Clinton and Cristen were hiking with their girls. A stranger was waiting in the woods.

On July 26, 2025, Cristen and Clinton Brink decided to take their two young daughters for a walk in Devil's Den State Park, in northwest Arkansas.

The family were about a kilometre into their hike when a man leapt out and charged towards Clinton, 43, attacking him. 

Cristen, 41, jumped into action. The mother scooped her daughters up and ran to safety.

Once the girls were out of harm's way, the mother returned to find her husband.

But it was too late.

The attacker, still there, turned his attention to Cristen and fatally stabbed her.

The trail head to the Devil's Den trail at Devils Den State Park was closed as investigators scoured the scene. Image: AP via AAP.

The children, aged seven and nine, waited where their mother had left them, until another hiker on the trail caught sight of the girls and took them to safety.

The children explained what they witnessed to the adults in the park, who alerted the authorities.

Once investigators arrived at the scene, they began to piece together a suspect based on the girls' descriptions, and the account of another witness who had seen a man leaving the trail with blood on his face.

Soon, the suspect's car, a Kia Stinger, was identified. A manhunt began for the alleged killer, who was identified as 28-year-old, Andrew James McGann, a school teacher.

WATCH: New details and video show how investigators tracked down the Devil's Den suspect. Post continues after video.

McGann was arrested on Wednesday at a barbershop, mid-haircut, about 48-kilometres north of the park, police said.

Police said what appeared to be blood was found inside his car, adding the suspect was injured when he attacked Cristen and Clinton.

According to CNN, McGann was set to become an elementary teacher in the Springdale Public Schools, after moving to Arkansas earlier in the year. Statements from school districts across Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas additionally show he had been hired to be a teacher in at least five different districts since 2022.

Andrew James McGann's booking photo. Image:Washington County Sheriff's Office.

In a press conference on Thursday, authorities said they believed the attack to be "a completely random event."

"I can confirm that we have absolutely no indication, no reason whatsoever to believe there was any connection at all between our suspect and our victims," Arkansas State Police Col. Mike Hagar said.

Washington County Prosecuting Attorney, Brandon Carter, praised the family's actions.

"They absolutely protected those girls to their fullest extent, to the point that it cost them their lives," Carter said, per CNN. "We're in awe of this mum and dad. We're also in awe of these girls."

Investigators said the motive in the double murder remains a mystery. But Carter said there were "no indications that suggest the girls were his target."

McGann has been charged with two counts of capital murder. Police said McGann admitted to the crime while in police custody. He is being held without bond and a jury will decide his fate.

In a brief statement to the ABC, Cristen and Clinton's family asked for privacy "as they grieve and learn how to navigate this new reality".

"Clinton and Cristen died heroes protecting their little girls, and they deserve justice. They will forever live in all of our hearts."

Feature Image: Gofundme.