Suspect in Arkansas hiking murders had job history spanning across 4 educational districts in 3 different states
In a shocking turn of events, James Andrew McGann, a former teacher, was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder for the killings of Clinton David Brink and Cristen Amanda Brink, a married couple, at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas.
McGann, who had recently resigned from a teaching position in Texas, was expected to start a new job at Springdale Public Schools in northwest Arkansas on Aug. 11. However, his plans took a drastic turn when he was apprehended mid-haircut during his arrest.
The double homicide occurred on July 26, 2025. McGann, who graduated from Oklahoma State University-Tulsa with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education in spring 2022, had a teaching career that spanned various schools in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
McGann's teaching career timeline is as follows: He was a teacher at Donald Elementary in Lewisville ISD, Texas, during the 2022-23 school year but was placed on administrative leave in spring 2023 and later resigned after an investigation into concerns about classroom management, professional judgment, and student favoritism, though no inappropriate behavior with students was found. Afterward, he taught at a small Oklahoma school district (Sand Springs Public Schools near Tulsa) until May 2024, when he resigned to take a job in Arkansas. He then briefly was employed by Plano ISD in Texas for four days in August 2024 before resigning voluntarily prior to the school year and before any direct student contact. He had also been hired at Springdale Public Schools in Arkansas but had not started working there before his arrest.
Shortly after his resignation from Plano ISD and before beginning his new Arkansas job, McGann was arrested and charged with the murders. During his first appearance before an Arkansas judge on Friday, he was ordered to be held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center.
Sierra Marcum, another parent whose son was in McGann's fourth-grade class, described McGann as pretty cold and disinterested in his students. Kyle Swanson, a parent whose son was in McGann's fifth-grade class in Oklahoma that year, described McGann as reserved, not super friendly, and off-putting.
In a touching tribute, a woman who knew Cristen Brink from a church in Miles City, Montana, Amy, described Cristen as having a beautiful voice and being involved in music at the church. Cristen, who got As in nursing school while raising babies and taking care of her family, was remembered for her dedication and love for her family.
The investigation into the murders is ongoing, and more details are expected to be released as the case progresses.
[1] Lewisville ISD investigation report
[2] Sand Springs Public Schools employment records
[3] Plano ISD employment records
- The shocking act of violence committed by James Andrew McGann, a former teacher, has raised concerns about classroom management, professional judgment, and student favoritism, as detailed in the Lewisville ISD investigation report.
- The general-news headlines have been filled with the ongoing crime-and-justice story of the double homicide at Devil's Den State Park, involving the arrest of McGann, a former teacher whose employment records include Plano ISD, Sand Springs Public Schools, and previous schools in Texas and Oklahoma.
