Clinton David Brink, 43 & Cristen Amanda Brink, 41 found on trail - Devil's Den State Park, AR- 26 July, 2025 #2 *Arrest*

[scottishgal]

say if someone on a nature park trail , had acted super creepy to my child when he was 7 who had run up ahead, and then I went running after - I would pull my son away and run in the opposite direction but if my son's dad had been there, he would have run toward not away and had a few things to say - without considering the poss of the man having a knife or gun. I can see this unfolding perhaps similarly

However, I suppose it is still possible he actually came there with a huge bag to try and take a kid

Yes, very scary to imagine this was a teacher who has had a position of authority and power over kids for 3 years now

 

[Inthedetails]

Really hit me this morning that we are mourning a couple of HEROS.

jmo

 

[AngTxGal]

Trying to share the entire photo. This shows a good idea of his shoulders and frame.

Edited to add, click on the photo to see his face also. Hair seems darker here in this photo and he has some facial hair.

This looks like a hiring photo- Bayyari Elementary School, Springdale, Arkansas
When was this taken, or did he send them an older photo?
His new job for 2025-2026?
The creepiness keeps getting creepier!

IMO

 

[Inthedetails]

It fits if the parents weren't prepared to stop with just getting the kids away from him (indecently exposing himself to them maybe) and walk away, maybe they were trying to report him / Photo him to report him, something like that. @AngTxGal , agree this is just good mom and dad right there, I should not have used the term vigilante justice as it sounds like over and above , they were brave and strong in their response to the perp

Good point about him being worried the parents would report him. He likely could not afford to lose this job, and if he did have a criminal record, he couldn't bounce to another state to teach again by claiming his name is now "AJ." He was desperate.

IMO, Peeping Toms don't carry giant duffle bags.

Clinton and Christen stopped this perv from abusing another child ever again.

jmopinion

 

[mlhenn]

I would think even janitors are vetted to not have any violet crimes in their past and certainly no child related crimes. I was sure he must have had some criminal history, but maybe he did not, or it was minor things that wouldn't prevent him from working at a school.

They are. If he got a job in an AR public school, he passed a background check, a child maltreatment check, and was finger printed.

 

[MollyHarps]

I now believe the guy acted creepy toward the daughters in some way, and the dad went into vigilante justice mode and the perp already on the edge, drew his knife and it escalated from there

Think he went with license plate hidden in case the perviness was caught on camera, think his motive perhaps exposing himself in front of little girls

I agree with you @scottishgal these are my thoughts to.

The dad confronted him and he drew his knife - I think the dad possibly tried to apprehend him after catching him being a peeping Tom.

I feel that’s more likely than a potential abduction. Abductions dont tend to happen by putting a child into a bag - maybe if they were toddlers i would be more inclined to believe the story. Abductions of children tend to happen more by luring them to cars or houses.

 

[Inthedetails]

"Law enforcement doesn't think McGann knew the people they say he stabbed to death on a hiking trail."

Motive unclear in Devil's Den killings

Law enforcement doesn't think James Andrew McGann knew the people they say he stabbed to death on a hiking trail.

www.4029tv.com

He picked strangers, but he picked the wrong ones.

jmopinion

 

[scottishgal]

someone looking to mess with a child - doesnt explain why the other witnesses on the trail at 1.30pm said they felt he was giving them the side eye , sizing them up , though ?

keep going back and forth on motive, doesnt add up now with what we know this morning

Peeping Tom-ness would have had ample opps at the school environment - where there were lesser adults to challenge and was in a position of trust with the kids

 

[MollyHarps]

"Law enforcement doesn't think McGann knew the people they say he stabbed to death on a hiking trail."

Motive unclear in Devil's Den killings

Law enforcement doesn't think James Andrew McGann knew the people they say he stabbed to death on a hiking trail.

www.4029tv.com

He picked strangers, but he picked the wrong ones.

jmopinion

Im not sure who he picked had any impact on him getting caught (I still don’t feel he picked them either I think he was caught doing something disgusting)

I think his sloppiness is what got him caught so quickly - several people noticed him acting suspiciously / not fitting in with normal trail walkers. People even took photos of him.

I think whoever he murdered that day he would have ended up being caught - HE is just a dumb criminal imo.

 

[Serononin]

Are steroids known to cause aggro behaviour?

Depends on the type of steroid, but recreationally-used steroids certainly are. Commonly known as "roid rage"

 

[MollyHarps]

I work in Education (in the UK though so slightly different systems and procedures.)

A police background check (DBS check it is called here) is only one part of the background check - on its own it is not that useful it just means that you haven’t been caught.

I’d be more interested to see his references from previous schools (if I was interviewing him I’d want references from all 4 previous schools as it would be a red flag that he only stayed for a maximum of a year at each) if those Facebook comments are right from previous parents of children in his classes then I think his previous schools have a lot to answer for.

 

[Snortflea]

I teach in Oregon, and our “Teacher Standards Practices Committee (TSPC) has a website where you can see if an educators teaching license has ever been suspended, revoked, or on probation. (They can teach still if they were on probation and they get their license back after). I’m not sure if other states have something similar.

But my guess is there was nothing ever officially investigated with this guy, unfortunately. I do think his staying one year and moving to other schools in other states is highly suspicious.

We had a teachers aide a few years back who we all got the creeps from. When a mom came to the principal saying he had taken pictures of her daughter at recess of her doing gymnastics moves, our principal talked to him. Our principal apparently asked to see this guys phone and the guy showed it to him. I’m not sure what was on his phone, but we never saw that aide again. However, I always wondered if that guy could just go get hired elsewhere and leave his work history from our school off of his application and no one would be the wiser about him creepily taking pictures of little girls “doing gymnastics” at an elementary school.

Oregon Teachers and Admin Licenses - Disciplinary

 

[MollyHarps]

I teach in Oregon, and our “Teacher Standards Practices Committee (TSPC) has a website where you can see if an educators teaching license has ever been suspended, revoked, or on probation. (They can teach still if they were on probation and they get their license back after). I’m not sure if other states have something similar.

But my guess is there was nothing ever officially investigated with this guy, unfortunately. I do think his staying one year and moving to other schools in other states is highly suspicious.

We had a teachers aide a few years back who we all got the creeps from. When a mom came to the principal saying he had taken pictures of her daughter at recess of her doing gymnastics moves, our principal talked to him. Our principal apparently asked to see this guys phone and the guy showed it to him. I’m not sure what was on his phone, but we never saw that aide again. However, I always wondered if that guy could just go get hired elsewhere and leave his work history from our school off of his application and no one would be the wiser about him creepily taking pictures of little girls “doing gymnastics” at an elementary school.

Oregon Teachers and Admin Licenses - Disciplinary

We have the same in the UK

All teachers have to be checked on the TRA website (Teaching regulation agency) prior to being appointed

 

[Serononin]

It fits if the parents weren't prepared to stop with just getting the kids away from him (indecently exposing himself to them maybe) and walk away, maybe they were trying to report him / Photo him to report him, something like that. @AngTxGal , agree this is just good mom and dad right there, I should not have used the term vigilante justice as it sounds like over and above , they were brave and strong in their response to the perp

Or if he had taken pictures of the kids, say, the parents might have been trying to get him to delete them?

 

[mlhenn]

I can see the Oklahoma educational system requires a police background check. I'd like to know if Arkansas does, too.

I was just thinking about this. If he had a criminal record, I don't think he could be hired as a teacher. (Irony that he WAS hired as a teacher.)

Do schools ask for fingerprints?


jmopinion

In order to get a job as a teacher in AR, he had to pass a full background check & child maltreatment check. He had to provide finger prints as well.
As a teacher, he is also considered a mandated reporter and had to take professional development hours on this.

I looked his licensure information up on our state’s education site.

It seems to be current. Looks like he applied for his AR teacher license in 2024.

Search

aels.ade.arkansas.gov

ETA: if his license was revoked or he had an in fracture that affected his license status, it would be listed here as well (for AR).

 

[Inthedetails]

Im not sure who he picked had any impact on him getting caught (I still don’t feel he picked them either I think he was caught doing something disgusting)

I think his sloppiness is what got him caught so quickly - several people noticed him acting suspiciously / not fitting in with normal trail walkers. People even took photos of him.

I think whoever he murdered that day he would have ended up being caught - HE is just a dumb criminal imo.

He picked people who stopped him from harming their children. Unfortunately they gave their lives, but that is what led to investigation, which led to catching him, which led to preventing him from harming another child.

I absolutely think his victims had an impact on him getting caught. I'm guessing there were other situations in other states when he (obviously) wasn't stopped from creeping around other children. imo

Whatever the case, I think his trek into the park that day was doomed to be his last. He wasn't going to abduct a child and get away with it (and I think his goal was abduction).

jmopinion

 

[justtrish]

What if he had a camera in that large awkward bag? Maybe he was going to set up in the woods and try to photograph or video kids and the Brinks saw him or noticed him. That would certainly be something heavy causing the bag to look awkward and like something was weighing it down, but not be full.

 

[SleuthyLou]

The comments on the FB news site KNWA & Fox24 announcing his arrest make me furious. Coming from other families he taught in his past states — as other people have posted here already. Interested to see what the rest of this investigation reveals. I just listened to that podcast yesterday and realized I’ve never heard witnesses speak publicly like this in the past — probably because LE would have told/advised them not to due to an investigation? And the top line being down was the motivation for witnesses to speak up elsewhere? I did find it unusual. Incredibly glad this perp was caught and justice can be served.

 

[LibraStarr]

His mug shot…

Detainee Information

 

[justtrish]

His mug shot…

Detainee Information

His face looks bruised.

Also is he wearing the smock from the hairdresser?

Good grief he looks scary in this photo also.

I certainly would not pick him out as being a 3rd grade teacher.