Marshals say 'Devil in the Ozarks' who escaped Arkansas prison has likely fled state
Investigators believe that a convicted murderer and former police chief known as the 'Devil in the Ozark s" has likely fled Arkansas after escaping from prison last month, a federal court filing released this week shows.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court in Little Rock against Grant Hardin, who escaped prison last month, was released this week. Authorities have said Hardin escaped the Calico Rock prison in Arkansas by donning an outfit designed to look like a law enforcement uniform.
In the complaint, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert J. Hammons cites two previously publicized unconfirmed sightings of Hardin — one in central Arkansas and another in southern Missouri.
'Based on this information, investigators believe Hardin has fled the state of Arkansas to avoid recapture,' the filing said. 'He has extensive knowledge of the Ozark Mountain region, where he is believed to be possibly hiding in caves or rugged terrain that he is familiar with.'
The complaint, first reported by The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, does not detail any other sightings of Hardin or evidence of him fleeing the state. Arkansas authorities have previously said they're focusing on north-central Arkansas and tips of sightings elsewhere so far have not panned out.
Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. He was the subject of the TV documentary 'Devil in the Ozarks.'
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 helped in his escape, including whether it gave him access to materials he could have used to fashion his makeshift uniform.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections this week released a new photo rendering of Hardin, depicting what he may look like now.
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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Miami Herald
Ex-police chief Grant Hardin recaptured after escape from Arkansas prison
A former Arkansas police chief who escaped from a prison 12 days ago was apprehended about a mile and half from where he was incarcerated in northwest Arkansas. Grant Hardin, known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks,' was caught around 3 p.m. local time Friday by Arkansas law enforcement officers and the U.S. Border Patrol, according to Arkansas Department of Corrections. Hardin, 56, was an inmate at the North Central Unit in Calico Rock in Izard County for murder and rape. Calico Rock is 126 miles north of Little Rock. Tracking dogs picked up Hardin's scent west of the prison near Moccasin Creek in Izard County, the state agency said. Hardin was brought back to the North Central Unit where he was identified using his fingerprint and for a physical exam before he was moved to the Varner SuperMax Unit in Gould, Arkansas, Arkansas Department of Corrections spokesperson Rand Champion told CNN. After a dayslong manhunt that crossed several states, Champion said Hardin would be interviewed to learn more about his escape and nearly two weeks on the run. 'This was a great joint operation by a number of agencies, and I'm so thankful for their tireless efforts,' Dexter Payne, director of the Division of Correction in Arkansas' Department of Corrections, said in an agency press release. '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 escaped from the prison at approximately 2:55 p.m. on May 25. The agency said he 'was wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement' when he escaped, but was not wearing an actual guard uniform and all DOC-issued equipment was accounted for. Hardin is the former chief of police for the city of Gateway in Benton County, which had a population of 444 people in 2023. He also was a police officer, county constable and corrections officer. Gateway, which is near the Missouri border, is 129 miles west of Calico Rock. Since 2017, he was in the North Central Unit serving a 30-year sentence for first-degree murder, and 25 years for each rape count. He pleaded guilty to the murder of James Appleton, 59, a city water employee found shot in the face inside his work truck in October 2017, KNWA reported. Hardin's DNA linked him to the 1997 rape of a teacher, the TV station reported. Amy Harrison, a teacher at Frank Tillery Elementary in Rogers, was ambushed while preparing lesson plans at the school when she was ambushed and assaulted by a man with a gun. '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.' The FBI offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his arrest. 'Arkansans can breathe a sigh of relief because violent criminal Grant Hardin is now in custody,' Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X. '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.' Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
U.S. Border Patrol posts new photos of Hardin's arrest
CALICO ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — New photos from the U.S. Border Patrol show Grant Hardin shortly after being captured less than two miles from North Central Unit after a 12-day manhunt. Officials say Hardin stayed close to the prison, likely limited by high water around Moccasin Creek, which had previously hampered search efforts. He was captured just 1.5 miles from the facility on Friday, June 6 after dogs picked up his scent. U.S. Border Control assisted in Hardin's capture and posted photos of his arrest on Facebook. Officials with the Arkansas Department of Corrections have confirmed that Hardin will be transported to Varner Supermax Unit in Gould, the state's most secure prison. After his arrest, Hardin was briefly returned to the North Central Unit for identification and medical checks before being transferred to the higher-security facility, where he arrived the evening of June 7. Hardin will be interviewed in the coming days, according to Arkansas Department of Corrections spokesperson Rand Champion. Authorities say further updates will be shared if new details emerge. HISTORY: Grant Hardin's 12-day escape joins the state's most infamous escapes 'Arkansans can breathe a sigh of relief because violent criminal Grant Hardin is now in custody,' Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement via X. 'I am grateful for local, state and federal law enforcement and give special thanks to the Trump admin and [Secretary Kristi Noem], for sending Border Patrol who helped track and apprehend Hardin.' Hardin, a convicted murderer and rapist who once served as police chief in Gateway, gained the nickname 'Devil in the Ozarks' following a documentary detailing his crimes. He escaped North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. Since his escape, Hardin has been charged federally and in Izard County. A $25,000 reward was offered, but it is unclear if anyone will receive 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
'Devil in the Ozarks' killer remains a fugitive. Why is it so hard to find him?
The search for Arkansas prison escapee Grant Hardin - the so-called 'Devil in the Ozarks' killer - is in its second week amid mountainous, rough terrain. Hardin, a 56-year-old former police chief, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas, May 25, where he was serving time for the 2017 murder of James Appleton and the 1997 rape of a school teacher, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. "Inmate Hardin impersonated a corrections officer in dress and manner causing the Corrections Officer operating a secure gate to open the gate and allow Inmate Hardin to walk away from the North Central Unit," Special Agent Dennis Simons of the Izard County Sheriff's Office wrote in an arrest affidavit. The subject of the 2023 documentary "Devil in the Ozarks" remains at large as the FBI and U.S. Marshall's Service have a combined $25,000 reward for information leading to Hardin's capture. Rand Champion, director of communications for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, told NewsNation June 3 that the mountainous terrain of the Ozarks has made the search difficult. "We've got to try and access some pretty hard-to-get-to places. And so being able to get into there has caused some challenges,' Champion told the network. The Arkansas Department of Corrections released a photo Tuesday depicting "what officials feel he would look similar to after a week on the run," Champion said in an email to USA TODAY Tuesday night. He added that the mugshot was altered to represent a week's worth of hair growth and to make Hardin slimmer due to limited food. Champion said that there are no new developments as of Tuesday night, though tips are being investigated. Here is a timeline of what we know about Grant Hardin. Reporting from local outlets and court records show: August 6, 1990: Hardin is hired by the Fayetteville Police Department 5News reported that department records say he had not improved in "control of conflict" skills during his training May 22, 1991: Hardin is fired by the Fayetteville Police Department "Your Field Training Officers, supervisors, and I have observed your performance and determined your efforts fall short of the average probationary officer," A letter, published by 5News, from then chief Richard Watson said. "Your tendency not to accept constructive criticism along with indecisiveness under stressful situations played a major role in my decision." November 1, 1991: Hardin is hired by the Huntsville Police Department June 2, 1992: Hardin leaves the Huntsville Police Department July 20, 1993: Hardin is hired by the Eureka Springs Police Department October 4, 1996: Hardin is fired by the Eureka Springs Police Department Then Chief Earl Hyatt fired Hardin for excessive force and lying on a report, KNWA reported November 9, 1997: Hardin assaults a school teacher in Rogers, Arkansas The victim told investigators that she was attacked on a Sunday morning, a time she normally worked to prepare for the week and noted that a church group was meeting in the school's cafeteria, according to an affidavit filed at the time of the attack. She was attacked at gunpoint after leaving her classroom for a restroom off of the teacher's lounge, according to the affidavit. 2009: Hardin begins his first term as Benton County District 1 Constable, according to 5News 2013: Hardin begins his second term as constable, according to 5News January 2016: Hardin is hired to be the police chief in Gateway, Arkansas April 2016: Hardin resigns from the position following an ultimatum from the city council, according to the Associated Press "He's an evil person," then city council member and current Gateway Mayor Cheryl Tillman told USA TODAY. November 21, 2016: Hardin is hired at the Northwest Arkansas Community Correction Center in Fayetteville, according to KHBS/KHOG. He would work there until his arrest February 23, 2017: Hardin shoots James Appleton Appleton's brother-in-law, Andrew Tillman, told Benton County Sheriff's investigators that he was on the phone with Appleton when he was shot, according to a probable cause affidavit. Tillman was the mayor of Gateway, Arkansas when the shooting occurred. A witness told investigators that he saw a white car parked behind Appleton's truck, heard a loud bang and saw the white car speed off. The witness then turned around to check on the truck only to discover Appleton dead, according to the affidavit. October 19, 2017: Hardin pleads guilty to murder in the first degree February 12, 2018: Hardin is charged for the 1997 rape based on a DNA test taken after the murder conviction, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case February 13, 2019: Hardin pleads guilty to two counts of rape and is sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for each count consecutively 2023: The documentary "Devil in the Ozarks" is released "Even just seeing the guy's face on the news again, I shuddered. I can only imagine what the victims and the victims' families felt," Ari Mark, co-founder of AMPLE Entertainment and executive producer of the documentary told USA TODAY Contributing: Jeanine Santucci – USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Devil in the Ozarks killer still a fugitive. Why's he so hard to find?
