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Devil’s Den double-murder suspect appears in court
Andrew James McGann made his first court appearance after allegedly murdering a couple hiking with their daughters in Arkansas.
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Surveillance video from an Arkansas salon captured the moment Andrew James McGann was arrested in connection with the Devil’s Den State Park double homicide.
The footage, obtained by Fox News, captures 28-year-old McGann in Lupita’s Beauty Salon & Barber Shop in a light blue polo shirt and khaki pants on Wednesday.
McGann was mid-haircut when officers with the Arkansas State Police (ASP) entered the shop and promptly placed McGann in handcuffs, removing the black and white haircut cape in the process.
WATCH THE ARREST:
The double-homicide suspect, footage showed, did not resist arrest, as nearby patrons and employees watched in silence.
ARKANSAS HIKERS KILLED: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TEACHER CHARGED WITH MURDERING COUPLE IN FRONT OF CHILDREN
Andrew James McGann was booked at the Washington County Detention Center on Wednesday, July 30 at 7:08 p.m. (Washington County Detention Center)
ASP arrested McGann at 4:57 p.m. Wednesday. He was charged with two counts of capital murder in connection to the killings of Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, who were found dead on a walking trail at Devil’s Den.
McGann had his first court appearance on Friday morning. He is held with no bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 25.
The Brinks’ daughters, who are 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members, authorities said.
ASP Director Col. Mike Hagar announced in a Thursday news conference that both Clinton and Cristen Brink died from stab wounds. A knife was confirmed as the murder weapon. He also clarified that investigators found no indication the daughters were targeted.
WATCH: Arkansas mom saved children before being killed in double murder, officials say
“It appears to be a completely random event,” Hagar said. “We have no reason to believe there was any known association between our suspect and our victims.”
Hagar noted that McGann sustained “injuries” during the attack. The blood found at the scene helped authorities find the suspect, they said.
Hagar said that McGann confessed to the crime and that DNA evidence confirmed his involvement.
“Although everyone is innocent until proven guilty, we did confirm this morning that the suspect’s DNA is a positive match to the DNA recovered at the crime scene,” Hagar said. “During an interview with investigators, the suspect admitted to committing the murders. We also executed a search warrant at his residence and recovered items consistent with the crime.”
James Andrew McGann, 28, was arrested on Wednesday, July 30 at a barbershop. (Washington County Detention Center)
ARKANSAS MAN CHARGED WITH CAPITAL MURDER AFTER KILLING PARENTS IN FRONT OF DAUGHTERS AT DEVIL’S DEN STATE PARK
Who is the suspect?
Authorities confirmed that the suspect has no known adult criminal history. Investigators have not uncovered any prior charges or convictions.
McGann was a teacher in a small Oklahoma school district until May and then resigned to take a job in another state, according to a statement from Sand Springs Public Schools. They said that McGann had passed all background checks.
McGann had not yet started his new job in Arkansas at Springdale Public Schools, Jared Cleveland, the district superintendent, confirmed to Fox News. Cleveland said that McGann “has not at any time” been in contact with students or their families. He declined to provide more information, citing the investigation.
“Our entire team extends our deepest condolences to the Brink family,” he said. “Their children are especially in our thoughts and prayers.”
The mother of a former student provided an email from the teacher’s previous school district to Fox News. She said that in 2023, she filed a complaint with the superintendent after her son witnessed McGann behaving inappropriately toward younger female students.
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Arkansas State Police released a photo of a man wanted for questioning in the deaths of a couple while hiking in Devil’s Den in Arkansas. (Arkansas State Police)
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Special agents with the Arkansas State Police have arrested James Andrew McGann, 28, of Springdale, Arkansas, in connection to a double homicide that occurred on Saturday, July 26, 2025 at Devil’s Den State Park. (Arkansas Department of Public Safety)
In response, parents received a letter from the district stating that McGann had been placed on administrative leave while officials investigated complaints of poor classroom management and professional judgment.
While the investigation did not find evidence of inappropriate behavior toward a student, it concluded that McGann’s classroom management and judgment fell below district expectations. Shortly afterward, McGann resigned.
“Mr. McGann, on Wednesday afternoon, notified our Human Resources Department of his decision to resign his position, effective immediately,” the email said, in part. “We will have a substitute teacher in his class for the rest of the school year.”
Clinton Brink, 43, and wife Cristen, 41, were found dead on a walking trail at Devil’s Den State Park in northwestern Arkansas. (Cristen Brink via Facebook)
Who are the victims?
After recently relocating from South Dakota to Arkansas, the Brink family spent Saturday, July 26, exploring Devil’s Den State Park in the Ozark Mountains with their two young daughters.
ASP discovered Cristen and Clinton’s bodies along a remote hiking trail on Sunday at approximately 2:40 p.m. Their two daughters were physically unharmed but emotionally distressed, authorities said.
Authorities revealed Thursday that they believe that Clinton Brinks was attacked first. Cristen Brink then led their two daughters away from the scene to safety but later returned to help her husband, where she was also fatally attacked.
“We believe that the mother took them to safety and then returned to help her husband,” Rhodes said.
Cristen and Clinton Brink’s cause of death is being determined.
The trail head to the lower section of the Devil’s Den trail at Devil’s Den State Park remains closed Monday, July 28, 2025, in West Fork, Arkansas, as police search for a suspect in the deaths of a couple who were attacked while on a wooded walking trail. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
MANHUNT INTENSIFIES FOR ARKANSAS SUSPECT LIKELY INJURED IN FATAL ATTACK OF COUPLE
WATCH:
Major Stacey Rhodes said that McGann confessed to the double-murders.
“He made statements indicating that he had committed these heinous acts,” Rhodes said Thursday. “We then executed search warrants at both his residence and on the vehicle. While we’re still awaiting results from the crime lab, the DNA recovered at the initial scene has already been confirmed as a match to the suspect.”
Authorities said the investigation has generated over 500 tips and remains ongoing. Authorities have not revealed details from the scene. Investigators believe McGann acted alone, and no additional suspects are being sought at this time.
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Devil’s Den is located about 140 miles northwest of Little Rock. The remote 2,500-acre park features hiking trails and rock formations.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Writer at Fox News Digital.
You can follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.