Officials said the mix of the remote location and the time it took to arrive on scene and gather information explained the lapse in the time.

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WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — A couple was found dead on a trail at Devil’s Den State Park on the afternoon of July 26, and Arkansas State Police say the search for a possible suspect is underway. But it took six hours for the agency to alert the public, raising questions about the delay in notifying residents and the media of a possible threat in the area.

Timeline of the Devil’s Den double homicide

The timeline of the incident starts when the first call came in to the Washington County EMS a little bit before 2:30 p.m., reporting a possible assault, according to scanner audio obtained by 5NEWS. Shortly after, law enforcement officers responded to the scene to search for a possible suspect and victims.

Less than an hour into the search, officials searching the trails heard screams from a distance. By the time they caught up to the family, it was too late. The couple who was killed were identified as Clinton, 43, and Cristen Brink, 41. They were hiking with their two young daughters at the time of the attack, police confirmed.

“We found the victims down here,” responders are heard saying in the audio. “They’re on the lower Devil’s Den trails where I’ve got two, two bodies.”

5NEWS first received a tip about a large police presence and investigation at Devil’s Den around 4:30 p.m. on July 26. We immediately reached out to law enforcement, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and ASP, but were repeatedly redirected or offered no information.

While on the scene, 5NEWS reporter Beau Russell was told to leave by state troopers, and they too did not provide information on the reason for the law enforcement presence.

At 8:40 p.m., six hours after the first call, ASP released a statement about a manhunt for the suspect.

5NEWS asked the agency why there was a six-hour difference between receiving the report of the deaths and sending a public statement that there was a possible suspect on the loose.

Officials said the mix of the remote location and the time it took to arrive on scene and gather information explained the lapse in the time.

“The location is in remote, rural Arkansas,” an ASP spokesperson said. “It took time for our special agents to arrive on scene, locate witnesses, conduct interviews, and collaborate information so we released the appropriate information.”

In that release, officials confirmed a double homicide investigation was underway after two were found dead on a walking trail at Devil’s Den Park. ASP also identified the victims. The couple, who had recently moved to the area from another state, was hiking with their two young daughters when they were reportedly attacked.

Suspect information

The suspect, who is still at large, is described as a white man with a medium build wearing dark shorts, a dark long-sleeved shirt with rolled up sleeves, a dark ballcap, sunglasses, fingerless gloves, and a backpack. ASP said he was seen driving toward a park exit in a dark sedan with a license plate covered by electrical or duct tape.

Investigators are asking those who visited the park on Saturday to check any photos or videos they took for images of the suspect, as well as residents in the surrounding area to notify ASP if they have access to security and game camera footage.