Authorities are investigating a double homicide at Devil’s Den State Park in northwest Arkansas, where a couple recently moved with their two daughters. The victims, identified as Clinton David Brink and Cristen Amanda Brink, were found dead on a hiking trail; their daughters were unharmed. A manhunt is underway for a suspect described as a man wearing specific clothing and driving a black sedan with obscured license plates. The investigation, including the use of cellphone and security video, is ongoing with the area remaining closed, and no information about the weapon or motive is available.
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Following an 11-hour deliberation, a Florida jury acquitted 17-year-old Collin Griffith of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of his mother. The acquittal came after his attorney argued self-defense, citing a history of abuse and threats from his mother, including a prior instance where she allegedly pulled a gun on him. This follows a previous self-defense acquittal for the killing of his father in Oklahoma. The defense successfully argued that Griffith’s actions stemmed from a disturbed mother-son relationship and his own documented PTSD.
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Joseph Jorgenson, 41, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the deaths of Fanta Xayavong and Manijeh Starren, whose dismembered remains were found in storage units. He confessed to strangling Starren and striking Xayavong in the head before dismembering both bodies. Jorgenson faces a maximum of 40 years concurrently for each murder and is scheduled for sentencing on February 28th. Both victims had struggled with addiction and prior relationships with Jorgenson.
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John Q. Hosedrinker