Arkansas State Police arrested Andrew James McGann, 28, of Springdale, on Wednesday in connection with the brutal slayings of a married couple at Devil’s Den State Park.
The victims, Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were killed while hiking with their two young daughters on Saturday.
McGann was apprehended at 4:57 p.m. at a hair salon in Springdale, about 30 miles north of the 2,500-acre park, and charged with two counts of capital murder.
Authorities said the couple’s daughters, ages 7 and 9, were unharmed and are now with relatives.
The Brinks, who recently relocated to Prairie Grove from South Dakota, were found dead on a remote trail after police received reports of a double homicide at 2:40 p.m. Saturday.
Clinton Brink was set to start work as a milk delivery driver in Fayetteville, while Cristen Brink was a licensed nurse, according to their employer and public records.
Investigators have not disclosed the cause of death or a motive, citing the ongoing investigation.
Maj. Stacie Rhoads of the Arkansas State Police said public-submitted video footage was “instrumental” in identifying McGann, who recently moved from Oklahoma and was hired as a teacher for the upcoming school year at Springdale School District. Superintendent Jared Cleveland confirmed McGann had not yet interacted with students or families.
Previously, McGann taught fifth grade at Sand Springs Public Schools in Oklahoma during the 2024-25 school year and worked at Broken Arrow Public Schools in 2023-24, where he passed required background checks, according to district statements.
Prior to that, McGann was employed in Texas at Donald Elementary School in Flower Mound, CBS reported. He resigned in 2023 after he was investigated for “poor classroom management and poor professional judgement.”
“While our investigation did not find any evidence of inappropriate behavior with a student, we did find his classroom management and professional judgment to be below our district’s expectations,” a school administrator said in an email to parents in 2023.
Flower Mound resident Sierra Marcum told CBS News that her son was in McGann’s fourth-grade classroom three years ago at Donald Elementary, and she described him as “Pretty cold. You could ask him a question and he would give you a one word response. Overall just pretty disinterested in his students.”
Marcum’s son told her that McGann touched the girls in the class inappropriately, put them on his lap, and kept them in the classroom during recess.
“It was reported to the principal, Heather Shorter, at the time and he was allowed to resign without any consequence and even went on to continue teaching in another district,” Marcum wrote in a Facebook post. “Finding out he went on to kill a couple in front of their two little girls is horrifying and the fact that there were warning signs and he was continually allowed around children is a travesty.”
Although investigators have not commented on a possible motive for the murders, McGann’s reported previous history of inappropriate conduct with female students has fueled speculation that McGann may have targeted the Brink family’s two daughters, and the parents may have been killed while protecting their children.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders expressed grief over the “senseless and horrific crime,” stating, “No news can heal the enormous harm done to the Brink family in last weekend’s crime, but this arrest is a comfort and reassurance for our State.”
She praised the collaborative efforts of state police, park rangers, local law enforcement, and federal partners, adding, “Let there be no mistake—we do not tolerate violent crime in Arkansas.”
Col. Mike Hagar, director of Arkansas State Police, commended the investigation, saying, “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.”
The Brink family described the couple as “heroes” who died protecting their daughters.
“Clinton and Cristen died heroes, protecting their little girls, and they deserve justice,” their family said in a statement.
Police had earlier released a composite sketch and a photo of a man seen leaving the park in a black, four-door sedan, possibly a Mazda, with a license plate that had been taped over. The FBI provided manpower and resources to aid the investigation.
McGann is held at the Washington County jail, with court appearances pending. It is unclear if he has legal representation.
All trails at Devil’s Den State Park remain closed, according to Arkansas Secretary of Parks Shay Lewis.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Arkansas State Police.