missing from her home on Teal Street a few hours later.
Police said at the time that the teenagers were believed to be together, and warned the public that they may be in possession of a firearm and they ‘should not approach them or attempt to contact them.’
Their bodies were then discovered in the wooded area at around 3pm.
The bodies of Leotis Phillips (above) and Zoey Clark, both 16, who went missing in Alaska have been found shot dead in the wilderness, police say
Clark (above) and Phillips were found shot dead in a wooded area in Juneau, Alaska, on August 31, hours after they were reported missing
The teenagers’ bodies were found in a wooded area above the Glacier Highway in Juneau, a coastal road near the Glacier Bay National Park
The teenagers’ bodies will be sent to the Alaska State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage for autopsy, police said.
Officials added that the investigation ‘remains ongoing.’ The Daily Mail has contacted authorities for updates to the case.
Phillips’ relative posted on Facebook after the discovery of his body, saying: ‘It is with a heavy, heavy heart that our family is grieving tremendously over this devastating loss
‘The Deitshetaan family has just been updated that the young man who was found deceased today – is our Leo Phillips.
‘Please keep our family uplifted in prayer. We definitely will be needing them.’
Police said the Juneau School District will ‘make support and counseling services available to students and staff affected by this tragedy.’
‘The Juneau Police Department extends its condolences to the families, friends, classmates, and others affected by this loss,’ the department said.
