Police are searching for a suspect after a couple was attacked and killed while hiking with their two young daughters in Devil’s Den State Park in the US state of Arkansas on Saturday.
Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were found dead on a walking trail in the park, the Arkansas State Police said in a statement. Investigators didn’t say how the couple was killed but noted their deaths are being investigated as a double homicide.
Their daughters, ages 7 and 9, were unharmed and are now safe with family members, police said.
The Brinks had recently moved to Prairie Grove, a small town in north-west Arkansas, near the Oklahoma border, after relocating from another state, according to police.
The killings occurred in an area of the park where the terrain is “rugged, vegetation is thick and there is no cellphone service”, police added.
Arkansas State Police said they were notified about 2.40pm of the deaths and asked for the public’s help in identifying the suspect.
Police described the person they believe to be the suspect as a medium build white male, last seen wearing a long-sleeved shirt with rolled up sleeves, dark pants, a dark ballcap and sunglasses. He was carrying a black backpack and wearing fingerless gloves.
Police said the suspect was seen “driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan”, possibly a Mazda, with a licence plate covered by electrical or duct tape.
The vehicle may have travelled on State Highway 170 or State Highway 220 near the park, police said.
Authorities urged Saturday’s park visitors to review their photos and videos for images of the suspect. Investigators also asked residents in the area surrounding the park to check security and game camera recordings for possible leads.
Officials warned against sharing any footage on social media, cautioning that doing so “may inadvertently jeopardise the investigation”.
The area where the incident occurred has been cordoned off as the investigation is ongoing.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the killings “horrific” and said the state is “in close contact with State Police and the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism as they work to apprehend the suspect”.
Shea Lewis, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, said that law enforcement presence would be increased at state parks across Arkansas in response to the killings.
Devil’s Den is located about 48 kilometres south of Fayetteville, near the small city of West Fork, and is part of the Ozark Mountains, an area known for its hiking trails and dense forest.
