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

[RedHaus]

DBM

 

[Herat]

I don’t think that the press conference not mentioning that the little girls could have been targetted for nefarious reasons actually concludes the possibility.

For me it wasn’t an assumption so much as a pattern of behavior and escalation that I’m pretty sure will come out in time.
I can see reasons they would not share any abduction thoughts in the first press conference, prior to a full investigation.
Especially since those little girls may be trying to give a full testimony of the events to authorities.

I’ll wait to find out a better motive for an attack, details of the events, and another logical reason for that huge duffle bag before I change my mind.

IMO

I think the huge duffel bag is something he regularly uses in his work activities as an extracurricular coach. Maybe he carries supplies, some first aid stuff, flashlights, his running stuff, and a large knife ( just in case there are rattlesnakes around, you know)

Likely it's always in the trunk of his car. Would be very interesting to see what the backpack holds. With the reported history of running, it is likely it's a water delivery device and does not have a capacity to hold much of anything else.

 

[PacoElFlaco]

In this case, I am reminded of the Maquoketa Caves murders of 2022, where a 20 year old camping with his mom and dad massacred a nearby family and shot himself. In both cases, while motive is unknown, it would seem the attacks were intended to remove the parents and gain access to the children.

 

[cckp72]

Apologies if this has already been posted and I overlooked it. It's the security camera footage of his arrest at the hairdresser, posted by 5News:

Thanks for posting this!

He seems so much smaller and calmer than I expected. I thought his mugshots showed him large and full of rage.

 

[floridafreshsqueez]

Apologies if this has already been posted and I overlooked it. It's the security camera footage of his arrest at the hairdresser, posted by 5News:

ty for this!! I’m kinda disappointed they cut out the moment of confrontation in the video…I don’t get it lol. man, that stylist was caught off guard entirely IIRC. I can’t imagine just going about my Wednesday afternoon, last appointment of the day (probably, just a guess) and the client gets arrested for murder.

 

[SMK777]

Apologies if this has already been posted and I overlooked it. It's the security camera footage of his arrest at the hairdresser, posted by 5News:

Thank you for posting this footage! To me, he looks like a kid, a young teen.

 

[Little Jack]

I think the huge duffel bag is something he regularly uses in his work activities as an extracurricular coach. Maybe he carries supplies, some first aid stuff, flashlights, his running stuff, and a large knife ( just in case there are rattlesnakes around, you know)

Likely it's always in the trunk of his car. Would be very interesting to see what the backpack holds. With the reported history of running, it is likely it's a water delivery device and does not have a capacity to hold much of anything else.

Interesting idea, I had not considered the knife may have been carried for other reasons than intending to harm someone.

 

[Arkay]

I heard them say that "there is no indication at this time that the girls were his target

I know nothing will change the outcome, that two parents were slaughtered and their two younger daughters knew they were attacked and saw at least some of it, since they were able to give some details to LE.

IMO it would be a small mercy if the investigation finds that the children were not, in fact, the target.

I feel this way because the children will all be scarred forever by this obscene double murder, but as they grow to adulthood, I don’t want them to suffer survivor’s guilt.

If it turns out that their parents did in fact sacrifice their lives for the two daughters, that may be excruciating for them when they are older.

JM speculation.

 

[bajaflash]

I don’t think that the press conference not mentioning that the little girls could have been targetted for nefarious reasons actually concludes the possibility.

For me it wasn’t an assumption so much as a pattern of behavior and escalation that I’m pretty sure will come out in time.
I can see reasons they would not share any abduction thoughts in the first press conference, prior to a full investigation.
Especially since those little girls may be trying to give a full testimony of the events to authorities.

I’ll wait to find out a better motive for an attack, details of the events, and another logical reason for that huge duffle bag before I change my mind.

IMO

There's a chance there's a search for logic where there just won't be any imo

 

[justtrish]

What we know about his intentions that day-
He wanted to obscure his license plate
He brought a weapon

If he was attempting to flash people, interact with kids, photograph kids or what have you... he still had the weapon. He came prepared to cause physical harm to someone.

For what reason I do not know- to subdue a child and get their cooperation? To "defend" himself if an adult intervened?

Very odd if the kids were not the target, then why choose THAT family. Seems a group of 4, even with 2 of them being children is a big risk. Typically, these trail killers or those that kill someone out for a run somewhere are sexually motivated. If that were the case here, again why pick a family of 4. I'm sure there were hikers out there alone or just 2 walking.

I keep coming back to the idea that this wasn't who he was picking, but something happened that caused Mr. Brinks to encounter him for some reason. Either he was doing something odd and he called him on it or followed him/talked to him to ask him what he was doing, etc. Maybe that caused a reaction from the killer.

I definitely think he was up to no good by going there like he was dressed and concealing the plates. He had a plan to do something he needed to "hide" from. If the girls were not the target, then I am confused on exactly who was the target. All 4 of them? Seems so brazen to do this in a public park during the day, but even more so to not just pick a single victim, but to do it this way.

 

[Dotta]

Apologies if this has already been posted and I overlooked it. It's the security camera footage of his arrest at the hairdresser, posted by 5News:

Thank you.
I couldn't see other videos as they don't open in my country (in Europe)

He looks soooo young!
Like a teen!

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

He really does look younger in the arrest footage. But that might partly be because he's carrying himself like a scared little kid. He doesn't appear confident at all, IMO.

I don't see any wounds on his arms or hands in the arrest footage. But he does seem to have a mark on his nose in the mugshots.

Hopefully Clinton or Cristen smacked him in the face and bloodied his nose.

 

[AngTxGal]

Moo...in regards to teachers moving frequently to different schools. The reason some people get into teaching is because they like traveling to different areas and different countries. A teacher changing areas frequently is not always about running away from their problems...moo

Did anyone say a teacher that changes locations for jobs is ‘always’ running away from problems?
I taught a single year at some school districts when I first was hired, and I moved several times. I didn’t resign mid year, never was investigated or had any black marks, and was always offered a contract for the next year. I was looking to get paid better, so I sought districts that paid higher as I had an MS and science/math teachers can negotiate because there is often a shortage.

If he was wanting to travel and see parts of the world, he chose jobs within a 5 hour radius.
The culture in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas is pretty similar. Lewisville and Broken Bow are good districts, probably pretty good pay.

So seemed sketchy to me
I’d like to know why he left each job.
Did he complete his full year at each job? Or was he asked to resign?
Did he leave under strange circumstances? Was there an investigation?
Was he offered a contract for the next year? If not, why?

I think the devil in the details will come out. Some posters have already shown evidence there were issues in districts. So not all was well

IMO

 

[Inthedetails]

Did anyone say a teacher that changes locations for jobs is ‘always’ running away from problems?

snipped

I doubt anyone said, "always."

I didn't.

jmo

 

[Little Jack]

He really does look younger in the arrest footage. But that might partly be because he's carrying himself like a scared little kid. He doesn't appear confident at all, IMO.

I don't see any wounds on his arms or hands in the arrest footage. But he does seem to have a mark on his nose in the mugshots.

Hopefully Clinton or Cristen smacked him in the face and bloodied his nose.

Yes in the interview posted earlier the hairdresser said his demeanor was frightened, and even timid.

I really liked her interview by the way how she led with her feelings for the family first and foremost. Adrenaline from such an encounter can make some people in interviews seem almost excited after such an incident, and understandably so, and I appreciate how circumspect she was about focusing attention on tbe victims and not herself. Showed a lot of class and composure from her in my opinion.

And im by no means criticizing people who dont come off that way in such a situation. Just really impressed by her.

 

[Fargo]

Very odd if the kids were not the target, then why choose THAT family. Seems a group of 4, even with 2 of them being children is a big risk. Typically, these trail killers or those that kill someone out for a run somewhere are sexually motivated. If that were the case here, again why pick a family of 4. I'm sure there were hikers out there alone or just 2 walking.

I keep coming back to the idea that this wasn't who he was picking, but something happened that caused Mr. Brinks to encounter him for some reason. Either he was doing something odd and he called him on it or followed him/talked to him to ask him what he was doing, etc. Maybe that caused a reaction from the killer.

I definitely think he was up to no good by going there like he was dressed and concealing the plates. He had a plan to do something he needed to "hide" from. If the girls were not the target, then I am confused on exactly who was the target. All 4 of them? Seems so brazen to do this in a public park during the day, but even more so to not just pick a single victim, but to do it this way.

I agree. This is absolutely not how one goes about abducting or molesting a child. Those offenders select children that have wandered from the group or are otherwise momentarily alone and unsupervised. They don't snatch a child away from two adults and another child walking on a park trail. Now, a completely disordered individual might do inexplicable or deranged things, but judging from the arrest video and booking video this offender is not that.

Something happened that sparked a confrontation/altercation between Mr Brinks and this offender, obviously, because I don't think this guy planned in advance to go to a park and kill two parents walking with two children just for the heck of it.

My opinion.

 

[no greed]

Colonel Mike Hagar ASP - “We think the mother took kids to safety then returned”. I wonder if the suspect and her husband were still engaged when she returned? Could she have met him on the trail? I wonder how close together Clinton and Cristen were found?

 

[bluevioletfour]

Plus all the job changes and his age (early to mid 20s) may indicate the onset of serious mental illness like schizophrenia, etc. He sounds like he was falling apart mentally speaking. His attack was poorly planned, disorganized. JMO

He was also probably under a lot of pressure trying to hide his big problems.

ETA: It would be interesting to know if he had previously show such violent behavior and if so, when it started.

I would bet he was asked to resign or they would fire him at each job. I'm sure there were issues with his teaching and/or issues with others (whether parents, students, co-workers, admin.). Red flags were there but maybe nothing "concrete".

 

[AngTxGal]

I am unexpectedly emotional about the State's care for the family.

jmo

I still think they need to work on public communication, but I felt exactly the same about the humanity of the ASP reps that spoke and the investigation.

The reality of seeing and collecting two bodies of parents who were stabbed to death after screaming to tell their daughter’s to run is horrific.
And then talking to those little girls as they did the best they could to share their story.
Being with those little girls while family was able to get there, they were with strangers.
And wondering who the heck would do such a thing.

It must be exceptionally emotionally taxing, and it was 5 days.
And then I imagine how it feels for those who work on cases that they can’t solve, knowing a killer is out there month after month, year after year. I don’t see how they handle that kind of pressure and emotional toll.

Wonderful press conf and detective work to catch him!!
IMO

 

[Ghostwheel]

First thing I thought of was Khan Academy (which I like!).

jmopinion

First thing I thought was "Ruler", as in the cat rules the house. Because they do, y'know.