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

[Charlot123]

Oh, I can vouch for this.

I am an identical twin. We have the same face. Sometimes even we ourselves aren’t certain of who is whom in pictures and we have to look at our jewelry or something to figure it out.

Yet we are otherwise opposites in every way. She’s OCD-ish about cleanliness and I’m more sloppy. She loves meat which I won’t eat and I love cheese which she won’t eat. We married very different types of men. She had breast cancer when we were 31 and I haven’t had it, though we have identical DNA (on 23 and Me, she and my eldest granddaughter matched as grandmother and granddaughter). And a thousand other differences in our personalities.

Yet we biologically have the same nature and grew up with the same nurture. Siblings in the same household with the same parents don’t really have exactly the same parents, because they arrive at different times in the parents’ lives, but not us.

So while I recognize the importance of nature and nurture, IMO sometimes, for some unknowable reason, someone is just a “bad seed.” This is what I think about many notorious murderers who appear to have loving and stable families as they were growing up.

JMO and experience.

ETA: if either of us did something criminal, I suppose we could hide behind the identical DNA, but no identical twins have the same fingerprints so we’d get caught that way. (Fingerprints are formed by how each baby touches the mother’s womb).

Identical twins differ. In general, by 5.2 genetic mutations + epigenetic changes. Not in all, but in some paternity cases it was possible to find out which genetic twin was the father. It is all very new, of course.

 

[Charlot123]

I’ve considered CTE as a possible reason for someone losing time, quick to anger, or memory loss, much like a stroke.
The problem I see with this is the control he has regarding his anger bursts. For years he has been in a classroom with children and around other employees at a school and zero stories of loss of temper have come out to the press.
In a school such outbursts would be noticed- so he seems to have the ability to control his anger during the school day- six hours a day for years.

Does anger related to CTE allow for such control?

IMO

CTE is sort of taupathy, not unlike Alzheimer’s.

The neuropathology of chronic traumatic encephalopathy - PubMed

Repetitive brain trauma is associated with a progressive neurological deterioration, now termed as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Most instances of CTE occur in association with the play of sports, but CTE has also been reported in association with blast injuries and other neurotrauma...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What I am thinking of is a trauma that has causes gliosis, akin to brain scarring, that may cause nonconvulsive seizures. The situations when people reported strange urges to kill or harm that suddenly appear after a major trauma would describe this pattern.

I don’t know if anger is the part of this pattern, or nagging thoughts, or both. Depends on the place of the trauma, I think.

 

[FromGermany1]

I live where he went to high school and have two young adult sons. I also worked in the schools. I'd say once boys hit junior high/high school age, most of them use black or dark blue backpacks (sometimes dark olive or dark grey). A few opt for more splashy colors or designs, but that's not as common.

The backpack is, what I'm thinking of, not necessarily the color. Okay, then a backpack is quite normal to use.

 

[AngTxGal]

Devils Den Update to state lawmakers Aug 15 2.45-

 

[AngTxGal]

CTE is sort of taupathy, not unlike Alzheimer’s.

The neuropathology of chronic traumatic encephalopathy - PubMed

Repetitive brain trauma is associated with a progressive neurological deterioration, now termed as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Most instances of CTE occur in association with the play of sports, but CTE has also been reported in association with blast injuries and other neurotrauma...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What I am thinking of is a trauma that has causes gliosis, akin to brain scarring, that may cause nonconvulsive seizures. The situations when people reported strange urges to kill or harm that suddenly appear after a major trauma would describe this pattern.

I don’t know if anger is the part of this pattern, or nagging thoughts, or both. Depends on the place of the trauma, I think.

Ok so you are suggesting brain trauma causing scaring causes personality changes and also urges toward violence- not coupled with anger?
I watched my dad face years of challenges after a massive stroke, which can be different for everyone impacted.

And these urges are able to be controlled or not?
We have no heard of any outbursts or urges to kill from AJMs past.
So a recent brain change- or urges that allow for ours of preparation before they kick in?

I’m not seeing how this would fit.
He planned, dressed, took a knife, and drove 40 min to the park
He appears to have arrived with a violent purpose in mind.
He is described as behaving odd, is alone, not interacting with people.

Maybe I’m not understanding the nature of the urges, how often or how long the last and if a person comes out of them with rational thoughts or if they remain irrational.

IMO

 

[cenazoic]

This aged poorly:

(Src)

 

[indicolite22]

https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/devils-den-murders/many-devils-den-state-park-trails-reopen-weeks-after-double-homicide/

A list of trails that reopened today at Devil’s Den State Park is in the article, however not The Devil’s Den Trail where the murders occurred.

 

[xjd11]

ETA: if either of us did something criminal, I suppose we could hide behind the identical DNA, but no identical twins have the same fingerprints so we’d get caught that way. (Fingerprints are formed by how each baby touches the mother’s womb).

BBM. thanks for this info, I learned something new!

 

[Hexe]

BBM. thanks for this info, I learned something new!

Yeah, sweet but untrue. Embryo/foetus cannot touch the womb being insulated from it by the amniotic sac. The pattern of the friction ridges is hereditary though quite easily influenced by environment. That's why monozygotic twins have very similar, yet not identical fingerprints.

 

[AngTxGal]

Yeah, sweet but untrue. Embryo/foetus cannot touch the womb being insulated from it by the amniotic sac. The pattern of the friction ridges is hereditary though quite easily influenced by environment. That's why monozygotic twins have very similar, yet not identical fingerprints.

Exactly, the patterns of our fingerprints are not a result of contact or even one thing.

We are not 100% our genetics- we are nature and nurture. And our genetics are not static.
And there is no clear advantage or disadvantage to select for or against people who become fathers or mothers- due to their fingerprints- so many changes are still available.

A set of monozygotic twins results in two different beings, even though they are the product of a single being dividing.

To put it more simply-
The initial plan of our fingerprints is the result of a combination of father and mother genes.
Monozygotic twins become two people at such an early stage- and change from there.
So genes are not simply expressed- they are expressed a bit differently depending on the environment- the womb. Not the fluid, but all of the environmental parameters of the womb.

And some differences are not physical traits or personality traits- so we don’t ‘see’ them.

We all know the womb environment impacts gene expression when we look at extremes.
Consider babies born to women who were malnourished, substance abusers, suffered environmental exposure to chemicals, or low oxygen levels, viral infection, or physical injury.
There is a reason older mothers and older fathers both risk less than ideal genetics to a child, they’ve accumulated a lot of errors in the eggs for women, and the machinery that results in sperm for men.

Quite fascinating- nature and nurture

IMO

 

[Motherofvoids16]

I’ve considered CTE as a possible reason for someone losing time, quick to anger, or memory loss, much like a stroke.
The problem I see with this is the control he has regarding his anger bursts. For years he has been in a classroom with children and around other employees at a school and zero stories of loss of temper have come out to the press.
In a school such outbursts would be noticed- so he seems to have the ability to control his anger during the school day- six hours a day for years.

Does anger related to CTE allow for such control?

IMO

I am curious about this, too. I am sure other teachers here can agree that the amount of adult contact during the school year is huge. There are constant meetings, trainings, evaluations and collaborative efforts. The fact that he "hid" his illness (or whatever it was) as a teacher for several years is astonishing.

 

[nao]

I am curious about this, too. I am sure other teachers here can agree that the amount of adult contact during the school year is huge. There are constant meetings, trainings, evaluations and collaborative efforts. The fact that he "hid" his illness (or whatever it was) as a teacher for several years is astonishing.

Moo.....it is to do with grounding. When he is around people, he has a reality to balance with. But when isolated from people and human interaction, him... people can lose that barrier of what is..and is not real. Because they are living in their mind..like lucid dreaming... Been there..done that.
Moo

 

[RedHaus]

This is the age group that I taught for 25 years. Kids who are 13 and 14 are often difficult. Just as many are kind and caring, though.

RSBM.
I appreciate your experience teaching 13 and 14 year olds. That is the age AJM sounds like on his Twitter feed. But here's the thing.

AJM was 17 years old in 2014, the year of many of his Twitter posts. He graduated high school in 2015. So that is odd to me. Immaturity for sure.

IMO.

 

[Charlot123]

The backpack is, what I'm thinking of, not necessarily the color. Okay, then a backpack is quite normal to use.

Not necessarily the backpack, but something on this photo looks worrisome. His short neck and the fact that the backpack is so full, maybe?

 

[arielilane]

The Murder Sheet [Aug 12, Ep 650] spoke with a woman (hairdresser) who knew JM back when he lived in OK. The hairstylist started doing his hair in February 2024. She is in Tulsa, OK. Different stylist than the stylist seen at the time of JM arrest in Springdale, AR.

The hairstylist said that one night she was at the salon by herself letting her last client of the night out and unlocking the door, when JM came rushing up to the door. He did not have an appt.
This is not a walk-in type shop, its an appt based type salon. Very strange for him to just show up and not have an appointment. He assumed she would be able to do his hair, which she did. That was the last time she saw him.

Im really curious why he had to get a haircut that particular day. Interesting.
Video well worth a listen. jmo

 

[Motherofvoids16]

<modsnip: Referenced post was removed> I believe AM was self-medicating in his youth (as many do), but to possibly quell a serious mental illness. It is my opinion that he was schizophrenic - most likely untreated, or having recently gone off prescription meds. With that being said, I am aware that most people with mental illness are more likely to be victims than perpetrators. Obviously, not in this case. I am not defending him by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Betty P]

<modsnip: Referenced post was removed> I believe AM was self-medicating in his youth (as many do), but to possibly quell a serious mental illness. It is my opinion that he was schizophrenic - most likely untreated, or having recently gone off prescription meds. With that being said, I am aware that most people with mental illness are more likely to be victims than perpetrators. Obviously, not in this case. I am not defending him by any stretch of the imagination.

I tend to agree. The nature of the attack itself, the (possible) lack of motive, the bizarre costume and other pre-planning seem odd. He over planned for some things, but didn't plan for others. Rushing out to later get a haircut?

 

[Sillybilly]

Seems we have a zillion +/- posts discussing LSD .. which is not the subject of this discussion.

Thread closed for cleanup. Check back later tonight or sometime tomorrow morning.

 

[Sillybilly]

Thread has reopened.

Please don't do that again.

 

[indicolite22]

I am curious about this, too. I am sure other teachers here can agree that the amount of adult contact during the school year is huge. There are constant meetings, trainings, evaluations and collaborative efforts. The fact that he "hid" his illness (or whatever it was) as a teacher for several years is astonishing.

Yet he wanted to be a teacher at some point. He worked as a student teacher and as a substitute teacher prior to graduating. If he hated his work, why not try another profession or a job? IIRC, he wasn't connecting with his fellow students in college either, despite being sociable enough in high school.