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Arkansas police charged a 28-year-old schoolteacher in the killing of a married couple who were hiking with their children at Devil’s Den State Park, finding him in a nearby city after a multi-day search.
Arkansas State Police (ASP) arrested Andrew James McGann at a barbershop in Springdale at 4:57 p.m. Wednesday. Officials said in a Wednesday news conference that he was getting a haircut at the time of his arrest.
He was charged with two counts of capital murder in connection to the killings of Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, who were found dead on a walking trail at Devil’s Den. Their daughters, who are 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members, authorities said.
Arkansas State Police Director Col. Mike Hagar announced in a Thursday news conference that McGann confessed to the crime and that DNA evidence has confirmed his involvement.
“Although everyone is innocent until proven guilty, we did confirm this morning that the suspect’s DNA is a positive match to the DNA recovered at the crime scene,” Hagar said. “During an interview with investigators, the suspect admitted to committing the murders. We also executed a search warrant at his residence and recovered items consistent with the crime.”
ARKANSAS MAN CHARGED WITH CAPITAL MURDER AFTER KILLING PARENTS IN FRONT OF DAUGHTERS AT DEVIL’S DEN STATE PARK
Authorities confirmed that the suspect has no known adult criminal history. Investigators have not uncovered any prior charges or convictions.
Hagar revealed that both Clinton and Cristen Brink died from stab wounds. A knife was confirmed as the murder weapon. He also clarified that investigators found no indication the daughters were targeted.
“It appears to be a completely random event,” Hagar said. “We have no reason to believe there was any known association between our suspect and our victims.”
Hagar noted that McGann sustained “injuries” during the attack. The blood found at the scene helped authorities find the suspect, they said.
Major Stacey Rhodes detailed how the investigation began after the Brinks’ two young girls were found in the state park and told authorities that something had happened to their parents.
“That initial information from the kids gave us a starting point, a description of the suspect,” Rhodes said Thursday. “Another witness at the park provided additional details, including a description of a vehicle the suspect was seen driving as he left the area.”
Hero mom
According to Rhodes, evidence suggests that David Brink was attacked first. Cristen Brink then led their two daughters away from the scene to safety but later returned to help her husband, where she was also fatally attacked.
“We believe that the mother took them to safety and then returned to help her husband,” Rhodes said.
Based on the leads, investigators located the suspect at a barber shop in Springdale Wednesday and took him into custody.
“He made statements indicating that he had committed these heinous acts,” Rhodes said. “We then executed search warrants at both his residence and on the vehicle. While we’re still awaiting results from the crime lab, the DNA recovered at the initial scene has already been confirmed as a match to the suspect.”
Authorities said the investigation has generated over 500 tips and remains ongoing. Authorities have not revealed details from the scene. Investigators believe McGann acted alone, and no additional suspects are being sought at this time.
McGann was a teacher in a small Oklahoma school district until May and then resigned to take a job in another state, according to a statement from Sand Springs Public Schools. They said that McGann had passed all background checks.
McGann had not yet started his new job in Arkansas at Springdale Public Schools, Jared Cleveland, the district superintendent, confirmed to Fox News. Cleveland said that McGann “has not at any time” been in contact with students or their families. He declined to provide more information, citing the investigation.
“Our entire team extends our deepest condolences to the Brink family,” he said. “Their children are especially in our thoughts and prayers.”
The mother of a former student provided an email from the teacher’s previous school district to Fox News. She said that in 2023, she filed a complaint with the superintendent after her son witnessed McGann behaving inappropriately toward younger female students.
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In response, parents received a letter from the district stating that McGann had been placed on administrative leave while officials investigated complaints of poor classroom management and professional judgment.
While the investigation did not find evidence of inappropriate behavior toward a student, it concluded that McGann’s classroom management and judgment fell below district expectations. Shortly afterward, McGann resigned.
“Mr. McGann, on Wednesday afternoon, notified our Human Resources Department of his decision to resign his position, effective immediately,” the email said, in part. “We will have a substitute teacher in his class for the rest of the school year.”
MANHUNT INTENSIFIES FOR ARKANSAS SUSPECT LIKELY INJURED IN FATAL ATTACK OF COUPLE
After recently relocating from South Dakota to Arkansas, the Brink family spent Saturday, July 26, exploring Devil’s Den State Park in the Ozark Mountains with their two young daughters.
ASP discovered Cristen and Clinton’s bodies along a remote hiking trail on Sunday at approximately 2:40 p.m. Their two daughters, ages 7 and 9, were physically unharmed but emotionally distressed, authorities said.
A motive for the killings is still being determined, Arkansas State Police Major Stacie Rhoads said during a news conference after Wednesday’s arrest. Autopsy results have not yet been released.
On Sunday, ASP issued an updated description of the suspect. They said he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, with sleeves rolled up, rather than a tank top as originally reported. He was wearing dark pants, a dark baseball hat and sunglasses.
The suspect, later identified as McGann, was holding a black backpack and was wearing fingerless gloves. He was seen driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door car, authorities said.
The head of the State Police, Col. Mike Hagar, said Wednesday a “monster” had been snared.
Praising the cooperation between law enforcement agencies, he said, “Because of their hard work and investigative skill, we were able to take a monster off the streets, and bring relief to those two precious girls, and the rest of our citizens.”
“Let there be no mistake – we do not tolerate violent crime in Arkansas. If you target innocent people, law enforcement will hunt you down and bring you to justice,” Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.
McGann is expected in court on Friday morning.
Devil’s Den is located about 140 miles northwest of Little Rock. The remote 2,500-acre park features hiking trails and rock formations.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Department of Public Safety, Springdale Police, FBI and Washington County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
