Andrew James McGann admitted to killing couple on Devil’s Den trail, police say
ROCK. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I’M COLONEL MIKE HAGER. I’M DIRECTOR OF ARKANSAS STATE POLICE AND SECRETARY OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS COMING OUT THIS AFTERNOON. WE’RE GOING TO JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH SOME BULLET POINTS, INFORMATION, AND I’M SURE IT’S GOING TO SPAWN A LOT OF QUESTIONS. WE’RE GOING TO TRY TO ANSWER AS MANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS AS WE CAN. I WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR PARTNERS, WAX. I’M GOING TO LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. BUT WE DO HAVE OUR TWO DEPUTY DIRECTORS, LIEUTENANT COLONEL MIKE KENNEDY AND LIEUTENANT COLONEL JASON AARON, THAT ARE WITH US. AND I BELIEVE THE REST OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME WILL SPEAK AND I’LL LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. I WANT TO START BY THANKING OUR INVESTIGATORS. IT’S HARD TO EXPRESS THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND ENERGY THAT GOES INTO AN INVESTIGATION LIKE THIS. YOU COULD SEE IT ON THEIR FACE WHEN WE WALKED INTO HEADQUARTERS LAST NIGHT AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEM, TALK TO THEM, THANK THEM IN PERSON. AT THE CULMINATION OF THIS. THEY’RE ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTED. THEY PUT EVERY BIT OF THEIR HEART AND SOUL INTO THIS INVESTIGATION TO GET THIS SUSPECT BROUGHT INTO CUSTODY AND TAKEN OFF THE STREETS, AND I CANNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH FOR THAT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS. WE ARE TRULY BLESSED IN ARKANSAS. IT’S NOT ALWAYS COMMON, AND THAT’S UNFORTUNATE, BUT WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR STATE, LOCAL AND FEDERAL COUNTERPARTS THAT ARE SECOND TO NONE. THERE WAS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION THAT WENT INTO THIS INVESTIGATION. NO PART IS LESS THAN ANY OTHER PART. THERE’S THERE’S A TOTAL PACKAGE THAT HAS TO BE LOOKED AT, HAS TO BE INVESTIGATED. AND THESE THESE GROUPS WORK TOGETHER IN A VERY IMPRESSIVE WAY. AND WE COULDN’T WE CAN’T THANK THEM ENOUGH, NOT JUST ON THIS CASE, BUT IN EVERY CASE THAT WE WORK WITHIN STATE POLICE TO HAVE THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM IS REALLY VALUABLE. I WANT TO THANK THE PUBLIC FOR PROVIDING IMAGES AND VIDEOS FROM CELL PHONES, HOME AND BUSINESS SECURITY FOOTAGE THAT DIRECTLY ADVANCED THIS INVESTIGATION. AND WE’LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THAT PLAYED OUT. BUT THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PUT OUT IN THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION BACK FROM THE PUBLIC DIRECTLY RESULTED IN THIS PERSON BEING BROUGHT INTO CUSTODY. IT ALLOWED OUR INVESTIGATORS TO A STARTING POINT AND TO MOVE FORWARD AND TO USE THEIR SKILLS THAT THEY’VE DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS AND THEIR EXPERIENCE TO BRING THIS PERSON INTO CUSTODY. WE HAD ABOUT 500 TIPS THAT CAME IN THROUGH OUR PHONE LINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, NOT ONLY WERE THERE A LOT OF TIPS THAT CAME IN AND WERE VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO FIELD THOSE TIPS, AND IT’S NOT ALL BADGE WEARING, GUN TOTING MEMBERS OF THE STATE POLICE OR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. WE HAD A LOT OF CIVILIAN PERSONNEL THAT WERE TASKED WITH THAT. THERE WAS A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY SPENT ON TRIAGING THOSE TIPS AND MAKING SURE THEY WENT TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE. AND THE SO WE OWE A GREAT ATTITUDE FOR THAT SUPPORT STAFF THAT HELPED WITH THIS AS WELL. ALTHOUGH EVERYONE IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY, WE DID CONFIRM THIS MORNING THAT OUR SUSPECT’S DNA HAS BEEN A POSITIVE MATCH TO THE DNA THAT WE SUSPECTED TO BELONG TO OUR SUSPECT AT THE SCENE. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH INVESTIGATORS, THE SUSPECT INDICATED THAT HE DID COMMIT THESE MURDERS. WE EXECUTED A SEARCH WARRANT AT HIS RESIDENCE. THERE WERE ARTICLES FOUND THERE THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH BEING INVOLVED IN THIS PARTICULAR CRIME. AND I WILL LET MAJOR ROADS SPEAK MORE OF THAT OR MORE TO THOSE DETAILS. WE DO BELIEVE HE ACTED ALONE. WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THERE’S ANYONE ELSE INVOLVED, AND WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY FUTURE ARREST OR ANY OTHER ARRESTS BEYOND THIS SUSPECT. I’M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PASS OFF TO MAJOR STACEY RHODES. SHE CAN WALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE INFORMATION, AND I’LL RETURN TO THE PODIUM AND WE’LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WE CAN. THANKS. >> WE’LL GET AFTERNOON. AS HE INDICATED ON MAJOR STACEY RHODES, I OVERSEE THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION FOR THE STATE POLICE, AND I KIND OF WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH HOW WE INITIATED AND PROGRESSED THROUGH OUR INVESTIGATION. SO, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE RESPONDED TO A CALL FOR SERVICE AT THE STATE PARKS. TWO YOUNG CHILDREN WERE FOUND IN INDICATED THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO THEIR PARENTS ON THE TRAIL. THAT INITIAL INFORMATION THAT CAME FROM THE KIDS GAVE US OUR FIRST STARTING POINT, WHICH WAS A DESCRIPTION OF A OF A SUSPECT. THERE WAS ANOTHER WITNESS AT THE PARK THAT WE ENCOUNTERED THAT GAVE US ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUSPECT AND A PARTICULAR VEHICLE THAT HE WAS SEEN LEAVING THE PARK. WITH THAT, WE TOOK THE INFORMATION, COMPLETED A AND LET ME KIND OF WE’LL START THERE. SO FROM THERE WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD DESCRIPTION OF OF OUR SUSPECT. WE DID OUR INITIAL RELEASE. OTHER WITNESSES CAME FORWARD THAT WERE ON THE TRAIL DURING THE TIME THAT THE MURDERS OCCURRED THAT HAD DID NOT SEE THE MURDERS, BUT BROUGHT FORTH VIDEO FOOTAGE, PHOTOGRAPHS THAT THEY HAD TAKEN ON THEIR DAY TRIP TO THE PARK. FROM THAT, WE OBTAINED A PHOTO. WE INTERVIEWED WITNESSES AND WERE ABLE TO COME COMPILE A COMPOSITE SKETCH OF WHAT WE BELIEVED OUR SUSPECT LOOKED LIKE. WITH THAT, WE RECEIVED DOZENS AND DOZENS AND DOZENS OF TIPS. WITH THE INITIAL VEHICLE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED. IT BEING A BLACK SEDAN, ONE OF THE INITIAL DESCRIPTIONS WAS THAT IT WAS SPORTY. FROM THAT, WE RECEIVED WELL OVER 5 OR 6 CLOSE TO TEN VIDEOS OF THIS PARTICULAR CAR FROM HOMES AND BUSINESSES ALONG THE ROUTES IN AND OUT OF THE PARK, SO WE WERE ABLE TO ASCERTAIN THAT A PRETTY GOOD DESCRIPTION OF THIS, OF THIS VEHICLE. SO WITH THAT VEHICLE, INFORMATION THAT BECAME CRITICAL IN IDENTIFYING OUR SUSPECT. SO WITH THE THE PHOTOS OR THE TIPS THAT CAME IN WITH THE COMPOSITE AND THE PHOTO, AS THE COLONEL SAID, WE RECEIVED OVER 500 TIPS. AND INITIALLY WE WERE USING THE NAMES AND INFORMATION TO COME OUT TO, TO COMPARE WITH. DID THEY HAVE BLACK VEHICLES? DID THEY MEET A CERTAIN CRITERIA? VEHICLES? BUT AS WE BEGAN TO HONE IN ON ON THE VEHICLE, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT IT WAS A KIA STINGER. AND WE USED THAT INFORMATION TO VET VARIOUS. OWNERS AND OUR SUSPECT WAS IDENTIFIED. AND WITH THAT, WE SOUGHT HIM OUT AND WE LOCATED HIM AT A LOCAL BARBER SHOP THERE IN SPRINGDALE. WE TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY, AND WITH THAT, WE, YOU KNOW, SPOKE TO HIM AND HE MADE STATEMENTS INDICATING THAT HE HAD HAD HAD COMMITTED THESE THESE HEINOUS ACTS. AND OUR JOB DIDN’T STOP THERE. WE EXECUTED A SEARCH WARRANT ON HIS HOUSE AND ALSO ON THE VEHICLE. WE ARE STILL WAITING A LOT OF TESTING AT THE CRIME LAB, BUT AS THE COLONEL SAID, DNA THAT WAS RECOVERED AT THE INITIAL CRIME SCENE MATCHED H
Andrew James McGann admitted to police that he killed Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, on a hiking trail at Devil’s Den, Col. Mike Hagar with the Arkansas State Police said Thursday.McGann was arrested and booked into the Washington County Detention Center. DNA taken from him matched DNA from the scene, authorities announced in a news conference.They believe McGann acted alone, and they don’t anticipate any more arrests.”It appears to be a completely random event,” Hagar said.They believe McGann attacked the Brinks while they were hiking with their daughters, 7 and 9.The girls found their way to another hiker, who got the girls off the trail, then hiked to find the girls’ parents. When the hiker found the two bodies, they hiked back off the trail to get cell service and called the police.One witness told police they had seen a person come off the trail with what looked like blood on his face.Both that person and another witness described a black sedan. People sent security camera video to the police, and they were able to determine the car was a 2022 Kia Stinger.On Wednesday, police found a black Kia Stinger at a salon in Springdale. They came into the salon to find out who owned the car. McGann said he did and gave police permission to search his car.Investigators found what appeared to be blood in the car.McGann is scheduled to appear in court on Friday morning.Prosecuting attorney Brandon Carter said he does not plan to waive the death penalty in the case.
WEST FORK, Ark. —Andrew James McGann admitted to police that he killed Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, on a hiking trail at Devil’s Den, Col. Mike Hagar with the Arkansas State Police said Thursday.
McGann was arrested and booked into the Washington County Detention Center. DNA taken from him matched DNA from the scene, authorities announced in a news conference.
They believe McGann acted alone, and they don’t anticipate any more arrests.
“It appears to be a completely random event,” Hagar said.
They believe McGann attacked the Brinks while they were hiking with their daughters, 7 and 9.
The girls found their way to another hiker, who got the girls off the trail, then hiked to find the girls’ parents. When the hiker found the two bodies, they hiked back off the trail to get cell service and called the police.
One witness told police they had seen a person come off the trail with what looked like blood on his face.
Both that person and another witness described a black sedan. People sent security camera video to the police, and they were able to determine the car was a 2022 Kia Stinger.
On Wednesday, police found a black Kia Stinger at a salon in Springdale. They came into the salon to find out who owned the car. McGann said he did and gave police permission to search his car.
Investigators found what appeared to be blood in the car.
McGann is scheduled to appear in court on Friday morning.
Prosecuting attorney Brandon Carter said he does not plan to waive the death penalty in the case.
