Arkansas troopers said Tuesday the man who killed a husband and wife on Devil’s Den Trail Saturday likely wounded himself in the attack.
Arkansas State Police identified the slain parents as Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, Prairie Grove newcomers who were hiking with their daughters, ages 7 and 9, when they were ambushed Saturday. Investigators believe the killer “likely sustained an injury while attacking the couple,” according to a press release. (RELATED: Police Launch Manhunt After Parents Brutally Murdered On Hike With Children In State Park)
“Clinton and Cristen died heroes, protecting their little girls and they deserve justice,” the Brink family said in a statement released through state police.
Detectives late Monday released a composite sketch of a medium‑build white man wearing rolled‑sleeve long sleeves, dark shorts, fingerless gloves, sunglasses and a dark ball cap. They say he was seen driving toward the park’s exit in a black four‑door sedan — possibly a Mazda — with the license plate covered by tape.
ASP released a composite sketch of a man seen in Devil’s Den State Park July 26, 2025. Investigators have asked the public for help ID’ing him for questioning related to a double homicide.
Have info? Call ASP Troop L at (479) 751-6663, Extension 2, or 911.https://t.co/SkUVyl0LPZ pic.twitter.com/Yz9RcnxIlH— Arkansas State Police (@ARStatePolice) July 29, 2025
Rescuers found the couple’s bodies on the lower half of the 1.5‑mile loop trail, an area with spotty cell service that remains closed while the search continues.
The FBI’s Little Rock field office has joined the hunt, and Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the murders “horrific,” pledging that “law enforcement will not rest until the perpetrator is brought to justice,” the Associated Press reported.
This is a composite sketch of the suspect in last weekend’s brutal double homicide in Washington County, Arkansas.
His vehicle may be a Mazda with its license plate covered by electrical or duct tape.
Law enforcement is working overtime to track him down and needs your help.… pic.twitter.com/mSm2l6y6u3
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) July 29, 2025
State police have fielded “numerous tips,” but spokesman Nick Genty warned would‑be sleuths not to post potential evidence online lest it hamper the investigation.
“We’re just really hoping that anybody who captured any video or pictures or anything suspicious, just let us know,” Genty told the AP. “We’re investigating any and all tips that we get.”
Anyone who hiked Devil’s Den on Saturday — or residents along Highways 170 and 220 with security‑camera footage—are encouraged to contact investigators.