Arkansas State Police said James Andrew McGann, a 28-year-old man from Springdale, was taken into custody at 4:57 p.m. on Wednesday, five days after the attack.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — A suspect has been arrested after a husband and wife were killed while hiking at Devil’s Den with their children on Saturday, July 26.
Arkansas State Police (ASP) said James Andrew McGann, a 28-year-old man from Springdale, was taken into custody at 4:57 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30, five days after the fatal attack. He faces two capital murder charges.
Gov. Sanders will join Secretary of the Department of Public Safety Col. Mike Hagar and Secretary of the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism Shea Lewis at the ASP Troop L Headquarters in Lowell on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. to discuss the investigation.
The victims were identified on Sunday as Clinton David Brink, 41, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41. Officials said the couple was hiking with their two daughters when they were attacked on Saturday afternoon. The two girls, who are 7 and 9, were reportedly not injured and are safe with family members.
“The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult time as they grieve and learn how to navigate this new reality,” the Brink family said in a statement provided to CNN. “They ask that if anyone has any information at all that will help the investigation, to please contact the proper authorities immediately. Clinton and Cristen died heroes, protecting their little girls and they deserve justice. They will forever live on in all of our hearts.”
The couple recently moved to Prairie Grove from another state, police said. Prairie Grove Mayor David Faulk couldn’t confirm much about the couple, but he did say the Brinks started their water service on July 16, 2025, just 10 days before the attack.
Hiland Dairy confirmed to the Associated Press that Clinton had transferred from its parent company, Prairie Farms Dairy. He was working at the South Dakota location before moving to Arkansas. The Associated Press reported that Clinton was scheduled to start his new job delivering milk in the Fayetteville area on July 28..
The manhunt for the suspect had been ongoing for five days, unsettling local residents and drawing widespread concern.
A call came into Washington County a little bit before 2:30 p.m., reporting a possible assault, according to police scanner audio obtained by 5NEWS.
“We found the victims down here,” responders are heard saying in the audio. “They’re on the lower Devil’s Den trails where I’ve got two, two bodies.”
5NEWS first received a tip about a large police presence and investigation at Devil’s Den around 4:30 p.m. on July 26. We immediately reached out to law enforcement, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and ASP, but were repeatedly redirected or offered no information.
While on the scene, 5NEWS reporter Beau Russell was told to leave by state troopers, and they too did not provide information on the reason for the law enforcement presence. At 8:40 p.m., six hours after being notified, ASP released a statement about a manhunt for the suspect.
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