Teacher accused of murdering couple hiking in Arkansas park had shown ‘odd’ behavior around schoolkids, parent says

A teacher suspected of murdering a couple in front of their children on an Arkansas hiking trail had previously exhibited “odd” behavior around his former students, parents say.

Police believe Andrew James McGann, 28, fatally stabbed Clinton David Brink, 43, and his wife, Cristen Amanda Brink, 42, while hiking with their 7- and 9-year-old daughters in Arkansas’ Devil’s Den State Park on July 26. The children are now being looked after by family members.

A man seen leaving a trail with blood on his face entered a black Kia Stinger, sparking a four-day manhunt. Police said they eventually found the car in Springdale, where McGann was getting a haircut.

The barber, Adriana Ruiz Avalos, told NBC News that she immediately had a bad feeling about him due to his tired and timid behavior. A true crime fan, she even saved his hair clippings as DNA evidence.

Five minutes into the haircut, a law enforcement officer entered the shop, asking questions about the car parked outside, leading him straight to McGann. He has been charged with capital murder after his DNA matched evidence at the scene, and authorities said he admitted to the crimes.

Ruiz Avalos isn’t the first person to report McGann acting strangely. Two years ago in Texas, McGann – who reportedly worked at four schools in four years – allegedly exhibited “odd” and “grooming” behavior around young girls in his Donald Elementary School classroom. Lindsay Camp Polyak said she and other parents grew concerned that he wasn’t effectively teaching their children, resulting in them falling behind.

“My kid would come home and say, ‘Mr. McGann loves to play tag. He plays tag at recess every day with the girls,’” Polyak told NBC News, adding that her son claimed McGann gave out candy and special prizes only to the girls.

Parents in a fourth-grade group chat shared concerns that McGann held “special lunches” with select girls in his classroom, with some alleging he encouraged them to sit on his lap, Polyak said.

Megan Perkins, another parent of a student at Donald Elementary, told the outlet that McGann was “odd,” noting what she described as his overly competitive behavior with kids during field day events. She said other parents often discussed his unusual conduct, though not everyone found it concerning, as some chalked it up to insecurity, as he was new to the community.

McGann was placed on administrative leave by Lewisville ISD in spring 2023 over concerns about classroom management and favoritism, though an internal investigation found no inappropriate conduct, NBC News reports.

He resigned in May 2023 and moved to Oklahoma, teaching fifth grade at Spring Creek Elementary, where some parents described him as quiet but well-liked by students, despite being awkward around adults.

An anonymous woman who spoke with the outlet said her son admired McGann so much that he began wearing Polo shirts like his teacher. McGann showed interest in wrestling, hiking, and the outdoors, and even started a running club for students, she said.

However, she did notice that McGann was often “awkward around parents” and avoided eye contact during conferences, once allegedly joking he taught elementary kids because he was “afraid of adults.”

McGann later taught at Northwoods Fine Arts Academy in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, for the 2024–25 school year, resigning again after one year. Though he had no disciplinary record or red flags in background checks, the Texas Education Agency flagged his teaching certificate following his arrest.

McGann had recently relocated to Arkansas for a new teaching job in the Springdale Public Schools system. Two weeks before the start of the school year, he was arrested for the murders.

McGann has been charged with capital murder after his DNA matched evidence at the scene. Authorities said he made statements admitting to the crimes.

Investigators have a search warrant for his home and car, which they hope will lead to more information about his motive for his alleged crimes.

He remains in the Washington County Detention Center without bond.