James Andrew McGann has been charged with murder in the killings of an Arkansas couple who were hiking with their two young daughters.

The teacher who Arkansas police say admitted to fatally stabbing a couple while they were on a hike with their children made his first appearance in court, where he faces two capital murder charges.

Clinton David Brink, 43, and his wife, Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were killed in what officals called a "completely random" attack in Devil’s Den State Park in northwestern Arkansas on July 26. Their daughters, ages 7 and 9, were not injured.

After a dayslong manhunt, Andrew James McGann, 28, was arrested on July 30 at a Springdale, Arkansas, barber shop. McGann was charged with two counts of capital murder and is being held without bond.

State police said McGann's DNA matched DNA found at the scene, and the suspect had made statements "indicating that he had committed these heinous acts." But a motive for the attack remains unknown.

McGann appeared in court briefly on Aug. 1 and was appointed a public defender. Prosecutors asked that McGann have no contact with the victims' family, and the judge said a no contact provision could be added if bond was set.

Who is Andrew James McGann?

Arkansas State Police said McGann was as a resident of Springdale, Arkansas, a city of about 84,000 people about 30 miles north of Devil's Den State Park.

McGann previously lived in Texas and Oklahoma, according to state police. He had recently moved to Springdale and had taken a teaching job.

USA TODAY reported that McGann was expected to begin teaching at Springdale Public Schools during the 2025-2026 school year. The school district did not provide additional information about his employment, citing an ongoing investigation.

"This individual has not begun employment with the district nor has he at any time come into contact with Springdale students or the families we serve," Superintendent Jared Cleveland said in a statement. "Our entire team extends our deepest condolences to the Brink family."

Before moving to Arkansas, McGann was employed by Broken Arrow Public Schools in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Broken Arrow Public Schools spokesperson Tara Thompson told USA TODAY that McGann was a fifth grade teacher at Spring Creek Elementary School for the 2023-2024 school year and left on his own accord to work in a different state.

What's next for McGann?

McGann will appear in court next on Aug. 25. More information, including charging documents and additional details, will likely be presented at his arraignment.

USA TODAY reached out to Washington County Prosecutor Brandon Carter on Aug. 1 and the Washington County Public Defender's Office, but did not immediately receive a response.

If McGann is convicted of capital murder, he could be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. Carter has said his office will not waive the death penalty.

Contributing: Greta Cross and John Bacon, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Teacher charged with murder in Devil's Den hiker deaths appears in court

Reporting by N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Phaedra Trethan and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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