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

[RedHaus]

given that the family is Catholic, they might be opposed to the death penalty and likely to help their son fight it. If DP is off the table, they might not help him with his defense.

And regardless of their religion, if his parents have the means, and there is known serious mental health history with AJM, or perhaps suspected disease from a psychiatric evaluation while in custody, I suspect his parents would help him fight for an insanity defense to spare his life and to ensure he receives treatment.

Just my speculation.

 

[AngTxGal]

If he pleas, I think it will be long down the road. One big reason to delay is that if the defense can find any error on the part of LE or prosecution, they will move to throw the case out. It takes time to ferret that out (and I doubt they will be successful).

And, of course, he could negotiate a guilty plea in exchange of taking the death penalty off the table. I think that is what will happen, eventually.

Whether we learn motive, I doubt it. The defendant himself might not know why he did it, and it doesn't matter in terms of conviction. And, I think the prosecution will not bring the girls into the narrative as it's not necessary and would be hurtful to them for no useful reason.

We would likely learn details of the investigation that would've been presented in court as evidence. imo

All just my opinion.

Interesting thoughts
Nancy Grace thinks a Grand Jury will be convened to look at the evidence, that may take time.
imo several things possibly determine what he does- plea or go to trial?
- prosecution’s willingness to offer a plea, if this guy comes out as pedo monster how does that impact what the prosecutor will do?
- public opinion- will this case fade away or will parents continue to keep it in the news
- $ and if parents willing to get him a good defense attorney
- emotional support from family for decision, I’m guessing they will want him to take a deal
- how well he does in jail, how terrified he is of prison and the DP
- the DNA evidence, his early admission, plus evidence he knows exists that we don’t

Question-
Do prosecutors tend to offer a plea deal in exchange for taking the DP off the table?

He seems quite up crap creek with no paddle imo, and certainly his best option would be a plea deal if the offer is made to remove the DP.

What a waste of lives
IMO

 

[acutename]

Agree and his resignation when he realized he was surrounded by armed cops while getting his haircut?
I bet his search history on his devices will show he found out that in Arkansas double murder would likely = death penalty.
That DP could happen right then, or maybe a trial is a better idea.
Why he then told them he was responsible? Because he is clueless about due process and no one had told him to keep his mouth shut and find an attorney.

Now, what will his parents do? Will they pay off his debt, put up their savings, retirement, and home for his defense to keep him off of death row?
That question does not have an easy answer for anyone- does it? But imo it would be in line with the enabling, that I am inferring as a parent of two adults, has taken place so far.

IMO

he is 27 or 28? Not 18... so whatever odd stuff he is doing, he did not start yesterday IMO. I did wonder if the car was purchased for him.... Remember how Luigi Mangioni's
parents lost contact with him? The young woman with the bearded dragon's parents were concerned but she sort of dropped off the radar screen? I wonder if this person just disconnected and drifted.

 

[AngTxGal]

It's a passive approach to ending one's life, not active. I know not everyone would agree, but it's what it looks like to me.

It's like putting no effort into a marriage until finally the other spouse gets mad enough to leave. Not doing something is still doing something to cause a response.

(Not saying the crime itself was passive, to be clear.)

jmopinion

Yes it does seem like he is passive in his real life, letting life pass him by. Jekyll

What about Hyde? His inner life doesn’t match his outer life on paper.
- the former school mate that says he has a volatile temper, over reacts
- his behaviors with little girls
- ease of willingness to run away when faced with job issues
- all of the prep that went into his trip to a park

His Jekyll doesn’t seem to fight, but if his Hyde is fueled by a life online and children?
What will he do when those are taken away?

It is all infuriating and terrifying as well as confusing and fascinating

IMO

 

[ADP2019]

he is 27 or 28? Not 18... so whatever odd stuff he is doing, he did not start yesterday IMO. I did wonder if the car was purchased for him.... Remember how Luigi Mangioni's
parents lost contact with him? The young woman with the bearded dragon's parents were concerned but she sort of dropped off the radar screen? I wonder if this person just disconnected and drifted.

He's 28 turning 29 this month.

 

[Inthedetails]

Yes it does seem like he is passive in his real life, letting life pass him by. Jekyll

What about Hyde? His inner life doesn’t match his outer life on paper.
- the former school mate that says he has a volatile temper, over reacts
- his behaviors with little girls
- ease of willingness to run away when faced with job issues
- all of the prep that went into his trip to a park

His Jekyll doesn’t seem to fight, but if his Hyde is fueled by a life online and children?
What will he do when those are taken away?

It is all infuriating and terrifying as well as confusing and fascinating

IMO

Jekyll and Hyde might be the way to look at it. Good thought.

I keep wondering if he tried to quell his Hyde side but just couldn't manage it. Everything about him seems....inept. Except he drives a nice car, has a nice home, has a college degree - but was he helped along with those things? Did he know he couldn't make it on his own with his flaws and exploded to destroy it all in a "eff it all" moment?

jmopinion

 

[AngTxGal]

snipped

That is a very good question.

What is the tipping point that pushes the person to take action on a fantasy/compulsion/urge/temptation?

I'm guessing there is a phase of self-loathing about the anti-social thoughts and finally it's relief to just act on them?

I don't know.

jmopinion

I agree, what is happening in his head is the stuff of nightmares.
He seems to present in different ways at different times- not quite consistently

What is fueling it?
He appears anti-social, but what if he has an active and full twisted social network online?
Out in the public, and around parents he may be a poser as best as he can be. But, in his classroom with kids alone and online- he may be a very different.

IMO

 

[swanniee11]

Not sure if this was posted, TX board of Education

LJ Francis-Texas State Board of Education | Corpus Christi TX

LJ Francis-Texas State Board of Education, Corpus Christi. 1,066 likes · 9 talking about this. Child of God. Member, Texas State Board of Education, for the 2nd Education District.

www.facebook.com

There are 2 pages at link

 

[acutename]

snipped

That is a very good question.

What is the tipping point that pushes the person to take action on a fantasy/compulsion/urge/temptation?

I'm guessing there is a phase of self-loathing about the anti-social thoughts and finally it's relief to just act on them?

I don't know.

jmopinion

I tend to see these people like a rock rolling down a hill- they keep going until something stops them- a bigger rock (LE), a gully (accident)...but I do not think they always "plan." News reports said this person had knives


ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com › story





6 days ago — The victims died from stab wounds, and the murder weapon was a knife, Hagar said Thursday. Knives were recovered from the residence's home ...

I guess reviewing his online activity will show if he fantasized about violence or idolized killers. His victims were so innocuous- seemingly to me- hard to imagine that they said or did anything to him before he chose them. Possible that they reminded him of some couple he hated. Also, if he were 100% off the rails, he could have killed or tried to kill more people- he stopped at two and just left. I do not see a conscience with this killer- almost like out of sight out of mind, like he had a stray impulse and went with it, killing like swatting a fly, but wait and see what LE finds out.

 

[AngTxGal]

he is 27 or 28? Not 18... so whatever odd stuff he is doing, he did not start yesterday IMO. I did wonder if the car was purchased for him.... Remember how Luigi Mangioni's
parents lost contact with him? The young woman with the bearded dragon's parents were concerned but she sort of dropped off the radar screen? I wonder if this person just disconnected and drifted.

A parent’s job is to work themselves out of a job.
While quietly inside screaming- Fly fly fly!!

Maybe they got fed up and shoved him kicking and screaming out of the nest?
I wonder what THAT interaction was like?
He didn’t act out at them- with violence, like some do.

I cannot imagine looking into your child’s face and not recognizing who they have become.
Or wondering if all the tiny red flags you explained away should not have been ignored?

IMO

 

[AngTxGal]

Not sure if this was posted, TX board of Education

LJ Francis-Texas State Board of Education | Corpus Christi TX

LJ Francis-Texas State Board of Education, Corpus Christi. 1,066 likes · 9 talking about this. Child of God. Member, Texas State Board of Education, for the 2nd Education District.

www.facebook.com

There are 2 pages at link
View attachment 606479

Perfect, but three years too late!

 

[Inthedetails]

I tend to see these people like a rock rolling down a hill- they keep going until something stops them- a bigger rock (LE), a gully (accident)...but I do not think they always "plan." News reports said this person had knives

View attachment 606477
ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com › story





6 days ago — The victims died from stab wounds, and the murder weapon was a knife, Hagar said Thursday. Knives were recovered from the residence's home ...

I guess reviewing his online activity will show if he fantasized about violence or idolized killers. His victims were so innocuous- seemingly to me- hard to imagine that they said or did anything to him before he chose them. Possible that they reminded him of some couple he hated. Also, if he were 100% off the rails, he could have killed or tried to kill more people- he stopped at two and just left. I do not see a conscience with this killer- almost like out of sight out of mind, like he had a stray impulse and went with it, killing like swatting a fly, but wait and see what LE finds out.

Are you thinking he went to the park that day with no intention of harming anyone?

jmopinion

 

[acutename]

Are you thinking he went to the park that day with no intention of harming anyone?

jmopinion

covering his license plate says something.... but a lot of people walk around with knives and never cut anyone up. Really no idea why these people at this time. No smiles in any of the pictures we have seen of him.

(If he was just trying to kidnap the girls, that would be a motive... LE would know more about that.)

 

[indicolite22]

covering his license plate says something.... but a lot of people walk around with knives and never cut anyone up. Really no idea why these people at this time. No smiles in any of the pictures we have seen of him.

We don't know definitively if his license plates were obscured prior to the hike. The seemingly empty hockey bag must have been brought with some purpose. So did too much (and all dark) clothing, the gloves,....

 

[Charlot123]

His finances might be a mess. He's new to the teaching profession, changing jobs every year, moving to different states (moving is expensive!), driving a nice car, and living in a nice 3BR house. Doesn't seem to be counting pennies like many young people are.

If his dating profile picture is a hint, his dating life wasn't going well.

I really think his life was spiraling, and for some reason, murder was his reaction.

jmopinion

About his dating picture. It is not super clear, but am I the only one seeing tiny white scars on his R clavicle? As if he had surgery there? There are some tiny whiter sports above the L clavicle too, but they don’t look like a continuous old, thin scar.

 

[Charlot123]

If you blow up the picture, you’ll see a whitish line. Looks like a long surgical scar.

 

[acutename]

If you blow up the picture, you’ll see a whitish line. Looks like a long surgical scar.

what was on that playlist BTW?

 

[NervousNellie]

There’s a document on his case file that shows he had some credit card debt.

Case Loading • Arkansas Judiciary

caseinfo.arcourts.gov

The most interesting detail (to me, anyway) in his financial summary is that he has a question mark by every single amount listed except for rent and health/vehicle insurance. He knows exactly how much he pays for rent and (car?) insurance. He clearly has no idea how much he pays for anything else, which makes me ask whether money is an issue for him.

 

[AngTxGal]

And regardless of their religion, if his parents have the means, and there is known serious mental health history with AJM, or perhaps suspected disease from a psychiatric evaluation while in custody, I suspect his parents would help him fight for an insanity defense to spare his life and to ensure he receives treatment.

Just my speculation.

If there is a known serious mental health history- he should never have been able to maintain a license to work with young children.

Absolutely not

IMO

 

[SMK777]

If there is a known serious mental health history- he should never have been able to maintain a license to work with young children.

Absolutely not

IMO

Agreed. And being in treatment might have allowed the Devil’s Den day to be avoided altogether.