Police say Devil’s Den killer admits to crime

This post was updated at 7 p.m. after a press conference revealed more details about the case.

By STEVE BRAWNER

Details about the murder of two hikers at Devil’s Den State Park emerged Thursday, including the fact that Arkansas State Police leaders say the suspect admitted to the crime, and his DNA matches DNA found at the scene. 

To recap, police arrested Andrew James McGann Wednesday at 4:57 p.m. as a suspect in the stabbing deaths of Clinton and Cristen Brink. The married couple, ages 43 and 41, were killed July 26 while hiking a trail at Devil’s Den State Park. Their two daughters ages 9 and 7 escaped and are safe with family. A third daughter was not on the trail at the time. The Brinks had only recently moved to Arkansas. 

Police arrested McGann while he was getting a haircut at a Springdale salon. He recently was hired to teach at Springdale’s Bayyari Elementary School after previously teaching in Oklahoma and Texas. CBS News reported that he had resigned a teaching job in Texas after an investigation found he had poor classroom management and professional judgment. 

He was scheduled to appear in court Friday, Aug. 1, on two counts of capital murder. On Thursday, the prosecuting attorney said the death penalty was on the table.

It should be emphasized that McGann is innocent until proven guilty. However, Arkansas State Police Director Col. Mike Hagar said in a press conference Thursday that McGann had admitted to the crime during an interview with investigators. His DNA matched DNA taken from the scene. You can watch the press conference on YouTube by going to KATV’s channel or others.

Police believe Clinton was attacked first, and that Cristen took their daughters to safety and then returned to help him. McGann was injured during the attack and lost blood. Hagar said McGann apparently did not know the Brinks, and that the attack appears to have been random. He thanked the public for providing images and videos that advanced the investigation. Authorities received more than 500 tips.

The night before, Hagar appeared at a press conference where he gave an idea of how much work authorities had put into the case. 

“We have a building full of criminal investigators from State Police, local agencies, federal partners that are unshaven; they looked unkept; they’ve not slept in days,” he said. “They’ve barely taken time to eat. … Because of their hard work and investigative skill, we were able to take a monster off the streets and bring relief to Clinton and Cristen’s precious girls and to the rest of the citizens of Arkansas.” He choked up at the end. 

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, also speaking at the press conference, said phoning the Brink family this week was “one of the worst experiences that, certainly, I’ve ever had.” She asked the state to pray for the family. 

Double homicides generally make news, but many aspects of this one made it the state’s top story. A family was attacked. They were new to Arkansas. And they were enjoying one of the state’s best features enjoyed by many people: its network of State Parks and trails. 

Those trails give Arkansans a chance to get some exercise in a natural environment. They are well-maintained. Hikers feel safe from both bad guys and critters. 

A murder like this in a state park is not only rare – it’s apparently never before happened. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette could find only two killings at a state park, ever. A park ranger shot an escaped inmate decades ago, and another person was killed after he entered someone’s home in 2019. The Democrat-Gazette relied largely on the memories of Richard Davies, who led the Arkansas State Parks system for 39 years. 

The trail where the attack occurred remains closed out of respect for the family and to give staff time to assess the situation, Arkansas State Parks Director Shea Lewis said Wednesday. He didn’t say it, but the arrest of the suspect will help people feel safer on this particular trail and others. He said the State Parks system over the past few years has “constantly” evaluated safety and security. 

For now, three children have lost their parents, and a family is grieving. A GoFund Me page is raising money for the funeral expenses and to transport the couple’s remains back home, and to help provide for their daughters. As of 5 p.m. Thursday afternoon, it had raised $41,548.

Steve Brawner’s column is syndicated to 21 outlets in Arkansas. Email him at brawnersteve@mac.com.