Parents stabbed to death in front of children on family hike
Clinton and Cristen Brink, 43, and 41, were attacked by a knifeman in Washington county, Arkansas, on Saturday.
Officers are still searching for the attacker, who is understood to have fled following the incident in Devil's Den State Park.
The couple, who had only just moved to the area, are thought to have died protecting their two daughters aged seven and nine.
In a statement, the couple's family said that the parents 'died heroes protecting their little girls'.
In the wake of the attack, the girls managed to find a local visitor centre and report that their parents had been stabbed.
Police then responded to the park, which is in a remote part of Arkansas, and quickly found the couple's bodies.
Officials are asking anyone with information to come forward with any information about the crime.
Police are looking for white man with a medium build wearing dark trousers, a dark baseball cap and sunglasses.
The suspect was also wearing a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a black backpack, and fingerless gloves.
He was last seen driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan that may have been a Mazda with the license plate covered by electrical or duct tape.
The first emergency call to the park was made to police at 2.30pm on Saturday, police said. Audio of the call apparently revealed that the children had been the first ones to report the incident.
In the audio recording, someone can be heard saying: 'Received a call from the visitor centre. Two children are there. They advised their parents were assaulted. One was possibly stabbed. Both parents are missing'.
A male trooper can later be heard saying: 'Try to relay to the office that we found the victims down here. They are on the lower Devil's Den Trail... I think I see you right there. I've got two bodies down here'.
Cristen Brink and her husband, who worked in a dairy, had been married since 2014 according to posts on social media.
The couple appear to have previously lived in Bakersfield, California, but have also spent time in Montana and South Dakota.
Tyler Yeakley, a frequent visitor to the park, told a local news channel: 'It's kind of crazy, they are saying it's a random act. It definitely makes you think, you never know, the craziest thing can happen out of nowhere. Especially in Arkansas'.
In a statement, the Arkansas Department of Public Safety (ADPS), which is overseeing the investigation, said it was treating the case as a suspected homicide.
The ADPS said: 'Investigators are asking those who visited the park on Saturday to check cellphone photos and videos or GoPro camera footage for images of the suspect.
'They are also asking residents of the area surrounding the park to notify ASP if they have access to security and game camera footage.'
The area of the park where the incident occurred remains cordoned off and secured by law enforcement. The park terrain is described as 'rugged' with thick vegetation and no mobile phone service.
Shea Lewis, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, said in a statement: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred at Devil's Den State Park.
'Our hearts are with the victims' loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. The safety of our visitors and staff is our highest priority, and we are working closely with Arkansas State Police and various law enforcement officials as the investigation continues'.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the governor of Arkansas and a former press secretary for President Donald Trump, called the killings 'horrific' in a statement.
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