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The man accused of a grisly double murder at Devil’s Den State Park in Arkansas had passed background checks at different school districts throughout the nation.
Andrew James McGann, 28, is charged with two counts of capital murder in connection to the killings of Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, who were found dead on a walking trail at Devil’s Den on July 26.
He held teaching positions in four school districts across three states in recent years — in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
TEACHER ACCUSED OF ARKANSAS HIKING MURDERS BOUNCED BETWEEN 4 DISTRICTS IN 3 STATES
Andrew James McGann was booked at the Washington County Detention Center on Wednesday, July 30 at 7:08 p.m. (Washington County Detention Center)
Clinton and Cristen Brink were murdered at Devil’s Den State Park on Saturday, July 26, 2025. (GoFundMe)
In the 2022–2023 school year, he worked as a fourth-grade teacher at Donald Elementary in Flower Mound, Texas, part of Lewisville ISD. He was placed on administrative leave in spring 2023 over concerns related to classroom management, professional judgment, and favoritism.
District officials confirmed with Fox News Digital that their internal investigation found no evidence of inappropriate behavior, and McGann resigned in May 2023.
In the 2023-2024 school year, McGann taught fifth grade at Spring Creek Elementary in Broken Arrow Public Schools in Oklahoma before he moved to San Springs Public Schools, which is also in Oklahoma, from summer 2024 through May 2025.
James Andrew McGann, 28, was arrested on Wednesday, July 30 at a barbershop. (Washington County Detention Center)
Both districts previously confirmed to Fox News Digital that McGann had passed all legally required background checks, faced no disciplinary actions and left on his own accord. One parent, whose son was in McGann’s fifth grade classroom, told The Associated Press that they remembered the young teacher being “reserved” and “not super-friendly.”
“He wouldn’t look at me really, wouldn’t talk to me. He would only really talk to the kids and he would just walk away,” Kyle Swanson told the outlet. “I don’t know, it was a strange interaction.”
McGann next headed to Springdale Public Schools in Arkansas. The school confirmed that they had offered McGann a teaching position for the upcoming school year, though he had not yet started working or “has not at any time” had contact with students at the time of his arrest.
“Our entire team extends our deepest condolences to the Brink family,” Jared Cleveland, the district superintendent, said in a statement to Fox News.
McGann, who graduated in spring 2022 from Oklahoma State University-Tulsa with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education, has active teaching licenses in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma, according to each respective government certification website. No infractions or suspensions are noted on his public state licensure in any of those states, the AP reported.
VIDEO SHOWS ARKANSAS HIKING MURDER SUSPECT ARRESTED MID-HAIRCUT
Arkansas State Police released a photo and sketch of a man wanted for questioning in the deaths of a couple while hiking. (Arkansas State Police)
Former FBI special agent Bill Daly told Fox News Digital that McGann’s ability to move between school districts in multiple states without raising red flags reflects serious flaws in how educator background checks are typically conducted.
“Not all background checks are kind of created equal,” Daly said. “It can vary depending upon state and locality, whether it happens because of legal perspectives or cost constraints, where they may not be able to spend that much money doing a background check.”
He warned that relying solely on broad database searches often misses important red flags and fails to provide a full picture background check. Daly pointed to the concept of “leakage,” early signs that may hint at problematic behavior, and said those signals are often overlooked in school hiring.
“Things that start to add up over a period of time about someone’s demeanor, their behaviors.”
He also noted that it is unusual for teachers to bounce around so frequently.
“It is quite kind of interesting from an investigative standpoint, the fact that he has moved around fairly frequently to different states who may or may not be able to kind of share information more fluidly,” he said.
ARKANSAS HIKING MURDERS: TIMELINE REVEALS TEACHER SUSPECT’S ROUTE FROM CLASSROOM TO COURTROOM
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Ahead of the start of the school year, Daly encouraged parents to ask about their school district’s hiring process and standards for background checks.
“I think parents are certainly well-advised to ask those questions, among many other questions, about what happens in schools and school safety where they send their children,” he said.
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As for school administrators, Daly encouraged school leaders to take a hard look at their hiring practices, considering the allegations against McGann.
“For administrators to kind of take a more sober look at their background check process, and they need to be asking a bit more kind of sobering questions, particularly in light of this case.”
Fox News’ Ashley Papa, Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.