Death at Devil's Den

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

There was a double murder in the Ozarks this weekend that, for a couple of reasons, looks at though it may be one of those that gets dissected and talked about for years to come.

Clinton David Brink (age 43) and his wife Cristen Amanda Brink (41) and their two daughters (ages 7 and 9) had very recently moved to the small northwest Arkansas town of Prairie Grove from out of state, and Clinton was due to begin a new job of delivering milk for a national dairy this past Monday.  However, the family's plans for a bright future in "the natural state," ended in tragedy on Saturday when Clinton and Cristen were stabbed to death by an unknown assailant while the family was hiking the trails at Devil's Den State Park not far from their new home.  The murderer did not physically harm the little girls.

The children have been placed in the care of relatives, and the relatives have told the press that the parents died while trying to protect their daughters.

One news report states that the family had just relocated to Arkansas from the state of Montana, and another said they had come to the Ozarks from California.  Most are now saying they moved here from "out-of-state."

The Arkansas State Police are leading the investigation into the double homicide, and that agency is being assisted by the FBI.

There is a composite sketch of a "person of interest" in the case posted on internet news sites as well as a photograph of the man taken from behind.  In the sketch he appears to be a white male, medium build, somewhere between the ages of twenty-five and forty.  He  was described as wearing black pants, a sleeveless black shirt, fingerless gloves, a dark ball cap, and sunglasses.  He was also wearing a black backpack.  

Police are saying that the assailant was likely to have been injured in the assault.  

The person of interest was seen driving a black, four-door sedan, possibly a Mazda, with the license place covered or partially covered with electrical tape or duct tape.  Police believe he may have been traveling on Highway 170 or State Highway 220 near the park.

Cell phone service in and around the rugged area of the Devil's Den State Park is spotty, leading some to speculate that may have been part of the reason that the killer chose that location to commit his crimes.

The family of the victims are encouraging anyone with information to contact the proper authorities (the Arkansas State Police or the FBI), and the authorities are encouraging all people who were at Devil's Den State Park this past Saturday to carefully review their photographs and videos from that visit and share any that might feature the person of interest or the victims with the authorities.

The savagery of this crime is amplified by the fact that it was witnessed by the couple's children, and the images of what happened to their parents that awful Saturday will be with them forever.  May the crimes have a speedy resolution, and may those little girls have the love and support and inner-strength to go on to live well-adjusted and meaningful lives.   That is undoubtedly what their parents would have wanted.