TWO 16-YEAR-OLDS VANISHED HOURS APART — THEN POLICE FOUND THEM TOGETHER IN THE WOODS

Two teenagers disappeared from separate homes on the same morning. By that afternoon, a search for the missing pair had become a heartbreaking death investigation.

Leotis R. Phillips and Zoey L. Clark, both 16, were reported missing in Juneau, Alaska, on August 31, 2026.

Leotis was reported missing from his home on Kanata Street at approximately 5:52 a.m. Several hours later, at about 8:49 a.m., Zoey was reported missing from her residence on Teal Street.

Police believed the two teenagers were together and warned the public that they might have access to a firearm. Authorities urged anyone who saw them not to approach them and instead contact police.

Then, at approximately 2:25 p.m., the search took a devastating turn.

FOUND IN THE WOODS

Juneau police located Leotis and Zoey deceased in a wooded area above the 6800 block of Glacier Highway.

The teenagers had been missing for only hours.

According to the Juneau Police Department, preliminary information indicated that both had died from gunshot wounds. A firearm was also recovered at the scene. Their bodies were transported to the Alaska State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage for autopsies.

Their families were notified, and investigators continued working to determine exactly what happened.

At that stage, police released very few details.

THE QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN

Authorities have not publicly explained how the two teenagers traveled from their homes to the wooded area, when they arrived there, or what happened after they left home.

Police also have not publicly identified who the firearm belonged to or explained the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

On September 3, Juneau Police Deputy Chief Krag Campbell said the two teenagers were the only people at the location when the deaths occurred, but he emphasized that the autopsy process would take time and the investigation remained ongoing.

That distinction is important.

While people close to the teenagers have spoken publicly about what they believe happened, police have not formally announced a manner of death beyond their preliminary finding that both died from gunshot wounds.

The Alaska State Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to provide additional information following the autopsies.

A COMMUNITY LEFT GRIEVING

The deaths sent shockwaves through Juneau, particularly among classmates and friends.

More than 150 family members, students, teachers and community members gathered at a candlelight vigil on September 1 to remember the two teenagers.

Photographs of Leotis and Zoey were displayed as mourners shared memories and struggled to understand the loss.

The Juneau School District also announced that counseling and support services would be available to students and staff affected by the tragedy.

For those who knew the teenagers, the search that began with two missing-person reports ended with questions that may take much longer to answer.

Why did Leotis and Zoey leave their homes that morning?

How did they end up together in the woods?

Who had access to the firearm found at the scene?

And most importantly, what happened during the final hours of their lives?

For now, investigators have not publicly provided those answers.

The case remains under investigation, and authorities have said the preliminary information could change as the medical examiner completes the autopsies.