The 2025 massacre is shaking small towns across America from Mississippi to Montana

In 2025, dysfunctional small towns across America are plagued by violence from Mississippi to Montana, Arkansas to Washington state.

The murders took place on weekends at home, inside neighborhood bars, on social media and on hiking trails.

Together, the cases reveal the malaise of small-town America: unresolved personal conflicts, untreated mental health issues and domestic violence.

FRIENDS REVEAL DEVIL’S HAUNTING COMMUNITY’S FINAL MESSAGE BEFORE DEADLY PARK AMBUSH

Devil’s Place, Arkansas:

In northwest Arkansas, a visit to a state park ended up killing two people.

Clinton Brink, 43, and Cristen Brink, 41, parents of three, were stabbed to death while hiking in Devil’s Den State Park on July 26.

The couple had recently moved to Arkansas to be closer to family and start a new chapter. Friends described them as gentle, hardworking and devoted parents.

“They liked to take the girls hiking,” said Mary Hinebauch, a friend from their former church in Montana. “That was not an unnatural place for them to be.”

Arkansas State Police arrested Andrew James McGann, 28, accusing him of murdering the couple. Investigators said the killing appeared to be unprovoked. The arrest came a day after police released a “composite sketch of a man” they wanted to identify for questioning in connection with the two murders.

“This was a very safe place,” Hinebauch said. “Pure evil.”

To read more about this case, click here.

The FBI’s Jackson Field Office released this “wanted information” photo of four suspects wanted in connection with the October 11, 2025, shooting in Leland, Mississippi, that left six people dead and 20 injured. (FBI)

Leland, Mississippi:

On October 11, 2025, just after midnight in Leland, Mississippi, a small town in Washington County with a population of about 3,700, the excitement of homecoming weekend was shattered when a shooting broke out following a football game.

At least six people died and 19 others were injured.

The FBI Jackson Field Office announced that four people have been arrested in connection with this incident.

The three men, identified as Teviyon Powell, 29; William Bryant, 29; and Morgan Lattimore, 25, were charged with murder. The fourth suspect, Latoya Powell, 44, was charged with attempted murder.

MUGSHOT ALLEGED KILLER IN RURAL MONTANA BAR RELEASED AFTER WEEK LONG MANHUNT

Investigators said they believe the violence stemmed from a personal dispute, although no final motive has been confirmed.

“This is not who we are as a community,” said Leland Mayor John Lee. “Our hearts ache for these families.”

To read more about this case, click here.

Highway in Anaconda, Montana, leads to the Deer Lodge County Courthouse with mountains in the background on Aug. 8, 2025. (Peter D’Abrosca/Fox News Digital)

Anaconda, Montana:

In Anaconda, Montana, a quiet bar in a former mining town of about 9,000 people was disrupted when a man opened fire on August 1, 2025.

Authorities say Michael Paul Brown, 45, an Army veteran and longtime resident of the area, entered The Owl Bar around 10:30 a.m. and opened fire. Authorities say Brown lives near the bar and was known to patrons inside.

Four people were killed: Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; Nancy Laurent Kelley, 64; David Allen Leach, 70; and Tony Wayne Palm, 74. Kelley worked as a bartender; some were regular customers.

Brown fled, sparking a week-long manhunt involving more than 130 local, state and law enforcement officials. The FBI, ATF, US Marshals Service and Montana National Guard all assisted, sending helicopters, air patrols and ground teams into the rugged terrain.

The Montana Department of Criminal Investigation has released a photo of Michael Brown fleeing the scene after allegedly shooting and killing four people at a bar on August 1, 2025. (Department of Criminal Investigation)

MONTANA MANHUNT IS LOOKING FOR EX-SOLDIER SUSPECT SEEN WITH SURVIVAL GEAR WEARING AFTER BAR KILLING.

Residents told Fox News Digital that fear pervades the city as the investigation continues.

“The city is just scared,” said one bartender. “Everyone is on edge.”

Brown was caught on August 8 near a barn about five and a half miles from the bar. Authorities said he was armed.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen called the killing “in cold blood.”

To read more about this case, click here.

Travis Decker was accused of killing his three daughters before disappearing into the Washington desert. (Chelan County Sheriff’s Office)

SPECIAL FORCES VET MONTANA, WASHINGTON STATE SURVIVORS: ‘I CAN’T STAY HIDDEN FOREVER’

Wenatchee, Washington:

In May 2025, a fugitive father of three suspects was searched for killing his three daughters before disappearing into the desert.

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said Travis Decker, a military veteran and wilderness survivor, failed to retrieve his three daughters during a court visit in late May 2025. Days later, the bodies of Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, age 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, were found at a Chelan County campground.

According to the police, the girls were zip-tied and suffocated.

This undated photo provided by Whitney Decker shows Paityn, Olivia and Evelyn Decker. (Whitney Decker via AP)

A manhunt ensued, spanning rugged mountain terrain and involving multiple law enforcement agencies. In September, human remains were found on Grindstone Mountain, less than a kilometer from where the girls’ bodies were found. DNA testing later confirmed that the remains were Decker’s.

“This will bring our case closer,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said after the DNA results were confirmed. “We wanted to show respect to them and let them know that we haven’t forgotten.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM

Court records show Decker’s ex-wife previously filed for a change of parenting plan, citing his deteriorating mental health and unstable living conditions.

To read more about this case, click here.

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca, Julia Bonavita, Michael Dorgan and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.