The Devil’s Trail

From Devil’s Den to Devil’s Lake: Is Andrew James McGann a Serial Killer?

(mugshot of Andrew J. McGann with my personal touch)

Devil’s Den

On July 26th, Clinton David Brink (43) and Cristen Amanda Brink (41) were found stabbed to death while hiking at Devil’s Den State Park in Arkansas. Before succumbing to their injuries, the couple got their 7-and-9 year old daughters to safety. An act of pure heroism that saved the children’s lives. After the suspect fled the scene, witnesses described him as a white male with a medium build and dressed in all black. The suspect’s vehicle may have been a Mazda with a license plate covered by tape.

The suspect stabbed Clinton Brink first. Cristen rushed their daughters away to safety, and when she came back to help her husband, she was also stabbed to death. Witnesses described the attacker as a white mail, medium build, dressed in all black.

(Devil’s Den witness sketch courtesy of ASP)

Days later, police identified him: 28-year-old Andrew James McGann. He was arrested mid-haircut at Lupita’s Beauty Salon in Springdale, Arkansas, trying to alter his appearance to avoid recognition. Investigators were led to him after several hikers shared photos and videos from the trails around the time of the murders. Surveillance cameras also captured his vehicle leaving the state park. Its license plate was covered with black tape, a detail that, to me, suggests at least some level of premeditation. Following his arrest, McGann reportedly confessed to law enforcement.

He has been charged with two counts of capital murder. Police believe the Brinks were targeted at random. The motive remains unclear. McGann has no known criminal history.

DNA from McGann matched DNA from the crime scene. A witness description of a vehicle matched the car he drove. The full arrest affidavit and warrant aren’t public yet, but police have said they recovered physical evidence from his home linking him to the murders. The case is filed under number 72CR-25-1428 in Washington County, Arkansas.

The Brinks

(Clinton and Cristen Brink)

New to Arkansas, Clinton and Cristen Brink had moved to be closer to their family. Clinton was set to start a new job the Monday after he was senselessly killed. Cristen is remembered as selfless and unwavering in her support of friends. Their two daughters lost both parents that day.

If you have information about their murders, please call the Arkansas State Police Troop L at 479-751-6663.

The Teacher Who Passed Every Test

McGann wasn’t just some drifter. He was a fifth-grade teacher who passed background checks and held teaching jobs in four school districts across three states: Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The suspect moved from school-to-school to dodge trouble.

A parent in Texas alleges McGann showed favoritism to little girls and once told a student he wished she could be his girlfriend. McGann resigned from that teaching position in May 2023.

While the motive in the double slaying at Devil’s Den hasn’t been revealed, some are speculating he was targeting the Brinks’ children. If true, the fact that he was a teacher is even more chilling. The idea that someone entrusted with the safety of children, could allegedly commit this kind of violence has rattled school communities across the country.

Hunting for a Pattern

The terrifying brutality of the Brink murders has police in multiple states checking their cold case files. It’s not hard to see why.

Wisconsin: Investigators are looking at the October 4th, 2020 murder of 24-year-old John Craig Schmutzer at Devil’s Lake State Park. He was fatally stabbed along the Grottos Trail. The suspect in that case was described as a white man between 5'10"- 6' 0,” dressed in all black with ripped knees in his pants and a dark hoodie described as “not running apparel.” The man was described as “running frantically" and “out of control.” Investigators believe John didn’t know his attacker. Despite hundreds of tips, numerous interviews, and executed search warrants, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office has not identified a suspect.

McGann’s mother’s Facebook albums show family trips to Wisconsin and Minnesota. Oak Park, Illinois, where McGann grew up, is just a three-hour drive to Devil’s Lake.

John Schmutzer

(photo of John via the SCSD)

John was 24 and working in finance in the Milwaukee area. His life was just beginning. Loved ones describe him as intelligent, thoughtful, and full of life. John’s family deserves answers and he deserves justice.

If you know anything about John’s murder, please call Sauk County Crime Stoppers at 1-888-847-7285. You can also email tips to tipsubmit.com or by text by texting “tipsauk” to 274637.

Vermont: State Police are probing whether McGann could be connected to the October 5th, 2023 fatal shooting of 77-year-old Honoree Fleming, a retired college dean killed while walking on the D&H rail trail near Castleton University. In that case, witnesses described a white man with short red hair, 5’10”, carrying a black backpack who was acting “odd.” Despite several tips, a sketch of the suspect, and a $25,000 reward for information, no one has been arrested. Could that suspect be McGann? It’s not known what connections McGann might have to Vermont. But there must be something there because the Vermont State Police went on the record and confirmed they’re speaking to the Arkansas State Police regarding a possible link.

( witness sketch courtesy of VSP) (McGann Mugshot)

Honoree Fleming

(family photo of Honoree via VSP)

Honoree was beloved. Losing her has devastated her son Dean, and her husband Ron has suffered crippling depression and declining health since her murder. “I never knew there were levels of depression this deep,” Ron told a local outlet. A dagger to the heart.

If you have any information about Honoree’s murder, please contact the Vermont State Police at 802-773-9101.

Four murders. Three states, Two parks with “Devil” in the name. Coincidence? Maybe. But for investigators, it’s enough to keep digging.

McGann’s Online Persona

Information circulating online suggests McGann was active on the dating app Hinge in northwest Arkansas and may have used multiple names, including “Hunter.” On Facebook, he goes by “Andy,” but when he announced a new teaching job in Arkansas, he used “Drew”.

(Screenshot of McGann’s Hinge profile)

Where he’s from. Where he’s been

Originally from Chicago, Andrew James McGann lived with family in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood.

He graduated from Fenwick High School in Oak Park. Facebook photos from 2012 show him on the football team.

It appears his family moved from Chicago to Bixby, OK in 2019.

Public records confirm McGann graduated from Oklahoma State University in May 2022. It’s reasonable to assume he was living in or near Stillwater, Oklahoma, where the university is located.

(McGann’s driver’s license picture)

Employment history:

2022- 2023 Donald Elementary, Flower Mound, TX- 4th grade math and writing teacher.

2023- 2024 Spring Creek Elementary, Broken Arrow, OK- 5th grade science and social studies teacher.

2024- 2025 Sand Springs Public Schools near Tulsa, OK.

2025- Hired by Springdale Public Schools, AR- 3rd grade teacher at Bayyari Elementary (hadn’t started yet).

I don’t know yet if Andrew James McGann is “just” a double-murderer or if he’s something much worse. But here’s what I do know: we have a man who allegedly slaughtered two innocent strangers in broad daylight, who has worked in schools in multiple states, who seems comfortable slipping into new communities and new identities, and whose timeline and geographic proximity overlaps with more than one unsolved killing.

Sometimes the most frightening predators are the ones who look safe enough to allow near kids.

Clinton and Cristen Brink, John Schmutzer, Honoree Fleming- four lives cut short in attacks that may share more than one coincidence. Whether Andrew James McGann is tied to all of them or not, their families deserve the truth.

Disclaimer: This is an unfolding case. Information included here is based on current reporting and official statements available at the time of publication and may be updated as new details emerge. All individuals named are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.