Police have issued a call to action after a couple was murdered while hiking with their daughters at a remote Arkansas State Park.
Clinton Brink, 43, and Cristen Brink, 41, were discovered dead on a trail in remote Devil's Den State Park at 2:40pm on Saturday, July 26. They were hiking with their two daughters, aged seven and nine, who police say are uninjured and are now with family members. The couple had recently moved to nearby Prairie Grove from out of state, and officials have not yet determined how they were killed, but are calling their deaths a double homicide.
Now, Arkansas State Police is requesting anyone who visited the park on Saturday to check their cellphone and camera footage for images of the suspect, who officials believe is a white male with a medium build. After receiving additional information, they say he was dressed in a long-sleeved shirt with sleeves rolled up, dark pants, a dark ballcap, and sunglasses. He was carrying a black backpack and wearing fingerless gloves and was seen driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan.
"The suspect’s vehicle may be a Mazda with a license plate covered by electrical or duct tape. It may have been traveling on State Highway 170 or State Highway 220 near the park," states the ASP in its report. The department also released the following composite sketch:
Anyone with images of the suspect or information about the suspect is asked to contact ASP Troop L at (479) 751-6663. Investigators urge anyone with photos or video to not post footage on social media, as this may "inadvertently jeopardize" the investigation.
“I want to thank the public and our media partners for their support as we pursue the man responsible for this heinous crime,” says ASP Col. Mike Hagar.
“We are using all available resources to apprehend this suspect and bring him to justice.”
Devil's Den is located at the Western edge of the Ozark Mountains near the border of Oklahoma in the northeastern part of the state, and is located in what officials call rugged terrain where there is no cell phone service.
