Man arrested and charged with two counts of murder after parents slain in front of their young children
Arkansas State Police arrested James Andrew McGann, 28, from Springdale on Wednesday while he was getting his hair cut in the town and charged him with two counts of capital murder.
State Police said he had recently moved to the area and was working at a school. They did not mention a possible motive for the fatal shootings of Clinton and Cristen Brink.
McGann was being held in the Washington County jail Wednesday.
Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were found dead Saturday on a walking trail at Devil's Den.
Their daughters, who are seven and nine, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members, authorities have said.
The search for the man who killed the hikers had entered its fifth day Wednesday.
Many details about the attack remain unclear.
Police released a composite sketch and photo of a person of interest they had been searching for in relation to the attack.
State police released a statement saying the suspect 'likely sustained an injury while attacking the couple.' It did not go into further detail.
Police also released the description of a vehicle: a black sedan, possibly a Mazda. It had duct tape over its license plate when it was spotted at Devil's Den.
Arkansas State Police Col Mike Hagar praised the hard work of law enforcement agents across multiple agencies worked to catch McGann.
'I'm extremely grateful for the long hours and dedication that our Agents put forward in bringing justice to this family.
'The collaboration between State Police, other state and local law enforcement agencies, and our federal partners has been second to none.
'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.'
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement following McGann's arrest.
'No news can heal the enormous harm done to the Brink family in last weekend's crime, but this announcement is a comfort and reassurance for our State.
'I am so proud of the Arkansas State Police, Park Rangers, local law enforcement, and others who have worked nonstop since last weekend to capture this suspect.
'I ask that Arkansans lift up prayers of thanks for the brave men and women of law enforcement - and offer prayers of condolence to the victims of this horrific crime.
'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.'
Clinton and Cristen Brink had just moved from South Dakota to the small city of Prairie Grove in northwest Arkansas.
Their water had been connected less than two weeks ago, Mayor David Faulk said.
Clinton had been scheduled to start a job as a milk delivery driver on Monday in the nearby Fayetteville area, according to Hiland Dairy, his employer.
Cristen had been licensed as a nurse in Montana and South Dakota before moving to Arkansas.
The Brink family said the couple died 'heroes protecting their little girls.'
'My heart just hurt as a parent, as a friend, thinking about what their daughters are going through,' a friend of the Brink's Danikka Harrell said to 40/29 News.
'Like my heart, my mom heart hurts for them; they are such sweet people, and they're so genuine.
'I'm really struggling to understand why or how this could happen to such sweet people.'
Harrell said as friends they were 'great people, just great down-to-earth people. They weren't judgmental. They were very accepting of everybody.'
Devil's Den is a 2,500-acre state park near West Fork, about 140 miles northwest of Little Rock, the state capital.
The park's trails, which lead to the surrounding Ozark National Forest, remained closed on Wednesday.
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