Ex-police chief who escaped Arkansas prison recaptured: Authorities
The former Arkansas police chief who escaped prison while serving a 30-year sentence for murder and rape has been recaptured after nearly two weeks on the run, authorities said.
Grant Hardin was captured by law enforcement officials Friday afternoon, approximately 1.5 miles west of the northern Arkansas prison he had escaped, according to the Izard County Sheriff's Office. His identity was confirmed by fingerprint analysis, the sheriff's office said.
Hardin, 56, escaped the Calico Rock North Central Unit in Izard County on May 25 after donning a uniform and impersonating a corrections officer and being allowed to walk through a sally port pulling a cart.
MORE: 'Evil man': Search continues for ex-police chief who escaped Arkansas prison
Hardin, the former police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in October 2017 to first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 59-year-old James Appleton, according to The Associated Press.
He was also convicted of the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, Arkansas, a crime highlighted in the 2023 television documentary "Devil in the Ozarks."
During the search, officials deployed helicopters, drones and K9 officers. A U.S. Border Patrol tactical unit from Texas, known as BORTAC, had also been deployed to Arkansas to assist in the manhunt, officials said.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders expressed gratitude for the local, state and federal law enforcement -- and especially thanked the Trump administration "for sending Border Patrol who helped track and apprehend Hardin."
"Arkansans can breathe a sigh of relief because violent criminal Grant Hardin is now in custody," she said in a post on social media.
MORE: US Border Patrol tactical unit deployed to help manhunt for escaped Arkansas inmate
The FBI and U.S. Marshals offered a combined $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Arkansas officials urged residents of the surrounding Izard County to stay vigilant and lock the doors of their homes and vehicles following his escape.
"I am very scared that this guy is going to hurt or kill somebody before this is over with," Stone County Sheriff Brandon Long told ABC News amid the manhunt.
Nathan Smith, the former Benton County prosecutor who helped put Hardin behind bars, told Arkansas ABC affiliate KHBS the escaped inmate is "a sociopath."
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Los Angeles Times
8 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Ex-police chief, convicted killer who escaped from Arkansas prison is captured
A former police chief and convicted killer known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' was captured by law enforcement 1.5 miles northwest of the prison he escaped from following a massive, nearly two-week-long manhunt in the rugged mountains of northern Arkansas, authorities announced Friday. Grant Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. Eventually, his notoriety led to a TV documentary, 'Devil in the Ozarks.' Hardin briefly attempted to run from officers when he saw them approach Friday afternoon, but he was quickly tackled to the ground, said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas prison system. 'He'd been on the run for a week and a half and probably didn't have any energy left in him,' he added. Hardin's identity was confirmed through fingerprinting, the Izard County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. Investigators are 'chomping at the bit and really ready to talk to him,' said Champion, who used his cellphone to capture an image of Hardin being led away by officers. Hardin said nothing during those moments. Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in a fatal shooting. In order to escape, he impersonated 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. Champion said that someone should have checked Hardin's identity before he was allowed to leave, describing the lack of verification as a 'lapse' that's being investigated. Searchers had been using bloodhounds, officers on horseback, drones and helicopters in their hunt for Hardin since he escaped May 25. Shortly after the escape, a bloodhound found — then quickly lost — Hardin's scent when heavy rains blew through the area, Champion said. 'That was one of the most frustrating things, that they were able to track him but then they lost him,' Champion said. An elite and highly trained U.S. Border Patrol team had recently joined the search, federal authorities said. The Border Patrol Tactical Team provided 'advanced search capabilities and operational support,' U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. Its members are experienced in navigating complex terrain, the agency said. The team tracked Hardin through the region known for its rocky and rugged landscape, thick forests and an extensive cave network. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol shared photos on Facebook of Hardin shirtless and covered in mud, laying face down with his hands tied behind his back on Friday. The post said that Hardin was 'turned over to Arkansas State Police unharmed' by the federal agency. Hardin pleaded guilty in 2017 to first-degree murder for the killing of James Appleton, 59. Appleton worked for the Gateway water department when he was shot in the head Feb. 23, 2017. Police found Appleton's body inside a car. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Hardin's DNA was also matched to the 1997 rape of a teacher at an elementary school north of Fayetteville. He was sentenced to 50 years for that crime. Though Hardin was police chief in Gateway for just four months, he had served as an officer in multiple communities around northwest Arkansas, his police records show. In his first job as a police officer 35 years ago in Fayetteville, Hardin struggled almost immediately, his supervisors said. He was dismissed by Fayetteville police, but kept getting hired for other law enforcement jobs in northwest Arkansas over the years. Hardin worked about six months at the Huntsville Police Department before resigning; records do not give a reason for his resignation. He later worked at the Eureka Springs Police Department from 1993 to 1996. Former Chief Earl Hyatt said Hardin resigned because Hyatt was going to fire him over incidents that included the use of excessive force. Martin and Riddle write for the Associated Press.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Devil in the Ozarks' fugitive captured after 12-day Arkansas manhunt
A former Arkansas police chief who escaped from a prison where he was serving decades-long sentences for murder and rape was captured June 6 after a 12-day manhunt involving federal, state and local law enforcement. Grant Hardin, known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks,' was caught around 3 p.m. local time just a mile and a half from the prison he escaped nearly two weeks earlier, according to Arkansas Department of Corrections spokesperson Rand Champion. Hardin, 56, was thought to have fled the state. Tracking dogs picked up Hardin's scent west of the prison near Moccasin Creek in Izard County, according to Champion. Photos of Hardin's arrest show him wearing a sullied shirt. His face appears thinner than in earlier mugshots. "Thanks to the great work of local, state and federal law enforcement Arkansans can breathe a sigh of relief and I can confirm that violent criminal Grant Hardin is back in custody,' said Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. 'I am grateful for all law enforcement who contributed to his capture and give special thanks to the Trump administration and Secretary Kristi Noem, who sent a team from Border Patrol that was instrumental in tracking and apprehending Hardin.' Arkansas law enforcement authorities and U.S. Border Patrol agents participated in the arrest, according to Champion. 'This was a great joint operation by a number of agencies, and I'm so thankful for their tireless efforts,' said Dexter Payne, director of the Arkansas Division of Correction. 'The Arkansas State Police, U.S. Marshals, FBI, Border Patrol, Game and Fish, all the state and local agencies, along with the dedication of our Department employees, all played an indispensable role and I express my extreme gratitude.' Hardin had gained notoriety as the subject of the 2023 documentary 'Devil in the Ozarks'' about his 1997 rape of a school teacher and 2017 murder of a water department worker. Hardin fled the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock, Arkansas, through a secure entryway on May 25 wearing a fake law enforcement uniform. His disguise caused a corrections officer to open a gate and let him walk out of the medium-security facility. Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more The escape followed the May 16 jailbreak of 10 inmates in New Orleans – several of them charged with murder – which drew national attention and caused consternation in area communities. Hardin was regarded as no less dangerous a fugitive. In 2017 he was convicted of killing James Appleton, an employee of the northwest Arkansas town of Gateway whose brother-in-law, Andrew Tillman, was the mayor. Tillman told investigators they were talking on the phone when Appleton was shot to death in his pickup truck. A DNA test conducted following the murder connected Hardin to an unresolved 1997 rape in Rogers, Arkansas, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case. The teacher was attacked at gunpoint after leaving her classroom to go to a restroom near the teacher's lounge, according to the affidavit. Like true crime? Check out Witness: A library of true crime stories Getting away with murder: : These fugitives were never caught Hardin's combined convictions, including two counts of rape, added up to 80 years in prison sentences. 'He's a sociopath,'' former Benton County prosecutor Nathan Smith told Arkansas ABC affiliate KHBS/KHOG. 'Prison's not full of people who are all bad. It's full of a lot of people who just do bad things. Grant's different.'' Hardin had an erratic career in Arkansas law enforcement starting in 1990, working for police departments in Fayetteville, Huntsville and Eureka Springs before briefly serving as Gateway's police chief in 2016. He was fired from the Fayetteville job after less than a year because of subpar performance and failure to accept constructive criticism, according to KHBS/KHOG. In Huntsville, where he worked from April 1993 to October 1996, the former police chief told the TV station Hardin used excessive force and made poor decisions. Escaping from prison, for which he now faces charges, may be just the latest one. Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Michael Loria and James Powel, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Devil in the Ozarks' fugitive captured after 12-day Arkansas manhunt
Hamilton Spectator
11 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Ex-police chief and convicted killer who escaped from an Arkansas prison has been captured
A former police chief and convicted killer known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' was captured by law enforcement 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the prison he escaped from following a massive, nearly two-week-long manhunt in the rugged mountains of northern Arkansas, authorities announced Friday. Grant Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape . Eventually, his notoriety led to a TV documentary, 'Devil in the Ozarks.' Hardin briefly attempted to run from officers when he saw them approach Friday afternoon, but he was quickly tackled to the ground, said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas prison system. 'He'd been on the run for a week and a half and probably didn't have any energy left in him,' he added. Hardin's identity was confirmed through fingerprinting, the Izard County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. There's no indication that Hardin was injured, though he will be checked for dehydration and other medical problems. Now, investigators are 'chomping at the bit and really ready to talk to him,' said Champion, who used his cellphone to capture an image of Hardin being led away by officers. Hardin said nothing during those moments. How the escape happened Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in a fatal shooting. In order to escape, he impersonated 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. Champion said that someone should have checked Hardin's identity before he was allowed to leave, describing the lack of verification as a 'lapse' that's being investigated. Searchers had been using bloodhounds, officers on horseback, drones and helicopters in their hunt for Hardin since he escaped on May 25. Shortly after the escape, a bloodhound found — then quickly lost — Hardin's scent when heavy rains blew through the area, Champion said. The bloodhound tracked Hardin's path for less than a quarter of a mile, after which could have gone in any direction. 'That was one of the most frustrating things, that they were able to track him but then they lost him because of the rain,' Champion said. An elite and highly trained U.S. Border Patrol team had recently joined the search, federal authorities announced this week. The Border Patrol Tactical Team known as BORTAC provided 'advanced search capabilities and operational support,' U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. Its members are experienced in navigating complex terrain, the agency said. The Ozark Mountains region is known for its rocky and rugged landscape, thick forests and an extensive cave network. Hardin's criminal convictions Hardin pleaded guilty in 2017 to first-degree murder for the killing of James Appleton, 59. Appleton worked for the Gateway water department when he was shot in the head Feb. 23, 2017, near Garfield. Police found Appleton's body inside a car. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Hardin's DNA was also matched to the 1997 rape of a teacher at an elementary school in Rogers, north of Fayetteville. He was sentenced to 50 years for that crime. Cheryl Tillman, Appleton's sister , was with her mother and sister at a flea market in Ozark, Missouri, when law enforcement called to tell her Hardin had been captured. Tillman is also the mayor of Gateway, the 450-person town where Hardin was briefly police chief. Tillman 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. A problematic past in law enforcement Though Hardin was police chief in Gateway for just four months, he had served as an officer in multiple communities around northwest Arkansas, his police records show. In his first job as a police officer 35 years ago in Fayetteville, Hardin struggled almost immediately, his supervisors said. He was dismissed by Fayetteville police, but kept getting hired for other law enforcement jobs in northwest Arkansas over the years. Hardin worked about six months at the Huntsville Police Department before resigning, but records do not give a reason for his resignation. He later worked at the Eureka Springs Police Department from 1993 to 1996. Former Chief Earl Hyatt said Hardin resigned because Hyatt was going to fire him over incidents that included the use of excessive force. 'He did not need to be a police officer at all,' Hyatt told television station KNWA. By the time he was the police chief in Gateway in 2016, 'he was out chasing cars for no reason,' Tillman recalled in the documentary 'Devil in the Ozarks.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
