A 28-year-old man from Springdale has been taken into custody by the Arkansas State Police in relation to the double homicide that occurred at Devil’s Den State Park on Saturday, the police announced Wednesday evening.
According to a news release from the state police, James Andrew McGann of Springdale was arrested at a Springdale business at approximately 5 p.m. and charged with two charges of capital murder. According to Northwest Arkansas local television station KHBS 40/29, McGann was arrested at a Springdale salon while receiving a haircut.
An Arkansas State Police press release over the weekend stated that the victims, Clinton Brink, 43, and Kristen Brink, 41, were slain in an attack while hiking at Devil’s Den on Saturday with their two daughters. There was no bodily harm done to the 7 and 9-year-old kids.
At a news conference in Lowell (Benton County) on Wednesday evening, the state police and Governor Sarah Sanders announced the arrest.According to a state police official who spoke to KARK-TV, McGann had no ties to the Brinks family, had recently moved to Northwest Arkansas from Oklahoma, and worked at a nearby school.
According to the state police, the Brinks family had also recently relocated to the state. They lived in the town of Prairie Grove, which is southwest of Fayetteville in Washington County. According to an analysis of their Facebook activities, the pair had previously resided in Montana.
This is the complete state police press release:
LOWELL, AR. James Andrew McGann, 28, of Springdale, has been taken into custody by Arkansas State Police (ASP) Special Agents in relation to a double homicide that took place at Devil’s Den State Park on Saturday, July 26, 2025.
On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 4:57 p.m., McGann was arrested at a Springdale business. Two charges of capital murder were brought against him.
Clinton While hiking with their two daughters, David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were ambushed and killed. The 7 and 9-year-old girls are safe with family members and were not hurt.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the governor, issued the following: Although this announcement is reassuring and consoling for our State, no news can make up for the immense sorrow caused to the Brink family by the tragedy that occurred last weekend. Since last Saturday, the Arkansas State Police, Park Rangers, local law enforcement, and others have been working tirelessly to apprehend this individual, and for that I am incredibly proud. I invite Arkansans to express prayers of sadness to the victims of this terrible act as well as praise for the courageous law enforcement officers. Without a doubt, violent crime is not tolerated in Arkansas. Law enforcement will track you down and prosecute you if you target innocent people.
I’m really appreciative of the lengthy hours and commitment our Agents have made to bringing justice to this family, ASP Col. Mike Hagar continued. There has never been a better partnership between State Police, other local and state law enforcement agencies, and our federal allies. We were able to remove a monster from the streets and provide relief to those two sweet girls as well as the rest of our citizens thanks to their diligence and investigation skills.
As further information becomes available, it will be made public.
It’s dragon-slaying time!
The Arkansas Times, which relentlessly defends the fundamental rights and liberties in our community, stands as a light of truth in an era when critical voices are being silenced more and more. Our commitment to provide uncompromising journalism has never been more important, especially with Arkansas in the center of a broad culture war that is impacting our libraries, schools, and public conversation. We can’t accomplish our goals of defeating dragons and holding those in positions of authority responsible alone. You can guarantee that independent journalism in Arkansas not only endures but flourishes by making a contribution today. We can join the fight and make a difference together.
