Police search for suspect in deaths of couple attacked while walking with daughters at Arkansas park

WEST FORK, Ark. (AP) — Police in Arkansas were searching on Sunday for a suspect in the deaths of a couple who investigators said were attacked while on a wooded walking trail with their two young daughters.

Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were found dead Saturday at Devil’s Den State Park in Washington County in a suspected homicide, Arkansas State Police said.

Their daughters, who are 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members.

Officials described the suspect as a white male wearing dark shorts, a dark ballcap, sunglasses and fingerless gloves. He was seen driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan with a license plate partly covered by tape.

The car, possibly a Mazda, may have been traveling on State Highway 170 or State Highway 220 near the park in a rural, wooded area with limited cellphone service, police said.

Shea Lewis, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, said that rangers had stepped up patrols at Devil’s Den.

“Our hearts are with the victims’ loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Lewis said in a statement Sunday. “The safety of our visitors and staff is our highest priority, and we are working closely with Arkansas State Police and various law enforcement officials as the investigation continues.”

Investigators asked for potential witnesses to review their photos and videos from the park south of Fayetteville. There was no information about a possible motive.

Officials said the victims had recently moved to Prairie Grove, Arkansas, from another state. Their bodies were taken to the state crime lab, where the manner and cause of death will be determined.