FBI joins manhunt following double homicide in Arkansas state park
State Police say Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, of Prairie Grove, were killed while hiking with their two school-age daughters at the park on Saturday afternoon. The Brink family had recently moved to the area, according to Prairie Grove's mayor.
In a statement to Nexstar's KNWA/KFTA on Monday, a spokesperson for the FBI said that while Arkansas State Police remains the lead in the investigation, the agency's Little Rock office has provided 'additional manpower and specialized resources.'
ASP described the suspect as a white male of medium build.
The man was last seen wearing dark pants, a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a dark ballcap, sunglasses, fingerless gloves, and carrying a black backpack.
He was reportedly driving a black four-door sedan, possibly a Mazda, with the license plate obscured by electrical or duct tape. The vehicle was seen heading toward a park exit and may have traveled on State Highways 170 or 220.
Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Shea Lewis said the agency is working closely with ASP and has increased law enforcement presence in all state parks.
The Arkansas State Parks' website says that all trails at Devil's Den State Park are closed until further notice. The park's rugged terrain, thick vegetation and lack of cell service have complicated the search efforts, according to officials.
Authorities are asking park visitors to review any cellphone, GoPro or camera footage from Saturday for possible images of the suspect. Residents near the park are also urged to check home security or game camera footage. Anyone with information about the suspect or his whereabouts should call ASP Troop L at (479) 751-6663.
According to State Police, the Brinks' daughters, ages 7 and 9, were found physically unharmed.
Hiland Dairy confirmed to the Associated Press that Clinton Brink had transferred from its parent company, Prairie Farms Dairy, from South Dakota, and was scheduled to start his job as a driver delivering milk in the Fayetteville area on Monday. The family had also previously lived in California and Montana, according to reports.
'Clinton and Cristen died heroes protecting their little girls, and they deserve justice,' the Brink family said in a statement . 'They will forever live in all of our hearts.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
25 minutes ago
- CBS News
Charges dropped against Clawson woman in London Thomas death investigation
Wayne County prosecutors were granted their request for charges to be dropped against a Clawson woman accused of lying to investigators in connection with the disappearance and death of 17-year-old London Thomas. Charla Rashida Pendergrass, 48, was charged in May with lying to a peace officer in a violent crime investigation. Those charges were dropped Monday after prosecutors noted that Pendergrass allegedly lied to FBI agents while they conducted a criminal investigation into Thomas' death. During Monday's proceedings, it was determined that a federal agent does qualify under MCL - Section 750.479c. The county's case against Pendergrass was dismissed without prejudice; however, prosecutors can refile charges against Pendergrass at a later date. Pendergrass, who is the mother of Thomas' boyfriend, was arrested and charged on May 4. Thomas was last seen around midnight on April 5 after she was dropped off at an Inkster residence on the 27000 block of Carlysle Street near Inkster Road. Thomas' body was found in Southfield on April 26. Neighbors living in the area of Millard Street near Berg Road say her body was found inside an SUV parked in the driveway of a home. The above video first aired on May 4, 2025. Gino Vicci contributed to this report.
Fox News
25 minutes ago
- Fox News
FBI office in New Zealand will defend against Chinese influence, Patel says
FBI Director Kash Patel visited New Zealand over the weekend to launch the bureau's new office there, saying the country was a crucial partner for fighting Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Patel said the international field office, known as a legal attaché office, was the first such office to open in decades. The FBI has more than 60 offices across the globe designed to focus on international threats and intelligence building. Fresh off a meeting with Five Eyes partners in the region, Patel laid out the FBI New Zealand office's priorities. "Some of the most important global issues of our times are the ones that New Zealand and America work on together, countering the CCP (Chinese influence) in the INDOPACOM theatre, countering the narcotics trade, working against cyber intrusions and ransomware operations, and most importantly, protecting our respective citizenry here in New Zealand, at home in America and across the world," Patel said in a statement. The Five Eyes alliance is a decades-old global group of five countries that share intelligence with each other for national security purposes. In addition to the United States and New Zealand, it includes the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. New Zealand has faced pressure to align more closely with the United States on China while also balancing its own relationship with Beijing, according to The Associated Press. China took issue with the FBI's announcement in remarks on Friday, saying it did not support the two countries teaming up against a third country. "Seeking so-called absolute security through forming small groupings under the banner of countering China does not help keep the Asia Pacific and the world at large peaceful and stable," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said. Judith Collins, New Zealand's communications security bureau minister, said the FBI's presence would help with crime. "I think it's about the transnational crime that we see, the increasing influence of major drug traffickers across the Pacific, but also interference in countries; systems, particularly when I look at some of the gun-running sort of type behavior that we know goes on [in] the Pacific," Collins said, adding that "it's just the reality is we have similar issues that we have to deal with. And it's great to have the FBI upgrading its presence." From racing against China to achieve technological advances to prosecuting possible instances of espionage and raising worries about China's ownership of a small fraction of U.S. farmland, the U.S. government has signaled a heightened concern with Chinese influence on numerous fronts. China has also been a driving force behind the opioid crisis in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration found in 2020 that the illicit drug flow into the country originated primarily with China.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tennessee quadruple murder case has 'sinister overtones,' former FBI official says
Former Assistant FBI Director Chris Swecker joins 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the latest on the investigation into the quadruple homicide in Tennessee and the manhunt for a Montana bar shooting suspect.
