How a Camping Trip Among 4 Arizona Teens Ended in Murder

It was supposed to be a fun weekend camping trip among friends.

Four teens drove a conversion van to Juniper Flats near Bisbee, Ariz., last Friday evening. But things soon turned violent — leaving one teen dead, another seriously injured, and a third teen facing murder charges.

Around midnight, Cochise County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene after receiving reports of a disturbance. When they arrived, deputies found a bloody and chaotic scene.

According to a police statement, 17-year-old Christopher Golden allegedly tried to self-harm with a knife. When his friends tried to stop him, an altercation broke out, police say.

One of the friends, a 16-year-old, suffered serious injuries in the skirmish. Another teen, 18-year-old Quin Radhe, was killed. Another 16-year-old fled the scene and was uninjured in the attack.

Golden allegedly tried to fight law enforcement. He was ultimately restrained without injuring deputies. Medical personnel began lifesaving measures on the injured teens. Golden was airlifted to a Tucson hospital.

According to the police statement, Golden “was arrested in Tucson on Monday, December 20, 2021, and booked into the Cochise County Jail on charges of second-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and aggravated assault on a police officer. Golden remains in custody on a $150,000 bond.”

Authorities say that drugs may have been involved in the incident.

Arrest records do not reflect an attorney authorized to speak on Golden’s behalf, and he has not yet entered a plea.

Quin Radhe’s family is left grappling with the sudden and violent loss of the teenager who they said loved music and geology. A GoFundMe for Radhe’s family has been established to offset funeral expenses.

“I’ve been able to experience the most joyful parts of life through him,” his stepdad, Bear Finicum, tells KGUN-9. “Because he loved everybody.”