Teacher investigated for hiking murders in Arkansas, Vermont, Wisconsin

The person who’s accused of killing a pair whereas they have been on a strolling journey with their youngsters in Arkansas 26 July, is being seen for attainable involvement in different murders.

The State Police of Arkansas claims that Andrew James McGann Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, and Clinton David Brink, 43, killed their youngsters in Satan’s den State Park in Washington County, Arkansas. McGann owed the court docket on Thursday morning to be charged for capital homicide.

Colonel Mike Hagar, director of the State Police of Arkansas, mentioned that McGann confessed the murders, and added that they have been stabbed to demise in a “fully random occasion”.

“Now we have no cause to consider that there was a properly -known affiliation between our suspect and our victims,” Hagar mentioned. “Throughout an interview with researchers, the suspect admitted that he dedicated the murders. We additionally carried out a home search order in his residence and restored gadgets which can be in line with the crime.”

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Clinton and Cristen Brink have been murdered in Satan’s den State Park July 26, 2025. (Gofundme)

Hagar mentioned DNA was used to hyperlink McGann to the demise of the couple.

McGann, who has held completely different instructor positions within the southeast for a number of years, can also be being examined for attainable involvement within the murders of individuals in Vermont and Wisconsin.

A detective of the Sauk County Sheriff’s Workplace in Wisconsin informed Fox Information Digital that his desk acquired tips about a “attainable connection” between the incident of July 26 and a separate October 14, 2020, incident in Satan’s Lake State Park, the place John Craig Schmutzer was stabbed whereas strolling on the Grottos Path.

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John Craig Schmutzer was killed in 2020. (Sauk County Sheriff’s Workplace)

The detective mentioned the police are attempting to find out whether or not there’s a connection between McGann and the demise of Schmutzer.

“Now we have acquired many suggestions, each from residents in Arkansas and Wisconsin, with regard to the Satan’s Den Murder and the attainable reference to our homicide from October 2020,” Det. Sgt. Drew Bulin informed Fox Information Digital. “Now we have had contact with researchers from Arkansas and can work to find out whether or not the similarities are a coincidence or whether or not there’s something extra.”

In keeping with ABC 7 NewsMcGann grew up within the Garfield Ridge district in Chicago, about three hours from Satan’s Lake State Park.

The Sauk County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned that Schmutzer’s assassin was about 6 ft lengthy with a “slim to common construct”. Jail data from Washington County, Arkansas, point out that McGann is 6 ft lengthy.

The State Police of Vermont mentioned in a press launch of seven August that detectives have reached the police in Arkansas to debate the demise of Honoree Fleming, whose physique was discovered on the Delaware and Hudson Rail Path in Castleton.

“After the State Police of Vermont heard of the current double homicide of some on a mountain climbing path in Arkansas and the arrest of a suspect, VSP detectives took the routine step to contact their counterparts in Arkansas to debate the case,” wrote the State Police of Vermont. “In the mean time there isn’t any properly -known hyperlink between the suspect and the Honoree Fleming Homicide, or to Vermont basically.”

Honoree Fleming, a biologist and former dean of schooling on the Castleton Campus of Vermont State College, is on her pc in an undated household photograph. She was shot on a mountain climbing path close to the college on October 5 and the police asks for the assistance of the general public to discover a suspect. (Dean Powers)

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Shane Wilkinson, a prison lawyer and former head of the general public prosecutor of Benton County, Arkansas, informed Fox Information Digital that he thinks regulation enforcement companies with unsolved mountain climbing gates in all probability check out McGann.

“I believe somebody who has an unresolved mountain climbing path homicide will in all probability embrace right here for the time being,” mentioned Wilkinson.

Former homicide det. Ted Williams informed Fox Information Digital McGann’s alleged homicide has “raised many purple flags all through the nation”.

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Particular brokers on the Arkansas State Police arrested James Andrew McGann, 28, from Springdale, in a July 26, 2025, double homicide in Satan’s den State Park. (Arkansas State Police; Washington County Detention Heart)

“I Ought to consider that not solely regulation enforcement in Wisconsin and Vermont are fascinated about McGann. However additionally they him in every single place on this nation due to the way in which he reportedly stabbed this couple to demise, “mentioned Williams.” And the way in which during which he stabbed this couple there in Satan’s den State Park would lead each regulation enforcement company that has the same state of affairs the place somebody has been stabbed, to make sure you take a look at Andrew McGann. “

Michael Ruiz from Fox Information Digital has contributed to this report.