LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas police on Wednesday charged a 28-year-old man in the killing of a married couple who were hiking with their children at Devil’s Den State Park, finding him in a nearby town after a five-day search and public pleas for trailgoers to look through their photos.
State Police arrested Andrew James McGann, of Springdale, at a barbershop in the town, said Col. Stacie Rhoads, commander of the department’s criminal investigation division. McGann was charged with two counts of capital murder. Police would not say what the motive was.
McGann had recently moved to the area and was working at a school, according to authorities, though they did say not in what job.
A lawyer couldn’t be located for McGann, and a message was left for a number listed for him. He was being held in the Washington County jail Wednesday. It was not immediately clear when his first court appearance was.
“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 said a news conference Wednesday night.
Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were found dead Saturday on a walking trail at Devil’s Den. Their daughters, who are 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members, authorities have said.
Police had released a composite sketch and photo of a person of interest they were searching for in the attack. Along with the drawing, police released a statement saying the suspect “likely sustained an injury while attacking the couple.” It did not go into further detail.
The State Police have released few details, including how the couple was killed. The FBI has said its Little Rock field office is assisting in the investigation. The head of the State Police praised the cooperation among law enforcement on catching McGann.
“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,” Col. Mike Hagar said.
Rhoads said the public’s help and video footage they received was instrumental in capturing McGann. Tips came in from as far away as Washington state, she said.
“It was overwhelming,” she said.
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 said.
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 said 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 said.
Devil’s Den is a 2,500-acre (1,000-hectare) state park near West Fork, about 140 miles (220 kilometers) 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 1930s.
The park’s trails, which lead to the surrounding Ozark National Forest, remained closed Wednesday.
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This story has been updated to correct the suspect’s name. A previous statement from the State Police spelled his name James Andrew McGann. It is Andrew James McGann.
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Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden contributed from Seattle.
