A suspect has been arrested within the killings of a pair who have been attacked on an Arkansas mountain climbing path Saturday, state police mentioned Wednesday.
James Andrew McGann, 28, of Springdale, was arrested at 4:57 p.m. Wednesday at a enterprise in Springdale and is charged with two counts of capital homicide, Arkansas State Police mentioned in a press release.
He’s accused of killing Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, who have been attacked Saturday afternoon in entrance of their daughters whereas they have been mountain climbing at Satan’s Den State Park, police have mentioned.
He was arrested at a barber store after a dayslong manhunt, police mentioned.
Col. Mike Hagar, the state police director, thanked state police for working lengthy hours within the seek for a suspect, in addition to federal businesses for his or her help.
“Due to their exhausting work and investigative ability, we have been capable of take a monster off the streets and produce aid to these two treasured ladies and the remainder of our residents,” Hagar mentioned.
Authorities didn’t point out a suspected motive Wednesday or how the killings occurred.
“We’re nonetheless exploring and figuring out precisely what that motive was,” Arkansas State Police Maj. Stacie Rhoads instructed reporters Wednesday night time.
McGann had lately moved to Arkansas from Oklahoma and had gotten a job to work at an area faculty, she mentioned.
The victims’ daughters are 7 and 9 years previous. They weren’t injured and are protected with members of the family, officers mentioned.
Katrina Hutchins, Clinton Brink’s sister, mentioned they moved to the state about three weeks in the past.
State police have been notified concerning the killings at Satan’s Den shortly earlier than 3 p.m. Saturday. Officers launched a sketch of a suspect and requested the general public for assist. They mentioned witnesses noticed a black, four-door sedan with tape partly masking its license plate.
“Clinton and Cristen died heroes, defending their little ladies and so they deserve justice. They may eternally reside on in all of our hearts,” the household mentioned in an earlier assertion.
Rhoads mentioned police have been declining to launch a lot details about what led to McGann’s arrest Wednesday.
“We nonetheless have quite a lot of work to do when it comes to securing a conviction, as a result of that’s our subsequent large focus proper now,” she mentioned.
It was not instantly clear whether or not McGann had an legal professional who might converse on his behalf. A telephone quantity for any family members couldn’t be present in on-line public data Wednesday night time.
Satan’s Den State Park is round 26 miles south of Springdale, a metropolis of round 84,000 within the northwestern a part of the state.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders mentioned northwest Arkansas has been “a neighborhood that has been completely heartbroken.”
“Our whole state is grieving for the tragic loss and mindless and horrific crime that’s taken place,” she mentioned. She requested Arkansans to wish for the victims’ household.
