Former Police Chief, Who Was Convicted of Rape and Murder, Found After 2 Weeks on the Run Following Prison Escape
Grant Hardin, the former police chief who was convicted of rape and murder, has been found after he escaped prison last month and was on the run for two weeks
Hardin, also known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks,' was located 1.5 miles away from the prison he had been held at since his 2017 conviction
The criminal was wearing 'a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement" during his escape, police saidA former police chief, who was convicted of rape and murder, has been found after he escaped prison and was on the run for two weeks.
Grant Hardin, also known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks,' was captured by authorities 1.5 miles away from the Calico Rock North Central Unit in Arkansas, where he had been held since 2017, on Friday, June 6, the Izard County Sheriff's Office (ICSO) said in a news release shared on Facebook.
Hardin's identity was confirmed through fingerprinting, per police.
"We sincerely appreciate the continued support of the community for all law enforcement and Department of Corrections personnel involved in this operation," the ICSO said in a statement.
According to a statement from the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Hardin was wearing 'a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement" during his escape. Officials confirmed he was not wearing a DOC uniform and said that all DOC-issued equipment had been accounted for.
A prison officer in one of the guard towers opened a secure gate that allowed Hardin to freely exit, the Associated Press reported, citing a court document.
Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the state prison system, told the outlet that the lack of verification of Hardin's credentials was a 'lapse" and would be investigated.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Hardin was the former police chief for the city of Gateway, Ark. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to murder after fatally shooting 59-year-old James Appleton, who worked in the city of Gateway's water department, CBS News, 5News and The New York Times reported, citing an affidavit.
The legal document states that Hardin murdered Appleton in February 2017 after pulling up to his parked car and shooting him through the window while the victim was on the phone, according to the Times. A motive remains unknown.
While serving his 30-year murder sentence, Hardin also pleaded guilty to the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, Ark., 5 News reported. Hardin was tied to the long-unsolved crime after authorities linked him to DNA taken from the victim's clothes, authorities said, per the outlet.
According to authorities, the victim said Hardin pointed a gun at her and raped her after she exited the school restroom, the Times reported. He was sentenced to 50 years for that crime, per the Associated Press.
Reacting to Hardin's capture, Secretary of Corrections Lindsay Wallace said, 'I'm incredibly appreciative to all of our dedicated law enforcement agencies that spent countless hours, both day and night, sacrificing their time, utilizing their resources and lending their invaluable expertise to this search."
She added, "To every one of our Department staff that assisted in this manhunt over the last 13 days, I give my heartfelt thank you for your immeasurable contributions to bring this search to a peaceful conclusion.'
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2 hours ago
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Recaptured Arkansas prison escapee known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' sent to SuperMax prison
Convicted killer and recaptured prison escapee Grant Hardin, known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks,' has been transferred to the Varner SuperMax prison southeast of Little Rock, Arkansas prison authorities announced Saturday. After a nearly two-week search in the rugged mountains of northern Arkansas, authorities recaptured Hardin on Friday 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the prison from which he escaped. Hardin briefly attempted to run from officers when he saw them approach, but he was quickly tackled to the ground, said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas prison system. Authorities tried to track Hardin using drones, bloodhounds and a helicopter, but high water from heavy rains during the search raised the water level in creeks and streams around the prison. That likely limited his abilities — and also those of the searchers -- to move through the rugged terrain, Champion said. 'The direction he went, specifically around Moccasin Creek, saw high water due to the abundance of rain the last few weeks, which more than likely limited his options to get around the area,' Champion said. 'Search teams had looked through this area before, but the high water previously limited their ability to fully investigate.' Residents of the nearby town of Calico Rock, like Roger Simons, said they were surprised to learn that Hardin had stayed so close to the prison. 'None of us really thought he was still in the area,' said Simons, a local bartender. 'We thought he was long gone — that's what I would have bet my money on." Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in a fatal shooting. He escaped by impersonating a corrections officer 'in dress and manner,' according to a court document. A prison officer in one of the guard towers opened a secure gate, allowing him to walk out of the facility. Authorities say they are investigating why Hardin's identity was not checked before he was allowed to leave. Benton County Prosecutor Bryan Sexton, who oversaw Hardin's convictions for murder and rape, said he had been in close contact with law enforcement officials who were 'consistent' with their belief that Hardin remained in the northern Arkansas region. Hardin is a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border whose notoriety led to a TV documentary called 'Devil in the Ozarks.' Sexton said his escape had significantly disrupted the lives of trial witnesses and Hardin's victims, whom he kept updated on the pursuit for the fugitive. 'Every one of them to a person informed me that they had to make changes in their lives because they had had concerns for their safety,' Sexton said. After Hardin's recapture, 'they could get closure in their lives and secondly go back to their normal lives, which had been disrupted the whole time he was out,' Sexton said. Cheryl Tillman, the sister of a man shot by Hardin in 2017, told The Associated Press that Hardin's capture was a 'big sigh of relief' for her whole family. 'We don't have to walk around, turning around all the time, thinking somebody's on our back,' Tillman said, emphasizing her appreciation for the officers who helped capture Hardin. Sexton said he was more assured now that Hardin was being sent to a more secure facility. The Varner Unit, established in 1987, has the capacity to house 1,714 inmates. It is the site where former President Bill Clinton's gubernatorial chief of staff, a death penalty opponent, faced charges for trying to smuggle a knife and tattoo needles into death row. Within Varner, a special 'supermax' unit houses the most high-risk prisoners such as a man who fatally shot a soldier at a military recruiting station and death row inmates such as convicted child rapist and murderer Zachary Holly. Damien Wayne Echols of the West Memphis Three was also incarcerated there prior to his release. 'By reputation, Varner is the most secure prison in the Arkansas system,' Sexton said. "I think that all things considering, putting him (Hardin) in the most secure facility we can is probably a wise thing to do."
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