A hunt continued Monday for the suspect who killed an Arkansas couple as they hiked with their two young daughters over the weekend.
Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were attacked Saturday on a trail at Devil’s Den State Park, the Arkansas State Police said Sunday. The family had recently relocated to the area from another state. Officials said the girls, ages 7 and 9, “were not injured and are safe with family members.”
A call from the park’s visitor center at about 2:40 p.m. Saturday first brought police to the park in the northwest corner of the state near Oklahoma. Two children had shown up alone, CNN reported, citing scanner audio.
“They advised that their parents were assaulted,” the caller said. “One was possibly stabbed. The parents are missing.”
Police began scouring the trails, and less than an hour later they heard screams in the distance, which led them to the bodies, KTHV-TV reported.
The suspect, “an unknown white male with a medium build,” was carrying a black backpack and wearing a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, dark pants, a dark ballcap, sunglasses and fingerless gloves, police said. He’d been seen heading toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan, possibly a Mazda whose license plate was obscured with electrical or duct tape. Police suspected he took off down State Highway 170 or State Highway 220 near the park.
Facebook / Cristen Brink
Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41. (Facebook / Cristen Brink)
Investigators are seeking any footage that might have captured him, from parkgoers’ cellphone photos and videos to security or game camera footage from residents just outside the park. At the same time they also asked the public not to “inadvertently jeopardize the investigation” by sharing any of it on social media.
“The area of the park where the incident occurred remains cordoned off and secured by law enforcement,” police said. “The park is located in a remote and rural area, where the terrain is rugged, vegetation is thick, and there is no cellphone service.”
Law enforcement has been beefed up at all the state’s parks, officials said.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred at Devil’s Den State Park,” said Shea Lewis, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. “Our hearts are with the victims’ loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she was “heartbroken by today’s horrific news,” in a statement on X. “We are praying for the family and friends of the victims, and know that law enforcement will not rest until the perpetrator is brought to justice.”
With News Wire Services
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