by LITTLE ROCK, AR (AP) — On Friday, a 28-year-old teacher who police claim admitted to killing a couple he didn’t know as they were hiking in a state park in Arkansas with two of their kids was brought before a judge for the first time.
In connection with the murders of Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, on Saturday, Andrew James McGann, 28, has been charged with two counts of capital murder. In addition to assigning McGann a public defender and setting his arraignment for August 25, the judge ordered that he be held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center.
Authorities are working to identify a motivation for the attack in Devil’s Den, a 2,500-acre (1,000-hectare) state park located roughly 140 miles (220 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas State Police Col. Mike Hagar said Thursday. Since Saturday, the public has been unable to access its trails.
According to Maj. Stacie Rhoads, commander of the department’s criminal investigative branch, McGann was taken into custody by State Police on Wednesday at a barbershop in Springdale, roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of the park.
McGann has no criminal history, and the Associated Press has left messages at the numbers provided.
About half a mile (0.8 kilometers) into the park, according to officials, the husband was stabbed first. The mother then led her kids to safety before going back to assist her husband. She was also fatally stabbed.
If the 7 and 9-year-old girls saw both of their parents dead, authorities have not disclosed this information. According to authorities, they were not harmed and are receiving treatment from family members.
According to Rhoads, McGann cooperated with the arrest and shortly after confessed to killing the couple. His DNA was also matched by police to blood recovered from the crime scene. Even the cops find the case troubling.
“This is probably one of the most horrible incidents we’ve had in my 27 years with the State Police, especially considering how random it was,” Rhoads said.
Police flooded with tips
Following a five-day search and hundreds of tips, McGann was taken into custody.
Other hikers who had been on the trails but had not seen the attack provided the State Police with images and videos. A composite sketch and a photograph of a person of interest taken from behind were also made public by the police.
Then, utilizing surveillance footage from residences and businesses close to Devil’s Den, the police were able to identify the suspect’s car, which had tape covering the license plate.
After naming McGann as a suspect, police apprehended him at the barbershop within an hour.
Carter said the state would allow a jury to decide whether to execute McGann.
Suspect taught in other states before Arkansas job
According to each state’s certification page, McGann is currently licensed to teach in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. His public state licenses in each of those states show no violations or suspensions. All three state education departments have been contacted by the Associated Press.
According to a Lewisville Independent School District spokesperson, McGann was placed on administrative leave in the spring of 2023 while working at Donald Elementary School in Flower Mound, Texas, due to issues with student favoritism, professional judgment, and classroom management.
According to Sierra Marcum, whose son attended McGann’s fourth-grade class, the instructor came across as somewhat aloof and uninterested in his pupils. Marcum said she informed the principal of the school about her son’s distress when he returned from school due to some of McGann’s actions.
According to a statement from the district, McGann left his position in Lewisville in May 2023.
From the summer of 2024 until May of this year, he also worked as a teacher in a tiny Oklahoma school system. Sand Springs Public Schools, located close to Tulsa, released a statement stating that he resigned to accept a position in another state. According to the district, McGann cleared every background check.
According to district spokesperson Lissa Chidester, law enforcement has not gotten in touch with Sand Springs Public Schools about the investigation.
Jared Cleveland, the district superintendent of Springdale Public Schools in Arkansas, stated that McGann had not yet begun his new position. Citing the inquiry, he stated that the district was unable to disclose further details.
The victims had just arrived in Arkansas
The Brinks had recently relocated to Prairie Grove, a small city in northwest Arkansas, from South Dakota with their three kids.
Hiland Dairy, Clinton Brink’s employer, stated that he was scheduled to begin working as a milk delivery truck on Monday. Prior to relocating to Arkansas, Cristen Brink held nursing licenses in South Dakota and Montana.
According to the Brink family, the couple died like heroes while defending their young daughters.
From Montgomery, Alabama, Riddle reported. Contributions were made by Associated Press reporters Corey Williams in Detroit and Hallie Golden in Seattle.
