Two Missing 16-Year-Olds Found Dead in Alaska Woods Hours After Families Reported Them Missing

Leotis Phillips, 16, was found dead in the woods of Juneau, Alaska, hours after being reported missing from home on Aug. 31, 2026.Juneau Police Department

A desperate search for two missing teenagers in Juneau, Alaska, ended in tragedy Monday afternoon when 16-year-olds Leotis “Leo” Phillips and Zoey “Z” Clark were found dead in a wooded area only hours after their families reported them missing.

The Juneau Police Department said both teenagers were found at approximately 2:25 p.m. on Aug. 31 in woods above the 6800 block of Glacier Highway, near the Dzantik’i Heeni school campus in the Lemon Creek area.

Preliminary findings indicated that both teenagers died from gunshot wounds, police said. A firearm was recovered at the scene.

However, authorities have not officially determined the cause and manner of the teenagers’ deaths. Their bodies were sent to the Alaska State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage for autopsies, and police said the investigation remains ongoing.

Both Teenagers Were Reported Missing Monday Morning

Zoey Clark was repoted missing from her home just before 9 a.m. on Aug. 31, hours before she was found dead alongside her boyfriend in the Alaskan woods.Juneau Police Department

The search began early Monday when Phillips was reported missing from his home on Kanata Street at approximately 5:52 a.m.

Several hours later, at around 8:49 a.m., Clark was reported missing from her residence on Teal Street.

Police quickly determined that the two teenagers were likely together.

Authorities also issued an important warning while asking the public for help: investigators believed Phillips and Clark might have access to a firearm.

Because of that possibility, police urged anyone who spotted them not to approach the teenagers and instead immediately call 911 with their location and direction of travel.

Phillips was described by police as an Alaska Native male, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing between 140 and 160 pounds. He had long black hair, usually worn in a ponytail, and brown eyes.

Clark was described as approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing around 140 pounds.

Search Ends in Tragedy Hours Later

The effort to locate the teenagers ended that same afternoon.

At approximately 2:25 p.m., police found both teenagers dead in the wooded area above Glacier Highway.

The location was near the Dzantik’i Heeni school campus, where friends, relatives and community members would gather the following evening to remember them.

Police said preliminary evidence indicated that both teenagers suffered gunshot wounds and confirmed that a firearm was located at the scene.

Their families were notified shortly afterward.

The Juneau Police Department has released few additional details about what investigators believe happened in the woods. Officials emphasized that the findings released so far are preliminary and could change or be clarified as the investigation continues.

More Than 150 People Gather to Remember Leo and Zoey

On Tuesday evening, grief spread across the same community where the search had unfolded only a day earlier.

More than 150 relatives, classmates, teachers and community members gathered for a candlelight vigil at the Dzantik’i Heeni school campus in Lemon Creek.

Candles surrounded photographs of the teenagers as friends and relatives shared memories of them.

Those closest to the pair remembered Phillips and Clark as two teenagers who cared deeply about each other.

Clark’s cousin, Ariah Clark, recalled how happy Phillips appeared when he was with Zoey.

“The happiest I saw him was with her,” she said.

She also described Phillips as someone who had remained beside Zoey during difficult periods of her life.

Zoey’s Father Says Family Still Needs Answers

Among those speaking at the vigil was Zoey’s father, Zac Clark, who described the enormous loss his family was struggling to comprehend.

“My life is never going to be complete anymore,” he said.

He urged other parents to hold their children closer and make sure they know how deeply they are loved.

But alongside his grief was another emotion: uncertainty.

Clark said his family still had questions about exactly what happened in the wooded area where the teenagers were found.

“There are still so many answers that a lot of us need, like what happened up there,” he said.

He expressed hope that forensic evidence could eventually provide a clearer understanding of the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Friends Remember Two Teenagers Who Were Close

Friends and relatives described Phillips and Clark as a couple who shared a close relationship.

At the vigil, family members spoke about the support they gave each other and the happiness they appeared to find together.

Clark was remembered as intelligent, loving and deeply compassionate.

A fundraiser established for her family described her as someone who had endured difficulties in her life but continued caring about other people.

She also had a strong passion for art and drawing and was remembered as a talented young artist.

Phillips’ relatives were similarly devastated.

His grandmother, Bobbiebo Johnson, wrote publicly about the painful reality of preparing an obituary for her eldest grandson, expressing disbelief that she was mourning a grandchild rather than the other way around.

Schools Increase Support Following the Deaths

The impact of the teenagers’ deaths quickly spread through Juneau’s school community.

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

Additional crisis counseling was also being provided at some schools as local organizations responded to the loss.

In its initial statement, the Juneau Police Department extended condolences to the teenagers’ families, friends, classmates and everyone else affected.

Official Findings Still Pending

Although some relatives have publicly expressed their beliefs about what happened, authorities have not yet announced an official determination regarding the cause and manner of the teenagers’ deaths.

That distinction remains important.

Police have confirmed only that preliminary evidence indicates Phillips and Clark suffered gunshot wounds and that a firearm was recovered near their bodies.

Their remains were sent to Anchorage for examination by the Alaska State Medical Examiner’s Office.

Until those examinations and the broader investigation are completed, many of the questions raised by Zoey’s father and other relatives remain unanswered.

What is known is the devastating timeline.

At 5:52 a.m. Monday, Phillips was reported missing.

At 8:49 a.m., Clark was reported missing.

Police warned that the teenagers were believed to be together and might have access to a firearm.

Then, at approximately 2:25 p.m. — less than nine hours after the first missing-person report — both were found dead in the woods above Glacier Highway.

One day later, more than 150 people stood together by candlelight, remembering two 16-year-olds whose families had begun Monday desperately hoping they would come home and ended it facing questions they are still waiting to have answered.