Clinton David Brink, 43 & Cristen Amanda Brink, 41 found on trail - Devil's Den State Park, AR- 26 July, 2025 #3 *Arrest*

[indicolite22]

This is what I want to know. What were all the bags about? Especially the empty duffle in the picture. Was it always empty?

A witness described him earlier in the day and mentioned his bags were weighted down. Seems to me they are empty in that picture. Idk what to make of it. The dude literally has three bags, for what? I know a lot of people are saying they are for kids. I don't know many kids past toddler age that can fit in a duffle bag. Even if they could how are you going to get them in the bag and just walk the trail with them? That makes no sense. My thoughts are the bags were used to transport items commissioned in the crime OR they're an indication he had some sort of break with reality and the actual rational for having the bags is nonsensical.

What if he planned to sedate a child and put them into the bag then try to leave the park inconspicuously (or wander deeper into the woods)? The duffel was a hockey bag with mesh on top. Reportedly he brought the same bag to school the previous year.

 

[Rational_Geographic]

What if he planned to sedate a child and put them into the bag then try to leave the park inconspicuously (or wander deeper into the woods)? The duffel was a hockey bag with mesh on top. Reportedly he brought the same bag to school the previous year.

Idk but I'm just being practical here, if he really thought he would be able to get a child older than a toddler into a bag like that and waltz on out of the park, I'm almost wondering again if he didn't have a complete break with reality. Its just so ridiculous to even conceive tbh.

 

[AngTxGal]

Maybe, but that’s not what LE said.

When the question was asked about the girls being targeted, LE could have easily said that it is still part of the investigation. They didn’t say that. It is still early in the investigation and anything can change. imo

I think what LE said was appropriate no matter what they think the motive was for the attack.

Two little girls saw their dad get stabbed
Their mom told them to run for help as fast as they could
They did and then they could no longer hear their mom screaming

The last thing those little girls need to find out is that they were the targets.
And- at this point it is best that the public is told as little as is possible. That doesn’t mean people won’t put pieces together and think on their own.

Let’s imagine that LE thinks the girls may have been a target, but not for a murder.
Then you suspect that AJM could have had plans for them.
What if they found a camera in his bag?
What was in his apartment?
What is on his phone and computer.
What was in the car?
Does he live alone or have a roommate?

We know his car was in the area
He lived 40 min away
He want to his car and drove quickly and loudly out of the park

The press conference was less than 24 hours after he was arrested.
Leaving all options open, to not clue in anyone watching is the best way to make sure anyone that could be related is not tipped off.

I’m not expecting LE to give us any more information for a while, and I’m fine with that.
Just my conjectures

 

[femto]

I’m shocked by how many people in these forums are still question if this guy was a creep or not. Maybe some people are more trusting than I am? I don’t get it.
My Spidey Senses are sending out fight or flight alarms.

IMO

Two things. I don't know if we should trust people coming out of the woodworks to suggest he is a pedophile now when he was caught killing two people with little girls. Statements after the fact should always be taken with a huge grain of salt as there are many people looking to get on national television and claim they had this guy figured out from the get go. And the things they suggest he did are things that will immediately put you on the radar. Two, I find it highly unlikely, albeit not impossible given people like this are usually not that smart, for him to have been targeting the girls. How many little girls hike, let alone alone, on these trails? How would he think he'd have able to abduct the girls with a knife in the middle of a well visited park while dealing with the parents? And why didn't he bother to chase after the girls? If that is the case, you'd have to assume this was a specific, targeted attack but how would he know where they'd be that day, at that hour and what path they'd take?

To me this appears to be a crime of opportunity. He went there that day, all dressed up, to kill. Who he ran accross didn't really matter unless he had a specific profile of the victim. Something set him off in his personal life and it was probably a long time coming.

 

[indicolite22]

Idk but I'm just being practical here, if he really thought he would be able to get a child older than a toddler into a bag like that and waltz on out of the park, I'm almost wondering again if he didn't have a complete break with reality. Its just so ridiculous to even conceive tbh.

Adult people have been put in suitcases before.

 

[Inthedetails]

Adult people have been put in suitcases before.

Absolutely true.

jmopinion

 

[indicolite22]

Two things. I don't know if we should trust people coming out of the woodworks to suggest he is a pedophile now when he was caught killing two people with little girls. Statements after the fact should always be taken with a huge grain of salt as there are many people looking to get on national television and claim they had this guy figured out from the get go. And the things they suggest he did are things that will immediately put you on the radar. Two, I find it highly unlikely, albeit not impossible given people like this are usually not that smart, for him to have been targeting the girls. How many little girls hike, let alone alone, on these trails? How would he think he'd have able to abduct the girls with a knife in the middle of a well visited park while dealing with the parents? And why didn't he bother to chase after the girls? If that is the case, you'd have to assume this was a specific, targeted attack but how would he know where they'd be that day, at that hour and what path they'd take?

To me this appears to be a crime of opportunity. He went there that day, all dressed up, to kill. Who he ran accross didn't really matter unless he had a specific profile of the victim. Something set him off in his personal life and it was probably a long time coming.

Mothers of his students who are speaking to the media now, reported his behavior when it happened (at least two years ago), so they aren't suddenly making it up. Parents of the girls he targeted did too. He was put on leave and investigated. The school gave him a pass and let him resign before the end of the school year. That is a problem.

 

[AngTxGal]

Two things. I don't know if we should trust people coming out of the woodworks to suggest he is a pedophile now when he was caught killing two people with little girls. Statements after the fact should always be taken with a huge grain of salt as there are many people looking to get on national television and claim they had this guy figured out from the get go. And the things they suggest he did are things that will immediately put you on the radar. Two, I find it highly unlikely, albeit not impossible given people like this are usually not that smart, for him to have been targeting the girls. How many little girls hike, let alone alone, on these trails? How would he think he'd have able to abduct the girls with a knife in the middle of a well visited park while dealing with the parents? And why didn't he bother to chase after the girls? If that is the case, you'd have to assume this was a specific, targeted attack but how would he know where they'd be that day, at that hour and what path they'd take?

To me this appears to be a crime of opportunity. He went there that day, all dressed up, to kill. Who he ran accross didn't really matter unless he had a specific profile of the victim. Something set him off in his personal life and it was probably a long time coming.

Great thoughts, my thoughts do not come from people who have spoken out on social media.
They come from my own experiences and knowledge, and there are people out there thinking like I am.
But here on this site you have to give sources to support your thoughts.
So I have done that as best as I can

I have two kids and we hiked on trails like that when they were this age, camped in tents, hunted, fished, have kayaks, my kids still do those things as young adults.

When we hiked my kids always ran ahead, with a dog, around a corner at times where we could not see them but would stop and wait for us to catch up.

Look at the pictures of this couple- many of them are taken doing outdoor activities.
I see your points, but have different thoughts as to what was going on here.

I’ve not seen another good fit for a motive
IMO

 

[AngTxGal]

Adult people have been put in suitcases before.

They have, and bodies have been discarded in suit cases in lakes, buried, the ocean
I can think of.. seven cases in the last five years where a suitcase was involved.
Some were adults, some were children.

Could he have carried a person on his back in that bag out of that park. Yes
He is 6’ and about 180 lbs 28 yrs old male in good physical shape
A girl about their age- 45-60 lbs

Did he have candy with him?
Did he offer it to them?
Did he show them pictures of his cat?

What did he plan to do with two adults and two kids? I hate to imagine what would have happened if the girls had not run!! That is what saved their lives.

All possible
IMO

 

[Trino]

Two things. I don't know if we should trust people coming out of the woodworks to suggest he is a pedophile now when he was caught killing two people with little girls. Statements after the fact should always be taken with a huge grain of salt as there are many people looking to get on national television and claim they had this guy figured out from the get go. And the things they suggest he did are things that will immediately put you on the radar. Two, I find it highly unlikely, albeit not impossible given people like this are usually not that smart, for him to have been targeting the girls. How many little girls hike, let alone alone, on these trails? How would he think he'd have able to abduct the girls with a knife in the middle of a well visited park while dealing with the parents? And why didn't he bother to chase after the girls? If that is the case, you'd have to assume this was a specific, targeted attack but how would he know where they'd be that day, at that hour and what path they'd take?

To me this appears to be a crime of opportunity. He went there that day, all dressed up, to kill. Who he ran accross didn't really matter unless he had a specific profile of the victim. Something set him off in his personal life and it was probably a long time coming.

Israel Keyes, suspected serial killer - who he killed didn't matter. Just set out to kill on a particular day. These individuals are out there. And still out there.

 

[knla]

Maybe AJM had camping equipment in his bags, set up a tent somewhere in the woods and then went out hunting for little girls. He could have planned to snatch a little girl and run back to his isolated tent with her. He may have run after the girls after killing their parents, but they had made it to the visitor's center. He could have seen or heard that other hikers knew there was an attacker on the trail. So he had to get out of there in a hurry. He wasn't planning on leaving DNA.

 

[OneLove]

In reference to hikers reporting his bags seemed loaded on the way in yet empty on the way out, did they leave the park closed for the purpose of running cadaver dogs to search for possible (cringe) hidden dead body of a little girl he took in then was looking for a replacement to carry out? A chloroform soaked rag would render a child very flexible yet still alive. Since he had 5 previous unsuccessful school years, and likely had very compelling reason to want this particular job to stick (proximity of parents included), I wonder if he was trying to satisfy his urges before school started the next week so he could behave once he was back in the classroom. If he *had* successfully carried an unconscious child back out as a playtoy, I don't believe she would have survived beyond the week. And I am sorry for even thinking these horrid thoughts but as an intended victim assaulted by a serial killer and after reading the detail of his crimes prior to and following my own unsuccessful assault, I simply cannot give myself the luxury of not considering the possibilities. I knew when I looked in my assaulter's eyes that he was a killer and insisted so to the police long before he was finally captured.

 

[Inthedetails]

I’ve not seen another good fit for a motive
IMO

snipped

I also think young girls in the park were the motive, but I'm setting the idea aside because I don't think LE is going to provide any info about that as it won't make a difference in trying this case in court.

• RA (Bridge Guy) was convicted of murder and kidnapping with no charge it was a sexual crime, even though he left two teenage girls naked/re-dressed at the crime scene
• BK in Idaho is a convicted murderer and burglar with no charge it was a sexual crime, though many people think it was (even if "the act" wasn't committed).

I think this case will be similar. This perp will be convicted of two counts of capital murder by a jury in Arkansas, without mention in court of a sexual component or motivation.

I'm ready to accept that we'll never know, unless big news emerges of additional charges. It took me some time and discussion to get to this point.

It's a murder case.

jmopinion

 

[AngTxGal]

In reference to hikers reporting his bags seemed loaded on the way in yet empty on the way out, did they leave the park closed for the purpose of running cadaver dogs to search for possible (cringe) hidden dead body of a little girl he took in then was looking for a replacement to carry out? A chloroform soaked rag would render a child very flexible yet still alive. Since he had 5 previous unsuccessful school years, and likely had very compelling reason to want this particular job to stick (proximity of parents included), I wonder if he was trying to satisfy his urges before school started the next week so he could behave once he was back in the classroom. If he *had* successfully carried an unconscious child back out as a playtoy, I don't believe she would have survived beyond the week. And I am sorry for even thinking these horrid thoughts but as an intended victim assaulted by a serial killer and after reading the detail of his crimes prior to and following my own unsuccessful assault, I simply cannot give myself the luxury of not considering the possibilities. I knew when I looked in my assaulter's eyes that he was a killer and insisted so to the police long before he was finally captured.

You are thinking exactly as one of the possibilities that has come to my mind.
It is horrific, the kinds of thoughts that make me unable to sleep.
But, it happens all too often, just not typically
with a teacher,
and double murder.

I think it those two things muddy the waters, so this isn’t typical.
It doesn’t fit the mold
And it makes us think children at school may not be safe, which is not a thought we want to think.
So it is tough to wrap our head around

IMO

 

[AngTxGal]

Law and Crime- Christ Stewart
Some more info is coming out about his background
Five different school districts since 2022
Names Andy. Andrew. Drew. James

A friend he grew up with in Chicago gave an interview
His dad coached baseball
Lost track of his friends
Little info after high school
Good at covering his tracks, little social media trail

IMO

 

[SMK777]

snipped

I also think young girls in the park were the motive, but I'm setting the idea aside because I don't think LE is going to provide any info about that as it won't make a difference in trying this case in court.

• RA (Bridge Guy) was convicted of murder and kidnapping with no charge it was a sexual crime, even though he left two teenage girls naked/re-dressed at the crime scene
• BK in Idaho is a convicted murderer and burglar with no charge it was a sexual crime, though many people think it was (even if "the act" wasn't committed).

I think this case will be similar. This perp will be convicted of two counts of capital murder by a jury in Arkansas, without mention in court of a sexual component or motivation.

I'm ready to accept that we'll never know, unless big news emerges of additional charges. It took me some time and discussion to get to this point.

It's a murder case.

jmopinion

Yes. We all view RA and BK as likely very sexually motivated but they received their punishment as murderers.

 

[cottonweaver]

You've probably already had this link but in case you haven't.

Interviewee says their friendship group all lost touch with the perp sometime around High School. Played baseball together, had sleepovers, a nice normal family in his opinion
Hindsight recollections about red flags - a quick temper, ' completely freaks out' even during baseball. A traffic dispute and unwarranted reaction. 'He always had trouble with the opposite sex'

At 4mins

 

[femto]

Mothers of his students who are speaking to the media now, reported his behavior when it happened (at least two years ago), so they aren't suddenly making it up. Parents of the girls he targeted did too. He was put on leave and investigated. The school gave him a pass and let him resign before the end of the school year. That is a problem.

Didn't the school suggested there were no such reports and he was removed for favoritism and general apathy towards the students? Obviously they could be lying, but that's neither here or there. But even LE say the attack wasn't targeting the kids.

 

[AngTxGal]

Didn't the school suggested there were no such reports and he was removed for favoritism and general apathy towards the students? Obviously they could be lying, but that's neither here or there. But even LE say the attack wasn't targeting the kids.

I’d take a look at the video links that have been posted with interviews from FBI Agent, parents, and the process called Passing The Trash.
This is a rabbit hole I’ve fallen into, so there is much on this.

IMO

 

[cottonweaver]

Didn't the school suggested there were no such reports and he was removed for favoritism and general apathy towards the students? Obviously they could be lying, but that's neither here or there. But even LE say the attack wasn't targeting the kids.

think they were saying they had no evidence yet to substantiate that