Teacher admits killing couple in Arkansas’ Devil’s Den State Park, police say – National & International News – THU 31Jul2025
Teacher admits killing couple in Arkansas’ Devil’s Den State Park, police say. Reports of concerning behavior in TX school where suspect previously taught.
Teacher admits killing couple in Arkansas’ Devil’s Den State Park, police say
This past Saturday Clinton David Brink, 43, and his Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were stabbed to death while hiking with two of their young daughters, aged 7 and 9, in Devil’s Den State Park in Northwest Arkansas. Clinton Brink was apparently stabbed first about half a mile into the park. Cristen Brink then ushered their girls to safety before rushing back to help her husband, at which point she was also killed. The girls were unharmed and are now in the care of relatives. Police have not said whether or not they witnessed their parents’ murders.
On the day of the murders, police released a sketch of a person of interest seen in the vicinity and a still image of a suspect taken from behind. Police were also able to trace the suspect’s vehicle based on surveillance footage. Yesterday, police arrested Andrew James McGann, 28, in a barbershop in Springdale, AR, about 30 miles north of the park. McGann is a public school teacher who has taught in several states, including Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. He has been charged with two counts of capital murder.
Maj. Stacie Rhoads of the Arkansas State Police told reporters today that McGann had admitted to the killings, but a motive has not been determined. His DNA also matches DNA samples taken from the scene. The Brink family has said the couple died “heroes protecting their little girls”.
The Brinks had only recently moved from South Dakota to Prairie Grove, AR. Clinton was about to start a job as a deliveryman for a local dairy while Cristen had previously been licensed as a nurse.
Previous reports of concerning behavior
McGann has no criminal history and had recently been hired at the Springdale Public Schools but had not yet started his new job, according to the local superintendent. In 2023, while McGann was teaching at Donald Elementary School in Flower Mound, TX, the district placed McGann on administrative leave, “following concerns related to classroom management, professional judgment, and student favoritism”.
Sierra Marcum, whose son was in McGann’s 4th grade class at the time, told CBS News that McGann was the “most standoff teacher” she had ever met. She said McGann was, “Pretty cold. You could ask him a question and he would give you a one-word response. Overall just pretty disinterested in his students”.
Marcum also said her son had reported inappropriate behavior by McGann toward the girls in his class, including being “very touchy with the girls and having them on his lap and making comments to them and keeping them back from recess”. The school district said that they did not find evidence that McGann had acted inappropriately with students.
Reports indicate McGann also taught in Sand Springs and Broken Arrow, OK, before moving to Springdale, AR, in June of this year.
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