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Fox News
4 days ago
- Fox News
Friends unveil Devil's Den couple's haunting final message before deadly park ambush
The all-American couple who were knifed to death while visiting an Arkansas state park were known as gentle, outdoorsy people devoted to their three children. Clinton Brink, 43, and Cristin Brink, 41, were murdered during a Saturday trip to explore nature near their new home. Authorities on Wednesday arrested 28-year-old Andrew James McGann for allegedly murdering the couple at Devil's Den State Park. "They were outdoorsy people. They loved to take the girls and go do outdoor things and go hiking. They loved every minute of it," Mary Hinebauch, a fellow choir member from their former church in Miles City, Montana, told Fox News Digital. "That wasn't an unnatural place for them to be. They did tons of stuff like that." The family had recently moved to Arkansas for what Cristen described as a new opportunity and to be closer to Clinton's mother. "It was an opportunity to be closer to family," Hinebauch recalled. "And Clinton's mother lived down there. And it was an opportunity for them for some change of scenery and to be down by his mom." Cristen Brink, in particular, left a deep impression on her friends and community. "She had the two little toddlers when she lived here. I'm 65 years old, and I always stood back and thought, 'Oh, I wish I could have had that patience,'" Hinebauch said. She remembered Cristen as the kind of person who gave what she had — even when it wasn't much. "They didn't have a lot, but she always had an extra hand for somebody else if they needed anything," she said. "She touched people's lives just by her softness. And her talent was unbelievable. Her singing was just a real gift." The Brinks were known for being present, kind, and active in their local community. "They were out in the community. Everybody knew them — you know, with the little kids, and she was involved in moms' groups," Hinebauch said. Reflecting on the tragedy at Devil's Den State Park, she added, "I just think it's pure evil. It sounds like there was hardly any crime in the area. It was a very safe, safe place to be." Reminiscing about their final exchange, Hinebauch said, "I went back to look at the very last message we had between each other, and it was like they had just gotten there and were unpacking. And I just had said, 'Keep in touch.' And that was the last little conversation we had." Amy, who knew the Brinks' from their church in Miles City, Montana, said that the family were "wonderful people." "She [Cristin] got A's in nursing school while raising babies and taking care of her family," she told Fox News Digital. "She was involved in volleyball at Miles Community College, where she graduated with her nursing degree." "I loved her so much, and it just doesn't seem real. Just seems there should be something I could do to take all this terrible tragedy back. Sadly, they are gone." WATCH:
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Yahoo
Mother killed in Arkansas stabbings went back to help husband after getting her children to safety, police say
Cristen Brink witnessed the unthinkable. Then she did the unimaginable. While on a family hike at Devil's Den State Park on Saturday, Cristen's husband Clinton was ambushed and stabbed by an attacker, according to Arkansas State Police. First, investigators say, she ran away with their young daughters to get them out of danger. Then Cristen Brink went back to try to save Clinton. 'The mother did not return all the way to the car with the kids,' said state police Maj. Stacie Rhoads in a news conference Thursday. 'We believe that the mother took them to safety and then returned to help her husband.' Investigators say the suspected attacker – identified as 28-year-old Andrew McGann – killed the parents as their girls, ages 9 and 7, told other adults at the park what happened. McGann faces two counts of capital murder. 'They absolutely protected those girls to their fullest extent, to the point that it cost them their lives,' Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Brandon Carter said. 'We're in awe of this mom and dad. We're also in awe of these girls.' A hiker on the trail saw the Brink children and took them to safety, then found the bodies of their parents, according to a probable cause document filed by prosecutors. More time passed before the hiker was able to call 911 and report the deaths because that part of the park has no cell service. Four days after the murders, an intense manhunt ended 30 miles from where it started, with McGann quietly taken into custody at a hair salon. State police say he admitted to the crimes during police questioning. McGann and victims didn't know each other McGann, who has no known adult criminal history, made his first court appearance Friday morning in Fayetteville. He wore a striped jail uniform and did not speak except to acknowledge his name. A judge granted McGann a public defender and ordered him to remain jailed without bond pending his arraignment on August 25. While investigators are releasing more details about the circumstances of the grisly crime, they are still trying to determine why the killings happened. 'We have no reason to believe that there was any known association between our suspect and our victims,' said Carter. 'There's nothing to indicate that at all. It appears to be a completely random event.' At first, the only description of the suspect police had was provided by the children who had just seen their parents attacked. 'All the information that we're working off of started with two little girls that witnessed the most horrific thing that you could ever imagine,' Carter said. But another witness, who saw a man leaving the trail with blood on his face, was able to identify the suspected killer's car, a Kia Stinger, despite tape on the vehicle that investigators believe was designed to obscure the model. Searching Arkansas registration records ultimately led them to make McGann their chief suspect, according to Rhoads. 'Everyone speculates that there was a lot of thought that went into this to conceal his identity,' she said. 'I will say that, on the other side of that, he was also very sloppy.' The same car described in public advisories as the suspect's vehicle was parked in front of Lupita's Beauty Salon & Barber Shop, where a lanky man with stringy blonde hair walked in and asked for a fade. 'Something felt off about him. He looked pretty scary,' stylist Adriana Ruiz told CNN affiliate KFSM Thursday. 'He didn't look like he was okay. He was very timid. His eyes just looked sunken. Kind of like, soulless.' When officers arrived, McGann acknowledged the car was his, according to police. 'Investigators noticed in speaking with McGann that there were several cuts on his hands,' a court document states. Surveillance video shared with CNN by the salon showed McGann did not put up a fight as he was handcuffed. 'He was completely cooperative,' Rhoads said. McGann's car was searched, and blood was found inside, according to the probable cause statement. 'After being provided his Miranda warnings, he made statements indicating that he had committed the two homicides,' the document states. Learning more about the suspect's background The motive in the killings of Clinton Brink, 43, and Cristen Brink, 41, remains a mystery, investigators say. McGann had moved to Arkansas earlier this year and was set to become an elementary teacher in the Springdale Public Schools, the district told CNN. Statements from school districts in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas indicate McGann had been hired to be a teacher in at least five different districts in those states since 2022: Sand Springs Public Schools, Broken Arrow Public Schools, Lewisville Independent School District, Springdale Public Schools and Plano Independent School District. He did not log any classroom time with students in the Springdale and Plano school districts. At Donald Elementary in Flower Mound, Texas, McGann 'was placed on administrative leave in the spring of 2023 following concerns related to classroom management, professional judgment, and student favoritism,' the Lewisville Independent School District said in a statement to CNN. 'An internal investigation found no evidence of inappropriate behavior with students,' the district said. 'The teacher resigned from the district in May 2023.' Later, McGann worked at Plano Independent School District for four days in August 2024. He resigned before the first day of school, the district told CNN. 'All district employees must undergo strict hiring processes and procedures as prescribed by law, including background checks and fingerprinting, to which there were no findings upon the time of his hire,' the district said. Despite understandable concern being raised by McGann's proximity to young students, the prosecutor said they had no evidence of any intention to physically harm the Brinks' daughters. 'From what we know right now, we have no indications that suggest the girls were his target,' Carter said. McGann faces possibility of death penalty In addition to McGann's admission of killing the Brinks, state police say his DNA matches blood evidence they collected. 'The defendant in this case is innocent until he's proven guilty, but I am confident that we have the right defendant in this case and that the public need not worry going forward,' said Carter. 'We have absolutely no reason to believe there was anyone else involved,' added Col. Mike Hagar, director of the Arkansas State Police. The lead prosecutor says he will not shy away from pursuing the death penalty if McGann is convicted. 'This case certainly has the aggravators that exist where a jury should get to decide what the punishment for this defendant is. It is my intention to pose that to a jury,' Carter said. 'The state will not be waiving the death penalty in this case.' As the wheels of justice begin their slow turn in the case, officials say their immediate thoughts are to make sure the daughters who witnessed the attack – along with a third daughter who was not at the park on Saturday – get what they need as they move forward without their mom and dad. 'They have very, very strong family support in place,' Hagar said. 'I have no doubt that those three girls are going to be well taken care of.' CNN's Dianne Gallagher, Caroll Alvarado and Stephen Watts contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Yahoo
Teacher accused of murdering couple hiking in Arkansas park had shown ‘odd' behavior around schoolkids, parent says
A teacher suspected of murdering a couple in front of their children on an Arkansas hiking trail had previously exhibited 'odd' behavior around his former students, parents say. Police believe Andrew James McGann, 28, fatally stabbed Clinton David Brink, 43, and his wife, Cristen Amanda Brink, 42, while hiking with their 7- and 9-year-old daughters in Arkansas' Devil's Den State Park on July 26. The children are now being looked after by family members. A man seen leaving a trail with blood on his face entered a black Kia Stinger, sparking a four-day manhunt. Police said they eventually found the car in Springdale, where McGann was getting a haircut. The barber, Adriana Ruiz Avalos, told NBC News that she immediately had a bad feeling about him due to his tired and timid behavior. A true crime fan, she even saved his hair clippings as DNA evidence. Five minutes into the haircut, a law enforcement officer entered the shop, asking questions about the car parked outside, leading him straight to McGann. He has been charged with capital murder after his DNA matched evidence at the scene, and authorities said he admitted to the crimes. Ruiz Avalos isn't the first person to report McGann acting strangely. Two years ago in Texas, McGann – who reportedly worked at four schools in four years – allegedly exhibited 'odd' and 'grooming' behavior around young girls in his Donald Elementary School classroom. Lindsay Camp Polyak said she and other parents grew concerned that he wasn't effectively teaching their children, resulting in them falling behind. 'My kid would come home and say, 'Mr. McGann loves to play tag. He plays tag at recess every day with the girls,'' Polyak told NBC News, adding that her son claimed McGann gave out candy and special prizes only to the girls. Parents in a fourth-grade group chat shared concerns that McGann held 'special lunches' with select girls in his classroom, with some alleging he encouraged them to sit on his lap, Polyak said. Megan Perkins, another parent of a student at Donald Elementary, told the outlet that McGann was 'odd,' noting what she described as his overly competitive behavior with kids during field day events. She said other parents often discussed his unusual conduct, though not everyone found it concerning, as some chalked it up to insecurity, as he was new to the community. McGann was placed on administrative leave by Lewisville ISD in spring 2023 over concerns about classroom management and favoritism, though an internal investigation found no inappropriate conduct, NBC News reports. He resigned in May 2023 and moved to Oklahoma, teaching fifth grade at Spring Creek Elementary, where some parents described him as quiet but well-liked by students, despite being awkward around adults. An anonymous woman who spoke with the outlet said her son admired McGann so much that he began wearing Polo shirts like his teacher. McGann showed interest in wrestling, hiking, and the outdoors, and even started a running club for students, she said. However, she did notice that McGann was often 'awkward around parents' and avoided eye contact during conferences, once allegedly joking he taught elementary kids because he was "afraid of adults." McGann later taught at Northwoods Fine Arts Academy in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, for the 2024–25 school year, resigning again after one year. Though he had no disciplinary record or red flags in background checks, the Texas Education Agency flagged his teaching certificate following his arrest. McGann had recently relocated to Arkansas for a new teaching job in the Springdale Public Schools system. Two weeks before the start of the school year, he was arrested for the murders. McGann has been charged with capital murder after his DNA matched evidence at the scene. Authorities said he made statements admitting to the crimes. Investigators have a search warrant for his home and car, which they hope will lead to more information about his motive for his alleged crimes. He remains in the Washington County Detention Center without bond.
The Sun
02-08-2025
- The Sun
Devil's Den ‘killer' Andrew James McGann ‘would tickle pupils' and even ‘told girl ‘I wish you could be my girlfriend''
THE former teacher accused of killing a couple in front of their children allegedly tickled pupils and is said to have put a little girl on his lap. Suspect Andrew James McGann, 28, spent the last few years moving from school to school after disturbing allegations about his creepy behaviour emerged. 3 3 3 McGann was set to start teaching third grade next week, but is now behind bars after allegedly murdering Clinton Brink and his wife, Cristen Brink, while their two daughters, 7 and 9, ran to safety. After a five-day manhunt, McGann was arrested mid-haircut at a salon on Thursday and admitted to cops that he killed the Brinks in Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas on Saturday, police said. McGann now faces charges of two counts of capital murder and could face the death penalty for the crime. One distressed parent at his former Texas school told the New York Post that McGann once asked a little girl to be his "girlfriend" after putting her on his lap. The dad, whose son was occasionally in his class, fumed: "This monster was around our children. 'Mr. McGann was giving a lot of special treatment to girls in particular. "He was giving them candy, bringing them Sonic drinks, playing tag with them, tickling them, just really suspect behaviour." The school in question, Lewisville ISD, said that McGann was placed on administrative leave after "concerns related to classroom management, professional judgment, and student favouritism'. But the investigation found no evidence against the suspected killer while he was employed between 2022 to 2023, after which he resigned. Devil dentist spent days slowly killing wife with poisoned protein shakes - before giving her deadly cyanide in hospital McGann, who had just moved from Oklahoma to the Washington County area in northwest Arkansas to start a new teaching role, was arrested on Wednesday inside Lupita's Beauty Salon in Springdale. Clinton was stabbed first, then Cristen got her daughters to safety before she came back to help her husband and was also stabbed to death, Arkansas State Police said at a press conference on Thursday. Chilling audio revealed the moment that police found the parents' bodies after the girls fled to a nearby visitor center for help. DNA taken from McGann matched DNA from the horrific scene in the park, police said. Cops believe McGann, who had no criminal history, acted alone and that it was a random attack because he didn't know the Brinks. Investigators are still trying to determine a motive. TEACHING HISTORY McGann had recently moved to the area as he was hired as a "teacher candidate" for the upcoming school year, Springdale Public Schools said in a statement to The U.S. Sun. "This individual has not at any time come into contact with Springdale students or the families we serve," SPS said. While he hadn't yet met his potential Arkansas students, McGann had previously got in trouble for inappropriate contact during his first year teaching. After graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in elementary education in May 2022, he moved to northwestern Texas to teach fourth-grade math at Donald Elementary in Flower Mound. "The individual was placed on administrative leave in the spring of 2023 following concerns related to classroom management, professional judgment, and student favoritism," the school district, Lewisville ISD, said in a statement shared with The U.S. Sun. "An internal investigation found no evidence of inappropriate behavior with students. The teacher resigned from the district in May 2023." 'PRETTY DISINTERESTED' Sierra Marcum, a mom of one of McGann's former students at Donald Elementary, said the teacher was the "most standoffish teacher she had ever met," according to the Associated Press. 'Pretty cold. You could ask him a question, and he would give you a one-word response,' Marcum told the outlet. 'Overall, just pretty disinterested in his students.' Marcum claimed that her son noticed inappropriate behaviour from him towards little girls in his class, but the school district didn't comment on the allegation. After leaving Texas, McGann went back to the state of Oklahoma, where he worked as a fifth-grade science and social studies teacher for Broken Arrow Public Schools during the 2023-2024 school year. "As with all employees hired by the district, he was subjected to and passed the legally required background checks prior to being hired," Broken Arrow Public Schools said in a statement to The U.S. Sun. The district said he told them he left the position to work out of state, but instead took a job at a small nearby district in the Tulsa area. However, he stayed in Oklahoma and taught at Sand Springs Public Schools, near Tulsa, from summer 2024 until May of this year. He passed all background checks for the job, the district said in a statement. He resigned to take a job in another state. McGann had not yet started his job in Arkansas at Springdale Public Schools, the district confirmed. On Wednesday evening, he was arrested while getting a haircut at Lupita's Beauty Salon and Barber Shop, which is just about a 30-minute drive from where he allegedly slaughtered the Brinks. Surveillance footage from the salon showed cops taking the barber cape off McGann before putting him in handcuffs.
Fox News
02-08-2025
- Fox News
Arkansas hiking murders: Timeline reveals teacher suspect's route from classroom to courtroom
Arkansas authorities say a peaceful family hike turned into a deadly ambush, when a 28-year-old schoolteacher allegedly stabbed a married couple to death in front of their children at Devil's Den State Park. Arkansas State Police (ASP) arrested Andrew James McGann at a barbershop in Springdale at 4:57 p.m. Wednesday. Officials said that McGann was in the midst of a haircut when ASP officers tracked down the fugitive following the lethal attack on Saturday. McGann 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. Their daughters, who are 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members, authorities said. Here is a timeline of what we know so far about the suspect and the killings: 2:30 p.m. CDT — A 911 call was placed from Devil's Den State Park reporting an assault on a hiking trail. EMS and ASP respond. Shortly after — Search crews found Clinton and Cristen Brink dead from apparent stab wounds. Their daughters are found nearby, safe but traumatized. Evening — ASP confirmed that a double homicide occurred at the state park and issued a manhunt alert for an unidentified male suspect. "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. WATCH: Law enforcement zeroes in on person of interest in 'Devil's Den' murders The victims were identified as Clinton and Cristen Brink, who had recently relocated to the region from South Dakota. Police said the family was on a hike when they were targeted in a seemingly "random" attack. ASP released a sketch and description of the suspect, described as a white male in his late 20s wearing rolled-up long sleeves, gloves, and carrying a black backpack. "Investigators are asking those who visited the park on Saturday to check cellphone photos and videos or GoPro footage for images of the suspect. They are also asking residents of the area surrounding the park to notify ASP if they have access to security and game camera footage," ASP said in a release on Monday. "I want to thank the public and our media partners for their support as we pursue the man responsible for this heinous crime," ASP Col. Mike Hagar said. "We are using all available resources to apprehend this suspect and bring him to justice." WATCH MCGANN'S ARREST: 2:30 p.m. CDT — Authorities arrested McGann at a barbershop in Springdale. Authorities said they received "over 500" tips and surveillance video leading to his capture. Police recovered evidence from McGann's car and home linking him to the scene. Approximately 7 p.m. CDT – McGann was booked into the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was being held without bond. 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 to Fox News Digital. They said that McGann had passed all background checks. "The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority," said Lissa Chidester, director of communications. "While SSPS has not yet been contacted by authorities regarding this matter, the district has and will always comply with requests from law enforcement in any investigation. Our hearts are with the family and loved ones who have suffered this tragic loss." 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 females. 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." McGann was charged with two counts of capital murder. Police said he confessed during questioning. "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." WATCH THE NEWS CONFERENCE: Authorities confirmed that the suspect has no known adult criminal history. Investigators have not uncovered any prior charges or convictions. Investigators believe the attack was random and have not identified a motive. "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 revealed that McGann sustained "injuries" during the attack. The blood found at the scene helped authorities find the suspect, they said. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB Police said that Clinton Brink was attacked first, and that Cristen ran the couple's two young children back to their vehicle and then 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," Major Stacey Rhodes said. WATCH MCGANN'S FIRST COURT APPEARANCE: 9 a.m. CDT — McGann appeared in Washington County Circuit Court for a preliminary hearing. He was formally advised of his rights and the charges against him. Prosecutors confirmed he is being held without bond. A public defender was appointed. Arraignment was set for Aug. 25, 2025.
