Police are zeroing in on a person of interest after finding two hikers killed Saturday at Devil’s Den State Park in West Fork, Arkansas.
Retired FBI agent James Gagliano told FOX and Friends that investigators have more information than they’re sharing as the manhunt continues.
“The police aren’t telling us everything,” Gagliano said. “There’s a reason for that. They may have some insight on where this person is, and they don’t want to let that out so that the person may be able to avoid scrutiny.”
“Keep in mind, Devil’s Den, 2,200 acres of forest, it’s in Northwestern Arkansas. Arkansas has eight states continuous to it. This thing is going to expand well beyond the borders of that state.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were hiking with their 7- and 9-year-old daughters at the time, Arkansas State Police said. The girls were not physically harmed and are with family.
Police responded to the area at around 2:40 p.m. Central, where they found the victims’ bodies on a walking trail, The New York Times reports.
The host of “Hidden Killers” podcast, Tony Brueski, told News Nation that a couple told him they saw the man on the trail Saturday.
“The couple was together with a brother and sister and a pet dog, and down the trail, they saw a man coming their way, and they immediately found him to be odd,” Brueski said, adding that the man gave them a death stare.
“He was by himself. But the way, he was in full black attire, from top to bottom, and on a mission, it seemed, wearing a large mesh backpack that was very out of place.”
“They could sense a bad energy coming off of the guy.”
On Monday, police said in a statement that the suspect likely got injured while carrying out the attacks. They did not specify the type of injury or the severity.
After the murders, the suspect fled the area in what police believe to be a black four-door sedan, possibly a Mazda. He covered the license plate with electrical or duct tape and may have driven toward State Highway 220 or State Highway 170.
On Tuesday, police released a photo and a composite sketch of what they believe the suspect looks like. Police said he was wearing a long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, black pants, a dark ball cap and sunglasses. He was also carrying a black backpack and wearing fingerless gloves..
ASP is urging anyone who was in the area Saturday to check their photos and videos. Residents in the area are urged to check their security cameras.
What We Know About the Victims
According to ASP and Prairie Grove Mayor David Faulk, the family had recently moved to the area, with their water service being connected at a Prairie Grove residence on July 16.
AP News reports that they had previously lived in inland California and Miles City, Montana. Clinton Brink was scheduled to start a job as a Prairie Farms Dairy milk delivery driver Monday, in the Fayetteville area.
The pair reportedly married in 2014 and according to the Miles Community College website, Cristen Brink graduated from the 2022, earning an associate degree in nursing.
A Montana rehabilitation center nurse, Danikka Harrell, told AP that the couple lived in the state for years, and played on a recreational volleyball team.
The Brinks also took care of Harrell’s daughter when she couldn’t find childcare.
“They were selfless and unconditional with their love and support for their friends,” Harrell said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact ASP Troop L at 479-751-6663 or call 911.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Brink couple/Facebook; Suspect/ASP via AP]
