Mother tried to save family before deadly Devil's Den attack, police say

USA Today

2 days ago

The Arkansas State Police conveyed additional information on July 30 regarding the arrest of James Andrew McGann for the deaths of Clinton and Cristen Binks at Devil's Den State Park during a press conference in Little Rock.
Witnesses to a 'Horrific thing'
'This all started with two little girls who witnessed the most horrific thing that you could ever imagine,' said Maj. Stacie Rhoads, Arkansas State Police criminal investigation division commander. "That was the basis of everything that we had, so we had to be careful about relying solely on that information."
The daughters were alone in the state park on July 26, 2025, before hikers found them about an hour after the attack.
The state police responded to a call for service at the state park after the two children were found, and indicated that something had happened to their parents on the trail.
The children, ages 7 and 9, were the initial witnesses to the crime that took the lives of their parents in the Northwest Arkansas state park.
'Our estimation that the crime scene was about half a mile into the park," Rhoads said. "The mother did not return to the car with the kids. We believe that the mother took them to safety and then returned to help her husband.'
That was the initial information given to the state police and the starting point for the description of a suspect. It was nearly four hours before the State Police released any information, as they looked for a suspect and the car.
The public provided approximately 500 images and videos, including cell phone footage, home security footage, and business security footage, which advanced the investigation by giving ASP a starting point to move forward. Hagar said that the images and videos led to McGann being brought into custody on July 29 in Springdale. Civilian personnel were tasked with triaging the tips and ensuring they were directed to the appropriate investigators.
Another witness at the park provided the state police with additional information about the suspect, including a particular vehicle he was seen leaving the park in.
'We started from there. We had a pretty good description of our suspect. We did our initial release, and other witnesses came forward who were on the trail during the time the murders occurred,' said Rhoads. 'They didn't see murders, but they provided video footage and photographs. From that, the investigators interviewed witnesses and were able to compile a composite sketch of what the investigators believed the suspect looked like.
Keying in on the Kia
With the initial vehicle information, investigators began with a description of a black sedan. One initial description said that it was 'sporty.' Working from that, investigators looked at close to 10 videos of this particular car from the homes and businesses along the routes in and out of the park. They were able to ascertain a 'pretty good description' of the vehicle.
'That description became critical in identifying our suspect. When we got those tips, we had something to compare them with. Did they have a black vehicle? Did they meet a certain criterion for vehicles? As we began to hone in on the vehicle, it became clear that it was a Kia Stinger,' Rhoads said. 'We used that information to vet various owners, and our suspect was identified. With that, we sought him out and located him at a barber shop in Spingdale, and we took him into custody.'
DNA matching
Law enforcement located the suspect's Kia at Lupita's Salon and Barbershop in Springdale. They entered the establishment, identified themselves, and made a general inquiry as to the ownership of the vehicle parked outside the shop. McGann indicated he was the owner. As the investigators spoke with McGann, they noticed he had several cuts on his hands.
McGann was detained and provided consent for investigators to enter his vehicle. Once inside, they observed a substance that appeared to be blood. Because of the significant blood found at the crime scene and the wounds on his hands, the investigators seized and transported the Kia to the state police headquarters. McGann was arrested at that point.
The state police executed a search warrant on his house and vehicle. They're still awaiting additional testing from the state crime lab, but the initial DNA tests from the crime and McGann's car were a match.
There were articles found in McGann's that were consistent with being involved in the crime at Devil's Den. Col. Mike Hagar, secretary of public safety and director of the ASP, added that the state police investigators believed McGann acted alone and don't anticipate any other arrests beyond the suspect.
'I believe he was injured. I do not know the specifics of those injuries,' Rhoads said. 'I do know that his injuries resulted in blood loss, and it was that blood loss that allowed us to establish a DNA profile to begin with, and it was that DNA profile that was matched today against our suspect.'
The investigators also found items that were consistent with what was seen in the photograph released by the state police. Rhoads added that knives were collected from the residence, but they won't know if any of them were the murder weapon until they're tested.
McGann's admission
During an interview with the investigators, the suspect indicated that he did commit the murders at Devil's Den.
'The defendant in this case is innocent until he's proven guilty. The public doesn't need to worry going forward,' said Brandon Carter, prosecuting attorney for Washington County. 'In this case, the public doesn't need to worry going forward. Someday, they're going to open Devil's Den State Park, and I'll be on the trail myself. When that happens, the defendant will be spending time in Washington County Circuit Court over the coming days. It's my full intention to use the full weight of my office to bring this defendant to justice for the Brinks family.
'This case certainly has the aggravators that exist where a jury should get to decide what the punishment for this defendant should be. I intend to pose that to a jury, so the state will not be waiving the death penalty in this case.'
Collaboration at every level
'The amount of time, effort, and energy that goes into an investigation like this… you can see it on their face,' said Mike Hagar, secretary of public safety and the director of the Arkansas State Police. 'When we walked into headquarters last night and had the opportunity to talk and thank them in person, we could see that they were absolutely exhausted. They put every bit of their heart and soul into this investigation. To get this suspect brought into custody and taken off the streets, and I cannot thank them enough for that.'
Hagar expressed that the law enforcement agencies from the local to the state level share an unprecedented level of coordination that's 'second to none.'
'This is not always common, and that's unfortunate,' Hagar said. 'There was an incredible amount of cooperation and collaboration that went into this investigation. No part is less than any other part. In every case, we worked within the state police to have that partnership with them, which is valuable.'