(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) — A suspect has been arrested in connection with a double homicide at an Arkansas park, after a married couple was found dead on a walking trail over the weekend, authorities said.
James Andrew McGann, 28, of Springdale, Arkansas, was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of capital murder in the killings of 43-year-old Clinton David Brink and his wife, 41-year-old Cristen Amanda Brink, Arkansas State Police announced Wednesday evening.
The Brinks were “fatally attacked” while out hiking with their two daughters at Devil’s Den State Park on July 26, police said. The children, ages 7 and 9, were not harmed in the incident.
McGann was arrested shortly before 5 p.m. local time at a business in Springdale, about 30 miles north of the park, state police said. At a news conference Wednesday night, an official said the business McGann was arrested at was a hair salon.
The official said McGann had recently moved to the area from Oklahoma and had been hired to work at a local school.
Asked about a motive, investigators declined to comment, saying the case is still active and that it would be premature to do so.
“Our entire state is grieving for the tragic loss and senseless and horrific crime that’s taken place,” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, adding, “One of the worst experiences that certainly I’ve ever had was making a phone call to the Brink family earlier this week. Nothing like that should ever have taken place.”
Police previously said the suspect was seen leaving the area of the park in a black, four-door sedan, possibly a Mazda, with a license plate covered by tape, police said.
Arkansas State Police had released a composite sketch and photo from behind of a man who was seen in Devil’s Den State Park on Saturday, the day of the killings. Police asked for the public’s help in identifying the man, who they said was wanted for questioning in connection with the double homicide.
The FBI assisted Arkansas State Police with its investigation “by providing additional manpower and specialized resources.”
Police have not yet revealed how the Brinks were killed.
The Brinks had recently moved to Prairie Grove from another state, police said.
The children are safe and in the custody of relatives, according to police.
All trails at Devil’s Den State Park, which were closed following the killings, will remain closed for now, Arkansas Secretary of Parks Shay Lewis said.
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