WEST FORK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — An Arkansas couple was killed on a hiking trail at Devil’s Den State Park on Saturday, and the search for the suspect is ongoing.
Arkansas State Police identified the victims as Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, of Prairie Grove. Their daughters, ages 7 and 9, were unharmed and are safe with family, authorities said.
Here’s what we know about the victims:
ASP and Prairie Grove Mayor David Faulk said that the family had recently moved to the area. Falk said in a statement to Nexstar’s KNWA/KFTA on Monday that their water service was turned on in Prairie Grove on July 16.
Clinton Brink had been scheduled to start a job as a milk delivery driver on Monday in Fayetteville, Hiland Dairy, his employer, said in a statement to the Associated Press. He had transferred from Hiland Dairy’s parent company, Prairie Farms Dairy, in South Dakota.
“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.”
Danikka Harrell, a nurse at a rehabilitation center in Montana, told the Associated Press that the Brinks had also lived in that state for several years, starting around 2018, and played on a recreational volleyball team.
In the summer, the Brinks would set up a volleyball net at a local park and encourage people to play, she said.
Harrell said that when she struggled to find child care, the Brinks allowed her daughter to stay with them “without a thought” and that Cristen Brink would often bring a plate of food when she brought the girl back home.
“They were selfless and unconditional with their love and support for their friends,” Harrell said.
Search for suspect continues
ASP is still searching for the suspect connected to the couple’s death. On Monday, the FBI said its Little Rock office would assist ASP in search efforts.
A composite sketch of the suspect was released by ASP on Monday evening. He was described as a white man with a medium build.
Authorities believe he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, as well as black pants, a dark ballcap and sunglasses.
ASP says the man may have been wearing a black backpack and fingerless gloves when he escaped from Devil’s Den.
Police say he was seen driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan, believed to be a Mazda, with the license plate covered by electrical or duct tape.
He could have been seen leaving the park either on State Highway 170 or State Highway 220.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact ASP Troop L at 479-751-6663 or call 911.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
