The Arkansas State Police have arrested a 28-year-old Springdale man in connection with Saturday’s double murder at Devil’s Den State Park, the state police said Wednesday night.
James Andrew McGann of Springdale was taken into custody around 5 p.m. “at a business in Springdale” and charged with two counts of capital murder, according to a state police press release. KHBS 40/29, a local news station in Northwest Arkansas, reports that McGann was arrested while getting a haircut at a Springdale salon.
The victims, Clinton Brink, 43, and Kristen Brink, 41, were hiking with their two daughters at Devil’s Den on Saturday when the couple was attacked and killed, according to an Arkansas State Police press release over the weekend. The children, ages 7 and 9, were not physically harmed.
The arrest was announced by the state police and Gov. Sarah Sanders at a press conference in Lowell (Benton County) on Wednesday night. KARK-TV reports that an official with the state police said McGann had just moved to Northwest Arkansas from Oklahoma, was recently employed at a local school, and had no connection to the Brinks family.
The Brinks family had also recently moved to the state, the state police said previously. They were residents of Prairie Grove, a Washington County town southwest of Fayetteville. A review of their Facebook activity indicates the couple previously lived in Montana.
Here’s the full press release from the state police:
LOWELL, Ark. — 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.
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.
Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were fatally attacked while hiking with their two daughters. The girls, who are 7 and 9, were not injured and are safe with family members.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders released the following: “No news can heal the enormous harm done to the Brink family in last weekend’s crime, but this announcement is a comfort and reassurance for our State. I am so proud of the Arkansas State Police, Park Rangers, local law enforcement, and others who have worked nonstop since last weekend to capture this suspect. I ask that Arkansans lift up prayers of thanks for the brave men and women of law enforcement – and offer prayers of condolence to the victims of this horrific crime. Let there be no mistake – we do not tolerate violent crime in Arkansas. If you target innocent people, law enforcement will hunt you down and bring you to justice.”
ASP Col. Mike Hagar added, “I’m extremely grateful for the long hours and dedication that our Agents put forward in bringing justice to this family. The collaboration between State Police, other state and local law enforcement agencies, and our federal partners has been second to none. Because of their hard work and investigative skill, we were able to take a monster off the streets, and bring relief to those two precious girls, and the rest of our citizens.”
Additional details will be released as they become available.