Teacher Suspected Of Killing Arkansas Hikers Alarmed Parents With 'odd' Behavior

Two years earlier he was arrested successful nan killings of 2 Arkansas hikers, Andrew J. McGann was known to immoderate parents astatine a Texas simple schoolhouse for his shape of off-putting behaviour astir their kids.

Lindsay Camp Polyak, whose boy would walk immoderate days successful McGann’s schoolroom astatine Donald Elementary School successful nan municipality of Flower Mound, said she and different parents grew concerned that he was not decently school their children and felt they were falling down academically. She besides noticed what she characterized arsenic McGann’s “grooming” of girls successful nan classroom.

“My kid would travel location and say, ‘Mr. McGann loves to play tag. He plays tag astatine recess each time pinch nan girls,’” Polyak said, adding that her boy told her McGann gave retired candy and typical prizes — but only to nan girls.

In a group chat pinch different 4th people parents, Polyak said she learned that McGann arranged “special lunches” wherever definite girls would stay successful his classroom; immoderate parents alleged McGann encouraged girls to beryllium connected his lap.

Details astir McGann’s inheritance arsenic a coach emerged aft authorities arrested him successful nan fatal stabbings of a mates astatine Arkansas’ Devil’s Den State Park connected July 26. Officials judge McGann, 28, fatally stabbed Clinton David Brink, 43, and his wife, Cristen Amanda Brink, 42, successful beforehand of their 7- and 9-year-old daughters.

McGann’s motive remains a mystery. Arkansas State Police Director Mike Hagar told reporters Thursday that officials person “no logic to judge that location was immoderate known relation betwixt our fishy and our victims.” Arkansas authorities do not judge nan Brinks’ young daughters were nan intended targets of what appears to person been a random attack.

Polyak learned astir McGann’s apprehension astatine a barbershop aft a genitor sent her a nexus to a news article. “I was like, beatified s---, this is McGann, this is nan feline who was school my kid,” she said. “He had nary business being astir our children.”

Megan Perkins, different genitor whose kid attended Donald Elementary, described McGann arsenic “odd.” She recalled that he was unnecessarily competitory pinch nan kids during section time diversion contests. She said different parents would chat astir his unusual behavior, though not everyone was needfully alarmed and immoderate believed he was simply insecure arsenic nan caller feline successful nan community.

In a statement, nan Lewisville Independent School District said McGann was “placed connected administrative time off successful nan outpouring of 2023 pursuing concerns related to schoolroom management, master judgement and student favoritism.” The schoolhouse territory said an “internal investigation recovered nary grounds of inappropriate behaviour pinch students.”

The Texas Education Agency said it had nary grounds of authorities investigations into McGann, but placed a emblem connected his school certificate connected Thursday pursuing his arrest.

McGann resigned from nan schoolhouse territory successful May 2023, Lewisville ISD said. He past moved backmost to Oklahoma, wherever he sewage a occupation arsenic a 5th people coach astatine Spring Creek Elementary School successful Oklahoma City for nan 2023-24 schoolhouse year.

In an question and reply pinch NBC News, a female whose boy was successful McGann’s people astatine Spring Creek said he was “pretty quiet, but each nan kids loved him.”

The woman, who said connected nan information of anonymity because of concerns astir imaginable harassment, said her boy admired his coach and started wearing polo shirts to schoolhouse “because that’s really Mr. McGann dressed.” McGann expressed an liking successful wrestling, hiking and nan outdoors, and astatine 1 constituent he started a moving nine for nan kids.

She noticed that McGann was often “awkward astir nan parents” and “struggled to make oculus interaction during parent-teacher conferences.” He erstwhile joked that he taught simple schoolhouse students because he was “afraid of adults,” she said.

In a statement, Oklahoma’s Broken Arrow Public Schools said McGann “voluntarily resigned astatine nan extremity of that twelvemonth to prosecute employment elsewhere.”

The territory said location were “no disciplinary actions taken against him during his clip astatine Broken Arrow Public Schools, and thing successful his inheritance aliases reference checks gave origin for interest during nan question and reply process.”

McGann’s adjacent extremity was Northwoods Fine Arts Academy successful nan Tulsa suburb of Sand Springs, wherever he worked during nan 2024-25 schoolhouse year. He again taught 5th people and again “resigned his position” astatine nan extremity of 1 world year, Sand Springs Public Schools confirmed successful a statement.

It’s not clear why McGann decided to relocate to Arkansas. But he had lined up different school occupation there, this clip pinch Springdale Public Schools.

On July 26, 2 weeks earlier nan commencement of nan schoolhouse year, a hiker came crossed a grisly crime segment successful Devil’s Den State Park. The hiker recovered 2 girls unsocial connected nan trail, led them to safety, and past came crossed their parents, who had been stabbed to death, according to a preliminary study from nan prosecutor’s agency for nan state’s 4th Judicial District.

Cristen Amanda Brink and Clinton David Brink.via Facebook

A man had been spotted leaving nan way pinch what appeared to beryllium humor connected his look earlier getting into a achromatic sedan later wished to beryllium a Kia Stinger, according to nan report.

The killings kicked disconnected a manhunt that lasted 4 days earlier constabulary tracked nan Stinger to Springdale, wherever McGann was getting a haircut.

The barber, Adriana Guadalupe Ruiz Avalos, said she sewage a unusual emotion astir him almost immediately.

Ruiz Avalos said she tends to person a bully publication connected nan customers who watercourse into Lupita’s, an unassuming family-owned beauty salon successful nan Arkansas municipality of Springdale. That’s why her defender went up erstwhile a tense-faced 20-something successful baggy khakis stepped into nan salon connected Wednesday day and tersely asked for a high-fade haircut.

Ruiz Avalos, 28, started snipping distant but kept a adjacent oculus connected her customer. She had been pursuing news reports astir nan frantic hunt for nan fishy successful nan Devil’s Den killings. The man successful beforehand of her seemed timid, hardly saying a connection and keeping his caput down.

Roughly 5 minutes into nan haircut, a rule enforcement serviceman walked inside. He was looking for nan driver of nan car parked outside, and he had a fewer questions for Ruiz Avalos’ quiet customer.

Before long, McGann was handcuffed and taken away.

Ruiz Avalos, who watches a batch of true-crime documentaries, made a constituent of keeping McGann’s hairsbreadth clippings connected nan level successful nan arena they could beryllium useful to investigators hunting for DNA evidence. In nan hours aft his arrest, she had problem calming down.

“I felt nauseous each night. I didn’t autumn dormant until 6 a.m. I was conscionable reasoning astir them,” Ruiz Avalos said, referring to nan Brinks.

The Brinks, for illustration McGann, were caller transplants to Arkansas. They had moved to nan authorities astir 3 weeks ago, according to Clinton’s sister, Katrina Hutchins.

The family said Clinton and Cristen died “protecting their small girls.”

“They merit justice,” nan family said successful a little statement.

McGann has been booked connected charges of superior murder, jailhouse records show. Authorities said that McGann’s DNA matched that recovered astatine nan scene. He made statements to investigators “indicating that he had committed these heinous acts.”