Typically, when you go out for a hike, you’re mostly on your guard against wildlife and the elements. But last weekend, something truly terrifying happened to Clinton and Cristen Brink, who were hiking in Arkansas—a madman stabbed them to death in front of their two daughters. The man responsible for the double homicide in Devil’s Den State Park has now been arrested for the crime. Disturbingly, he was a school teacher.
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“Special Agents with the Arkansas State Police (ASP) have arrested James Andrew McGann, 28, of Springdale, in connection to a double homicide that occurred on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at Devil’s Den State Park,” wrote the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in a Facebook post announcing the arrest. “McGann was taken into custody at 4:57 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at a business in Springdale. He was charged with two counts of Capital Murder.”
Reports suggest Clinton and Cristen Brink died defending their two daughters, 7 and 9, who escaped McGann. The girls found another hiker on the trail, who ended up calling for help.
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The New York Post reports that McGann was a licensed teacher with a troubled past who was due to start teaching at a new school next week. Thanks to law-enforcement agencies, this won’t happen. ASP Col. Mike Hagar expressed his relief that his agency was able to “take a monster off the streets.”
See the Washington County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook post about the arrest of the double-homicide suspect:
This case is still developing and details may change.
Header stock image by raksyBH/Getty Images
