Devil’s Den killings: Death penalty still on the table for Andrew James McGann
By Kameron Macrorie
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Arkansas (KHBS, KHOG) — A judge decided the death penalty will stay on the table for the man accused of killing a married couple at Devil’s Den State Park.
The defense for Andrew James McGann had filed motions asking the judge to exclude the death penalty. He is charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Clinton and Cristen Brink.
One motion argued Arkansas’s death penalty is unconstitutional because it allows jurors to conclude that any reason can justify a sentence of death.
Gag order motions
Other defense motions accused prosecutor Brandon Carter of violating the gag order in the case.
When Carter was running for an Arkansas Court of Appeals position, his campaign posted videos online where he talked about the case.
The defense brought up one main example of a campaign ad by Carter in which he referred to McGann as a “dangerous criminal” and said the video showed Carter in front of McGanns mugshot.
Judge Joanna Taylor agreed that Carter violated the gag order in this statement and the inclusion of McGann’s photo. However, Taylor did not agree to remove the death penalty as a result.
Carter lost the race to Sarah Capp last month.
Other motions
Taylor granted a motion to apply a heightened standard of review and care to this case because the state is seeking the death penalty. She also ordered the state disclose any prior bad acts they discuss to the defense at least 60 days before the trial date, and granted a motion requesting the transcription of this case in its entirety.
The judge also granted a defense motion asking the state to disclose all discoveries they have.
Taylor also ruled that the state must provide all written victim impact statements to the defense in advance of sentencing, but didn’t give a specific time frame.
She denied the defense’s motion to omit submission of any evidence for aggravating circumstances that aren’t supported by substantial evidence, said it was “untimely,” advised the state to follow the law
She denied all motions by the defense to quash info for various reasons.
Devil’s Den killing
McGann is accused of killing Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, in July 2025.
The couple had just moved to Prairie Grove from another state. Prairie Grove is about a half-hour drive from Devil’s Den.
They were hiking on Saturday with their two daughters, 7 and 9. The girls weren’t hurt in the attack.
State Police arrested Andrew James McGann after a five-day search and a flood of tips. He was captured in Springdale, a city about 30 miles north of Devil’s Den, while getting a haircut.
“My heart just hurt as a parent, as a friend, thinking about what their daughters are going through,” Danikka Harrell, who has been close friends with the Brinks since 2017, said. “Like my heart, my mom heart hurts for them, and I just, they are such sweet people, and they’re so genuine. I’m really struggling to understand why or how this could happen to such sweet people.”
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