Heart-pounding moment killer cop who escaped jail finally caught in forest
Grant Hardin, who worked for a time as a police chief in the Arkansas town of Gateway, was serving 30 years in prison for a 2017 fatal shooting, and another 50 years for a 1997 rape
The heart-pounding moment the"Devil of the Ozarks" was finally captured in the forest of Arkansas was caught in dramatic photographs. The convicted murderer and rapist was tracked down around a mile away from the prison he had escaped from two weeks ago by US Border Patrol agents.
Grant Hardin, who once worked as a police chief, was serving 80 years for murder and rape at the North Central Unit prison on May 25 when he slipped away by impersonating a prison officer. His escape sparked a huge manhunt as he evaded authorities by burrowing deep into the rugged terrain.
New images show US Border Patrol Special Operations Group officers restraining Hardin - who could be seen laying shirtless, face down on the forest floor, with his arms tied behind his back with a ligature. US Border Patrol released the photos accompanied with the caption: "One Fugitive. ZERO CHANCE."
Hardin - whose infamy earned him publicity through the Devil In The Ozarks documentary - briefly tried to run as he was approached by officers, but they quickly tackled him to the ground and restrained him.
Arkansas prison system spokesperson Rand Champion said: "He'd been on the run for a week and a half and probably didn't have any energy left in him."
It took two weeks for an enormous search crew - comprised of rifle-wielding officers, helicopters, drone and dog units - to comb the enormous forest and find the man, who many feared could strike again.
According to NBC news Hardin walked out the North Central Unit just before 3pm after he disguised himself in a "makeshift" law enforcement uniform. An affidavit stated that he "impersonated a corrections officer in dress and manner, causing a corrections officer operating a secure gate to open the gate."
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.
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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Heart-pounding moment killer cop who escaped jail finally caught in forest
Grant Hardin, who worked for a time as a police chief in the Arkansas town of Gateway, was serving 30 years in prison for a 2017 fatal shooting, and another 50 years for a 1997 rape The heart-pounding moment the"Devil of the Ozarks" was finally captured in the forest of Arkansas was caught in dramatic photographs. The convicted murderer and rapist was tracked down around a mile away from the prison he had escaped from two weeks ago by US Border Patrol agents. Grant Hardin, who once worked as a police chief, was serving 80 years for murder and rape at the North Central Unit prison on May 25 when he slipped away by impersonating a prison officer. His escape sparked a huge manhunt as he evaded authorities by burrowing deep into the rugged terrain. New images show US Border Patrol Special Operations Group officers restraining Hardin - who could be seen laying shirtless, face down on the forest floor, with his arms tied behind his back with a ligature. US Border Patrol released the photos accompanied with the caption: "One Fugitive. ZERO CHANCE." Hardin - whose infamy earned him publicity through the Devil In The Ozarks documentary - briefly tried to run as he was approached by officers, but they quickly tackled him to the ground and restrained him. Arkansas prison system spokesperson Rand Champion said: "He'd been on the run for a week and a half and probably didn't have any energy left in him." It took two weeks for an enormous search crew - comprised of rifle-wielding officers, helicopters, drone and dog units - to comb the enormous forest and find the man, who many feared could strike again. According to NBC news Hardin walked out the North Central Unit just before 3pm after he disguised himself in a "makeshift" law enforcement uniform. An affidavit stated that he "impersonated a corrections officer in dress and manner, causing a corrections officer operating a secure gate to open the gate." 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.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Shocking new photos show moment police captured Devil in the Ozarks just ONE MILE from where he escaped
Shocking new photos reveal the dramatic moment a convicted murderer and rapist known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' was captured in the dense Arkansas woods just over a mile from the prison he escaped, concluding a tense, two-week manhunt. Grant Hardin, the former police chief of Gateway, a small town near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving 30 years for murder and 50 years for the rape when he slipped out of the North Central Unit prison facility on May 25. Officials say Hardin, whose notoriety led to the TV documentary 'Devil in the Ozarks, ' managed to evade authorities for 13 days, disappearing into the wilderness and sparking a search involving local, state and federal agencies. He was eventually tracked down and apprehended on Friday afternoon in rugged terrain about 1.5 miles from the prison. Newly released photos show members of the US Border Patrol Special Operations Group capturing the shirtless, mud-stained Hardin. 'One Fugitive. ZERO CHANCE,' US Border Patrol stated in a Facebook post accompanying the photos. When officers approached him, he briefly attempted to run but was quickly tackled to the ground. 'He'd been on the run for a week and a half and probably didn't have any energy left in him,' said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas prison system. 'They got him about a mile from the prison, in the woods,' added Benny Magness, Chairman of the Arkansas Board of Corrections. 'I'm so proud of our Department staff and all the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies for being steadfast as they always are.' For nearly two weeks, armed officers, backed by helicopters, drones, and K-9 units, combed miles of forest and rocky terrain in a desperate bid to catch a man many feared had nothing left to lose. 'Thanks to the great work of local, state, and federal law enforcement, Arkansans can breathe a sigh of relief,' Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said after news of Hardin's capture broke. 'I'm grateful to every officer who contributed and give special thanks to the Trump administration and Secretary Kristi Noem, who sent a specialized Border Patrol team that was instrumental in tracking and apprehending Hardin.' That specialized unit, part of the elite US Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), was credited with key assistance in pinning down Hardin's location - a patch of rugged woods near Calico Rock. Law enforcement leaders stressed the dangers of the operation - a manhunt over rough terrain under the blistering sun, with officers working around the clock, often with little sleep and under the constant threat that Hardin could attack at any moment. The Arkansas Department of Corrections has not released the full details of how Hardin managed to escape in the first place, but an investigation is expected to follow. According to a court document, he impersonated a corrections officer 'in dress and manner' in order to escape. Hardin was housed in a maximum-security wing of the primarily medium-security prison, formally known as the North Central Unit. Officials are investigating whether a job Hardin held in the kitchen facilitated his escape, including if it gave him access to materials to fashion a makeshift uniform. A prison officer in one of the guard towers opened a secure gate, allowing him to simply walk out of the facility. Champion stated 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. Hardin has been returned to the custody of the Arkansas Department of Corrections and now faces new charges stemming from his escape. Hardin had a history in law enforcement, serving as police chief in Gateway - a town of fewer than 500 people - for four months in 2016. He also served two terms as a constable in Benton County and worked as a police officer in Fayetteville, Huntsville, and Eureka Springs from 1990 through 1996.
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
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-long 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 Friday afternoon, 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. 'Most of us in the area kind of figured he was either gone or dead, and 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."
