How brave daughters led police to Devil's Den suspect after he 'murdered their parents in front of them on scenic trail'

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Two little girls led police to the man suspected of killing their parents in front of them while they were out on a family hike, investigators have revealed.
Andrew James McGann, 28, was arrested for the murders of Clinton and Cristen Brink, 43 and 41, at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas on Saturday.
The couple's daughters, ages seven and nine, gave police a description of the man who attacked their parents with a knife, officials said on Thursday.
'The initial information that came from the kids gave us our first starting point, which was a description of a suspect,' said Arkansas State Police Major Stacey Rhodes.
Police said McGann, a school teacher, attacked Clinton first, giving Cristen time to get their daughters away from the scene.
'The mother did not return all the way to the car with the kids, we believe the mother took them to safety then returned to help her husband,' said Col. Mike Hagar.
The little girls eventually flagged someone in the park down and led them and police to their parents' bodies.
A witness at the scene also reportedly shared images of the suspect's car - a Kia Stinger - with authorities.
Police then identified the vehicle's owner and located the Kia at a barber shop in Springdale, not far from the park, where the suspect was getting a haircut.
McGann did not resist arrest and confessed to the murders, according to officials, who said he appeared to made little to no effort to conceal himself or flee the area.
DNA recovered at the crime scene matched McGann, officials added.
The arrest marked the end of a frantic manhunt; police said they received as many as 500 tips as they searched for the suspect.
Rhoads said the public's help and video footage they received was instrumental in capturing McGann. Tips came in from as far away as Washington state, she said.
Arkansas prosecutor Brandon Carter said he will seek the death penalty against McGann.
Col. Mike Hagar that authorities are trying to determine a motive for the attack and have no reason to believe McGann knew the couple or their children.
He also said they will look into whether McGann committed other crimes across the country.
The Brinks had recently moved from South Dakota to the small city of Prairie Grove in northwest Arkansas. Their water was connected less than two weeks ago, Mayor David Faulk said.
Clinton Brink had been scheduled to start working as a milk delivery driver on Monday in the Fayetteville area, according to Hiland Dairy, his employer. Cristen Brink had been licensed as a nurse in Montana and South Dakota before moving to Arkansas.
They had another daughter was not on the hike with them. The three sisters are now in the care of family.
The Brink family said the couple died 'heroes protecting their little girls.'
McGann is scheduled to appear in court on August 1.
Springdale Public Schools said in a statement it had hired McGann as a teacher candidate for the upcoming year but that he had not yet had any contact with its families or students.
McGann has active teaching licenses in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma, according to each respective government certification website.
He was placed on administrative leave in spring 2023 while he was employed at Donald Elementary School in Flower Mound, Texas, 'following concerns related to classroom management, professional judgment, and student favoritism,' according to a spokesperson for the Lewisville Independent School District.
McGann resigned from the Lewisville posting in May 2023, the district said in a statement.