Major update in case of couple who were murdered on popular trail while hiking with their young daughters
There has been an update in the case of the double murder of a married couple who were out hiking with their young daughters when they were 'fatally attacked'.
On Saturday (July 26), Arkansas authorities launched a frantic, wide-spread manhunt to trace a suspect after Clinton David Brink, 43, and his wife, Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were found dead in Devil's Den State Park.
The couple had just relocated from South Dakota to Prairie Grove, a small town in northwest Arkansas near the Oklahoma border, and were hiking the popular trail with their daughters, aged seven and nine, when a man allegedly attacked them at around 2.30pm.
Fortunately, the young girls managed to escape and did not sustain any injuries, but they reported that their parents had been stabbed at the tourist hotspot, reports CNN.
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The news outlet revealed police answered a call from the visitor center where the kids reported their parents were 'assaulted' and one 'possibly stabbed'.
Now, Arkansas police have confirmed an arrest has been made in connection with the double homicide.
James Andrew McGann, a 28-year-old schoolteacher, was arrested from a hair salon in Springdale at 4.57pm on Wednesday (July 30) and charged with two counts of capital murder.
While police have not yet publicly revealed a possible motive for the killings, McGann's arrest comes after a strenuous five-day manhunt and as police were flooded with tip-offs 'as far as Washington state'.
Officials had released a sketch of a suspect in their appeal for help as well as an image of a person of interest.
They also detailed a black, four-door sedan, possibly a Mazda, with tape partly covering its license plate leaving the park.
In a public appeal to trace the suspect, the Brink family said in a statement that the couple had only just moved to the area three weeks prior and had 'died heroes, protecting their little girls, and they deserve justice.'
As for the suspect, McGann had reportedly moved from Oklahoma to Arkansas, resigning from his role as a teacher at Sand Springs Public Schools and was due to start work in the upcoming school year at Springdale Public Schools, district superintendent Jared Cleveland said in a statement.
The teacher had passed all background checks and the district further clarified McGann 'has not at any time come into contact with Springdale students or the families we serve'.
Colonel Mike Hagar, the state police director, thanked federal agencies and Arkansas police for their assistance in the arrest.
He said: “I’m extremely grateful for the long hours and dedication that our Agents put forward in bringing justice to this family. The collaboration between State Police, other state and local law enforcement agencies, and our federal partners has been second to none," as per a police news release.
"Because of their hard work and investigative skill, we were able to take a monster off the streets and bring relief to those two precious girls and the rest of our citizens," Hagar added.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders added: "If you commit a violent, senseless act here in our state, our law enforcement will hunt you down and bring you to justice, because that’s what the people of Arkansas frankly deserve."
"Our entire state is grieving for the tragic loss and senseless and horrific crime that's taken place," reports ABC News. "One of the worst experiences that certainly I've ever had was making a phone call to the Brink family earlier this week. Nothing like that should ever have taken place."
McGann is now being held in the state's Washington County jail.
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