Hey y’all, it’s Julie Mattson, and this week on Pushing Up Lilies, we’re following a heartbreaking trail that leads straight into the Devil’s Den. In this episode, I’m talking about a brutal double homicide that shocked the hiking community and beyond, a married couple tragically stabbed to death while protecting their two young daughters on a scenic trail in Pennsylvania. The attack was senseless and savage, leaving behind a devastated family and a shaken public. But what’s even more chilling is the identity of the suspect, a now-arrested teacher, someone trusted in the classroom, now accused of unimaginable violence. Join me as we unravel the details of this horrifying case: the timeline, the heroism of two loving parents, and how investigators finally closed in on the man responsible. It’s a story of bravery, loss, and the pursuit of justice. * Listener discretion is advised.
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00:06
Welcome to Pushing Up Lilies. I'm your host, Julie Mattson. Pushing Up Lilies is a weekly true crime podcast with spine tingling, unusual and terrifyingly true stories from my perspective as a forensic death investigator and a sexual assault nurse examiner.
00:24
Do I have some stories for you? Are you ready? Hey guys, we're back for another week. I hate that I had to re-air an old episode last week, but I had just gotten back from my cruise and I was a little bit jet lagged, but I got COVID and I didn't even really, I guess, realize it was a thing anymore.
00:49
But my husband is like, don't you think you should test yourself? So, I took a test, and it was positive and I felt terrible. And honestly, I'm not over it yet. So, I apologize. I'm a little nasally, but I'm going to try to get in.
01:03
Our health department has a little clinic that's free for employees. And so, I'm going to try to get in this morning because now my chest is kind of hurting. So hopefully I don't have new terrible. It was kind of embarrassing.
01:22
I wished I had been a drill to kind of dry me up because I hate for people to hear that. Anyway, several of us who were on the trip tested positive for COVID when we got home. Luckily, we felt great during the trip.
01:36
It wasn't until we were headed home that we all kind of started feeling ick. Hopefully we're all on the mend. I think most everyone's feeling better, but I'm just not bouncing back. Maybe I'm just too old.
01:48
Getting back in the swing of work. I took a week off with COVID after I was off for a week to move and two weeks for the trip. So, a month off. And you know how when you go back to work, you kind forget what you're supposed to do and of course sometimes rules change and policies change and it's just hard to keep up with everything so I'm trying to do that and then of course school started soon as I got home so there's that and the course I'm in is like a really quickie three-week course.
02:19
It's kind of hard because there's like four assignments due each week so when you're trying to do that in a podcast and work two jobs and run a business it's a little crazy but I was in the office last week and it was great because the county was good to me.
02:37
It was slow. I only had hospices. I didn't have any scenes and I was able to just kind of slowly inch my way back into the work week so the county was good to me which you never know you know in this job some days we go in we just kind of sit and stare at each other and talk about current events.
02:59
Other days, it's like the phone's ringing constantly and we're getting scenes. Now, yesterday morning was fairly calm, which was good because Monday mornings, we always try to play catchups from the weekend.
03:12
But yesterday afternoon, we got hit hard. Like we got six calls probably. Well, we got five calls within probably 20 minutes. Two hospices, one was an officer to residence, but the person was elderly with a significant medical history, and I was able to reach their doctor.
03:31
The other two were scenes that my coworker went on. And then while he was on a scene, we had an elderly man who drowned in a pool. That scene dropped within an hour or two. So, six calls is not a lot because I came from Houston and that was every day.
03:52
There was no getting around it. But in our county, it can be really slow one minute and then we're slammed. And I always laugh because some of our nurses, you know, when we're slow, we're able to call them back really quick to get report, but when we're not, you know, you just kind of have to wait your turn and they'll call us over and over and over because, you know, we've set the expectation very high because we've always been able to call that quickly when we're not busy.
04:21
But when we are, we can't always do that. Years ago, there was only one of us on call at a time for 24 hours. So, literally there was a waiting period for people calling in death. There was no backup. There was no second person we could call for help.
04:39
Now we always have typically unless someone's sick or whatever, we always have two on call at a time and sometimes three and that's just the nature of the beast. I mean, we've grown considerably and if you go down just down the street from where our office is, there are apartment complex.
04:59
going up like crazy. And so, the population of Denton itself, much less Denton County, is just growing tremendously. So, the need for help in our office is going to continue to increase. That's why I say if you're interested, not just if you're a nurse, but if you're interested in forensics and forensic investigations, reach out and try to get some trainings.
05:23
And part of my podcast is going to kind of become education. And I do hope that I can get the Texas Board of Nursing to honor continuing education credits for the classes that I'm going to offer. And so those will be kind of a part of the podcast but separate from the podcast as well.
05:42
I feel like that it's important to get that forensic background and a little bit of education, even in the hospital setting, because there are so many things that happen when a homicide comes into the ER or a rape victim ends up in the ICU.
05:57
There's a lot of things to know that are not necessarily common sense. I mean, it's not something that we've ever been brought up against at times. So, it's new and it's always good to learn. I feel like forensics is interesting too.
06:14
So, it's kind of, you know how you go through the list of CEUs and you pick and you're like, what kind of continuing education? And you're like, forensics, that is fun. That's interesting. And everyone wants to learn about it.
06:23
So I'm hoping that I can offer y'all that in the near future, not only for CEUs, but also just to educate people on what to do and what we do and how forensics works and what to watch out for and what not to touch and what not to step in and all those kinds of things.
06:41
So anyway, this week I wanted to talk to y'all a little bit about the devil's den murders, the trail of tragedy. On July 26, a simple family hike at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas turned into a nightmare.
06:58
Clinton David Brink, who was 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, who was 41, were both fatally stabbed in front of their daughters. Five days later, authorities arrested 28-year-old former teacher, Andrew James McGann.
07:16
And this man confessed and is now facing capital murder charges. This guy, ironically, and this is what was so weird to me whenever I looked into this story. And if you're from this area, you'll appreciate it.
07:31
This guy actually used to teach in Flower Man, which is, you know, right down the road from us. And it always kind of blows me away when I don't know why, but still when someone nearby or near me commits a crime, it's like, how did that happen?
07:48
I mean, the fact that this guy was a teacher two years before he was a arrested in these killings, he was known to some of the parents at Texas elementary schools for his pattern of off-putting behavior around their children.
08:06
Like I said, he taught at Donald Elementary School here in Flower Mound and parents were concerned that he wasn't properly teaching their children and felt that the kids were falling behind academically.
08:19
They also felt like he was grooming girls in the classroom. Some of the kids would come home and say that he wanted to play tag with them and that he played tag at recess every day with the girls and that he would give out candy and special prizes, but the boys wouldn't get them.
08:37
It was only the females. Some of the other parents in the fourth grade that he taught said that he would arrange special lunches where only certain girls would remain in the classroom. Some of the parents actually alleged that he encouraged girls to sit.
08:55
his lap. The kids that were on this hike with their parents were seven and nine and these parents were fatally stabbed in front of these children. They don't believe that there's any known association between him and the victims.
09:13
They also don't believe that the daughters were the intended targets. So, it appears to have been just a random attack, and they really don't know what the motive is at this point. Clinton and Cristen were new to Arkansas, and they were hiking with their daughters who again were seven and nine roughly half a mile into the park when they were attacked at around 2.30 p.m.
09:40
So, this is like broad daylight. This guy apparently just like comes out of nowhere and attacks them and Clinton was apparently stabbed first and then Cristen as a mom would led her kids to safety and then she returned to try to help her husband who she probably assumed was fighting the guy off you know and she was gonna go like assist him but she was also killed.
10:08
The children escaped unharmed and alerted authorities and so they are I guess with I think they said with other family members at this time Clinton was licensed as a milk delivery driver and Cristen was a registered nurse originally from South Dakota and they had moved to Arkansas just weeks before the incident occurred.
10:35
They died protecting their children and you know of course family and officials are praising their final acts of bravery so it's so sad you know what these small children had to see and if that's not the worst part of it now you know they don't have either parent.
10:55
It's devastating and it's so sad to think that you're on vacation or you're just enjoying a day with your family and then a tragedy like this strikes. And it wasn't even like just an accident. This is just a person taking someone else's life, which is just devastating especially when it's witnessed by children.
11:18
Authorities, of course, launched a massive search after tips and surveillance captured a black Kia Stinger leaving the scene. And again, I love cameras. I don't know what we did back in the day when people didn't have cameras.
11:34
And when they first came out, I kind of thought, why would you want a camera there? Or why do people feel the need to video everything? Well, this is why. And I have to say, I was kind of one of those naysayers at first when they came out and I was like, how nosy, but you know what?
11:51
They have saved us. so many times, to help find perpetrators and to record incidents that we would not have otherwise been able to obtain information about. I highly encourage the use of them, even front door ring cameras or anything, businesses.
12:16
We've had businesses who put up cameras to try to scare people or make people think you're being videoed, but they don't work, so they should work. You need to make sure that they're functioning, and a lot of times it's just a matter of charging the battery or connecting them to Wi-Fi, but in your business and even in your residence actually can be very helpful.
12:41
You don't ever think that you're really going to need them, but in instances like this, we find that it's amazing to have them nearby. So, on July 30th, McGann was arrested mid-haircut at a Springdale barber shop, which I think is hilarious.
13:01
The police went in and arrested him while he was getting a haircut. He was strangely silent when the police came in and was also quiet when they asked for his ID. He surrendered without incident, still had his barber cape on.
13:20
I'm sure the barber was completely freaked out and unaware of what was supposed to happen. I feel like I read a story that said that the guy was weird, like he just didn't seem to not have a soul. Andrew James McGann is 28, grew up in Garfield Ridge, Chicago.
13:40
He attended Fenwick High School. Childhood friends describe him as normal. Again, people snap. He might have been a normal kid. I'm sorry when I look at the pictures of him online. He does not look normal.
13:54
He may have been back then something happened the things that the parents say when they talk about him Back when he taught school at least here in Flower Mound are not normal It's not normal for a teacher to give candy only to the female students and ask the female students to Sit in his lap and play tag at recess with all the girls.
14:16
It's not normal He held teaching certificates across this is what's even scarier Texas Oklahoma and Arkansas Again, he resigned from a Texas school here in Flower Mound in 2023 after complaints of poor classroom management and favoritism But there was no evidence of student misconduct found He was recently hired by Springdale Public Schools in Arkansas But he had not yet begun working with students.
14:48
Thank God. I would not want him with my child male or female He looked creepy, and I know that might have been a mugshot, but I don't care. That's what he looked like when he was arrested, and he looked creepy.
15:01
Legan admitted to stabbing the Brinks. On top of that, his DNA matched blood at the scene, and investigators recovered related items during a search of his home. Officials say he acted alone. There was no known connection to the victims, and they call it a completely random attack.
15:25
There was also no evidence of motive or prior association with this couple. They don't believe that he had ever run into him at any point anywhere that he was not targeting their children. It always interests me, like he did admit to stabbing them, but I don't understand why criminals don't just come out with why.
15:48
Like, you're already saying you did it. Like, why not just... And they may know, and they're just not releasing it. Anyway, it's pretty devastating to the... I mean, just picture yourself hiking with your kids and somebody randomly just running up and starting to stab you.
16:02
Like, what the heck? The hairstylist whose chair he was in when he was arrested did say again that he seemed soulless. His hair was dry and matted, and he had kind of a blank stare. His behavior was kind of unsettling, so instantly she thought something's up with this guy.
16:24
She said he didn't speak until police told him that his car was identified, and he remained silent and just appeared completely withdrawn. He's charged with two counts of capital murder and prosecutors' plan to seek the death penalty, pending further proceedings.
16:44
He is being held without bond. A first hearing occurred on August 1st, and the next one was said to be scheduled for August. 25th but it was actually moved up to the 14th so he's being charged with again two counts of capital murder.
17:01
The randomness of the attack of course heightens public fear because when you go to vacation places and places like parks that are supposed to be safe, you don't expect this to happen. It just kind of underscores the vulnerability of everyday life.
17:22
Just the fact that this can happen to any of us at any time whether we're doing something wrong or not, whether we're on vacation or not, regardless of what we're doing and where we are. Random violence just increases our stress, and it erodes our trust in other people.
17:41
It's hard to trust people and I know me especially in this job and police officers and other investigators can probably agree. that when you see so many bad things, sometimes it starts to make you think that you can't trust anybody.
17:57
Now, the Brinks story resonates as one of heroism and sacrifice, and parents who prioritize their children's safety over their own, doing everything they could to try to make sure that their children were safe and out of harm's way, and then the fact that Cristen went back to help her husband was also murdered is just devastating.
18:18
So why did McGann act? I'm just super curious as to why he did this. How is it that a former teacher can become a suspect in such a horrific and provoked crime? And we may never know who really knows why he did this, and I just wish he would tell somebody.
18:37
And if he does, I hope they share it with us. But we want to remember Cristen and Clinton, Brink, brave parents again, whose last act was heroism for their daughters. The park is said to be closed until further notice, and it's being watched closely.
18:56
Unfortunately, there are many times copycat crimes that take place after things like this, just like there are with movies and those types of things. So, they are watching the park closely. It is closed until further notice.
19:12
The court date was moved up to August 14. And I guess the takeaway is to just like watch your surroundings. I know we've talked about this many times, but, you know, safety when you're outdoors and indoors, just unfortunately, we have to watch our backs.
19:30
And yeah, it's just it's a scary world. I'm anxious to see when that I mean, it won't be very long, nine days, I guess, before this goes back to court. And I'm interested to see. I hope it's televised.
19:43
I always want to watch these. I can remember the days of court TV. And you know what, maybe still be on court TV. And I watched the OJ Simpson. And I was just like, glued to my television. I wanted to watch every single minute of coverage.
19:57
And it was so interesting just to see it all. And I can imagine to be involved in the courtroom and to be one of those attorneys would have been just so stressful. I would not want that job, but at the same time, I think I would have loved to have been the investigator, the OJ Simpson learner.
20:14
We always like a challenge as a death investigator. We always want something new and something that we haven't had before. And we've had double murders here multiple times. But a high-profile case like that is always kind of when you're like, I hope I'm on call if it happens.
20:30
But we know that it will. This definitely won't be the last murder. It wasn't the first. Super excited, y'all. We have our very first annual Pushing Up Lilies murder mystery dinner. It's going to be held October 11th at Prairie House Restaurant.
20:50
Crossroads, Texas. We will have chicken and beef fajita buffet as well as a acted-out murder mystery. This is gonna be a three-hour event. It's gonna be so much fun. I believe the theme is going to be masquerade.
21:08
You don't have to dress up. Many people are not comfortable dressing up, so you don't have to. But you can if you want. I kind of get nervous when I can't see people's faces personally, but I believe that that's the theme as of now, is going to be masquerade.
21:25
And I need to check to see how many tickets are left, but they were selling quickly. And like I said, we're only selling 60. We have to have room for the death to occur in the corner. We have to have a little bit of room for the actors, even though they will be walking around and be very interactive during the play.
21:43
And these are actors. This is not me trying to put on a play. These are actors. So, I have paid them well to come and provide the entertainment, and the food will be amazing. If y'all have not been to Prairie House, I highly encourage you to come, if for nothing else, the food, and just to visit.
22:02
So I will put that on my Facebook page again and be sure to follow me on Facebook. Also, I am happy to say that McCart Street Mercantile, here in the Crumb area, which is close to where we moved to, is such a cute little store.
22:19
So, we went in there a couple of weeks ago. They had a couple of booths open. So, I'm going to open a little clothing boutique that will be online, and we'll also have a Facebook page called Wildflowers and Whiskey.
22:30
And that's gonna be women's clothing and accessories. And so that's gonna be a booth inside the McCart Street Mercantile. They also have a website, and you can make purchases online from any of their vendors.
22:44
And they have amazing vendors. They have wreaths, they have jewelry, they have hats, they They have cutting boards that are homemade. They have woodworking. I highly encourage you to go to their website and check it out.
23:01
The website is https://www.mccartstreetcharmmercantile.com. They have sweets, amazing cupcakes, I just have to say Barnett Sweets & Co. is a cake and dessert company that's in there and they sent me home with some cupcakes of the day that were out of this world.
23:25
Highly, highly encourage you, go to their website. You can make purchases on their website from the vendors, and they will ship to you. I will also have, I guess the main purpose of me telling you this as well is my podcast will have a booth there.
23:39
My subscription boxes will be for sale there so you can actually just walk in and buy one. They are $69 and they include several items that you will absolutely love. McCart Street Charm Mercantile. That is going to be located at 137 West McCart Street in Krum, Texas.
24:03
Little tidbit on that that I'd share that with y'all. Be sure and go online and follow me and you can definitely purchase the subscription boxes and any of my murder merch on my website www.pushingapplilies.com.
24:19
I've had so many people email me and I will be guest hosting on a lot of podcasts. I've been getting a lot of messages from people who want me to guest star on their podcast. I'm kind of excited about that.
24:32
I think that'll be so much fun to share my story. Denton County has a podcast and also one of the vendors and sweet ladies Dee! Shout out to Dee, who works at McCart Street Mercantile, is starting a podcast.
24:45
And so, I'll be a guest host on hers as well. Super exciting. School's killing me, you know, as usual as it does. I think most people are ready for it to be over with. I appreciate y'all so much, much love.
24:59
Take care of yourself and I will talk to you next week. Bye y'all. Thank you so much for joining me today on Pushing Up Lilies. If you like this podcast and would like to share it with others, please do me a quick favor and leave a review on Apple Podcast.
25:15
This helps to make the podcast more visible to the public. Thanks again for spending your time with me and be sure to visit me at PushingUpLilies.com for merchandise and past episodes.