Arkansas teacher charged with killing couple who were hiking in Devil’s Den with their kids
By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK Ark AP Arkansas police charged a -year-old schoolteacher in the killing of a married couple who were hiking with their children at Devil s Den State Park finding him in a nearby city after a five-day search and citizens pleas for trailgoers to look through their photos State Police arrested Andrew James McGann at a barbershop in Springdale mentioned Col Stacie Rhoads commander of the department s criminal study division He was charged with two counts of capital murder and was being held without bond Thursday in the state s Washington County jail The map above locates Devil s Den State Park in Arkansas AP Graphic Police informed the arrest at a Wednesday night news conference but would not discuss a motive McGann had been hired at Springdale Community Schools as a guide candidate for the upcoming year but had not yet come into contact with any of its families or students the district explained in a comment A lawyer couldn t be located for McGann and a message was left for a number listed for him His first court appearance was scheduled for Friday 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 Arkansas Gov Sarah Huckabee Sanders recounted reporters Springdale is roughly miles north of the state s remote Devil s Den park where trails have remained closed since Saturday s killings Police flooded with tips Clinton David Brink and Cristen Amanda Brink were determined dead on a walking trail at Devil s Den Their daughters who are and were not hurt and are being cared for by family members administration have declared The State Police have published insufficient details about the scrutiny including how the couple was killed In the days after the attack police circulated a composite sketch and then a photo of a person of interest that displayed them only from behind Bureaucrats urged trailgoers who had been at the park to check their camera rolls for photos or video that might help point to a suspect Rhoads announced the community s help and video footage they received was instrumental in capturing McGann Tips came in from as far away as Washington state she mentioned It was overwhelming she declared Suspect taught in Oklahoma before Arkansas job McGann was a trainer at a small Oklahoma school district until May and then resigned to take a job in another state according to a report from Sand Springs Inhabitants Schools which is near Tulsa It added that McGann had passed all background checks This photo provided by Washington County Sheriff s Office shows Andrew McGann Washington County Sheriff s Office via AP McGann had not yet started his new job in Arkansas at Springdale Society Schools disclosed Jared Cleveland the district superintendent He reported the district could not provide more information citing the review Our entire company extends our deepest condolences to the Brink family Their children are especially in our thoughts and prayers Cleveland mentioned Sierra Marcum disclosed three years ago her son was a novice in McGann s fourth grade classroom in Flower Mound Texas and described him as the majority standoff coach she had ever met Her son s yearbook includes a photo of McGann Pretty cold You could ask him a question and he would give you a one word response she explained Overall just pretty disinterested in his students Casualties had not long ago moved before hike Clinton and Cristen Brink had just moved from South Dakota to the small city of Prairie Grove in northwest Arkansas Their water had been connected less than two weeks ago Mayor David Faulk noted Related Articles In contemporary times in History July Phelps sets Olympic medal record Tsunami warnings fading after one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded Here s what to know In contemporary times in History July Jenner takes gold in Montreal Trump says Epstein stole young women from Mar-a-Lago spa including Virginia Giuffre What to know about the shooting at a New York City office tower that killed Clinton Brink had been scheduled to start a job as a milk delivery driver Monday in the nearby Fayetteville area according to Hiland Dairy his employer Cristen Brink had been licensed as a nurse in Montana and South Dakota before moving to Arkansas The Brink family mentioned the couple died heroes protecting their little girls Our entire state is grieving for the tragic loss and senseless and horrific crime that s taken place in this area Sanders noted Devil s Den is a -acre state park near West Fork about miles northwest of Little Rock the state capital The park is known for its hiking trails and rock formations and it is a short drive from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and Walmart s Bentonville headquarters It was selected as a state park site in the s and the park s trails lead to the surrounding Ozark National Forest Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden contributed from Seattle
