Educator Accused in Arkansas Fatal Stabbings Had Moved Among Schools in Three States
Teacher Charged with Double Murder in Arkansas
In a shocking turn of events, a former teacher named Andrew James McGann has been charged with two counts of capital murder in the killing of Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41. The Brinks, who were recently moved from South Dakota to the small city of Prairie Grove in northwest Arkansas, were found dead at Devil's Den, an Arkansas state park.
McGann, a 28-year-old teacher, graduated in spring 2022 from Oklahoma State University-Tulsa with a bachelor's of science in elementary education. He had active teaching licenses in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma.
The motive for the attack remains unknown.
McGann's teaching career spans several school districts, including Lewisville ISD in Texas, Sand Springs Public Schools near Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a brief employment in Arkansas. In Lewisville ISD, Texas, he taught at Donald Elementary during the 2022–23 school year. He was placed on administrative leave in spring 2023 and later resigned following an investigation for "concerns related to classroom management, professional judgment, and student favoritism." The investigation did not find evidence of inappropriate behavior with students.
In Oklahoma, McGann taught at a small school district near Tulsa, identified as Sand Springs Public Schools, until May 2024. He resigned to take a job in another state.
McGann was briefly employed by Plano ISD in Texas in August 2024, for only four days before resigning voluntarily prior to the school year start. During this short tenure, he had no direct contact with students and had passed all required background checks and fingerprinting.
McGann had not started employment with Springdale Public Schools in Arkansas at the time of the latest reports; the district declined to provide further information due to the ongoing investigation. No disciplinary issues from other districts, including Flower Mound, Texas (part of Lewisville ISD), beyond those at Donald Elementary have been publicly reported.
The police narrowed down the suspect's vehicle using surveillance footage from homes and businesses near Devil's Den. Within an hour of identifying McGann as a suspect, police captured him at a barber shop in Springdale, Arkansas, where he was described by a local stylist as keeping his head down, refusing to sign in, and wanting to keep his hair long to cover his face.
The victims' two daughters, ages 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members.
The State Police did not reach out to either Oklahoma district regarding the investigation.
The police collected photos and videos from other hikers who had been on the trails but didn't witness the attack.
Clinton Brink was supposed to start working as a milk delivery driver on Monday, according to Hiland Dairy, his employer. Cristen Brink had been licensed as a nurse in Montana and South Dakota before moving to Arkansas.
The Brinks' family stated that the couple died "heroes protecting their little girls."
[1] ABC News, (2025). Former teacher charged with double murder in Arkansas. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-teacher-charged-double-murder-arkansas/story?id=90322565
[2] The Dallas Morning News, (2025). Former Lewisville ISD teacher arrested in Arkansas double homicide. Retrieved from https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2025/03/18/former-lewisville-isd-teacher-arrested-in-arkansas-double-homicide/
- The baffling case of the double murder in Arkansas has stirred a wave of general-news discussions, with the arrest of Andrew James McGann, a former teacher, raising questions about the safety of school employees and the potential impact on politics.
- In the realm of crime-and-justice, McGann's teaching career spanned several school districts, and his suspected involvement in the murder of the Brink family has brought scrutiny to his professional conduct in the classroom.
