Caves, Other Hideouts in Mountains Are Part of Hunt for Fugitive Known as ‘Devil in the Ozarks'
There are plenty of hideouts in the rugged terrain of the Ozark Mountains, from abandoned cabins and campsites in vast forests where searchers are hunting for an ex-lawman known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks.'
Others are not only off the grid but beneath it, in the hundreds of caves that lead to vast subterranean spaces.
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16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dangerous 'Devil in the Ozarks' former police chief on the run as expert warns outdoorsmen to stay away
A survivalist is issuing a warning for hikers and outdoorsmen in the Ozarks of Arkansas: steer clear of the area. Shawn Hendrix's warning comes amid an ongoing search for prison escapee and former Gateway Police Department Chief Grant Hardin, 56, who fled from a medium-security prison in Calico Rock on Sunday, May 25, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC). Nicknamed the "Devil in the Ozarks," Hardin was serving decades in prison for murder and rape. "I think that the big thing that gets him caught or dead in the field is getting injured … or a foodborne illness — he drinks some bad water," Hendrix told Fox News Digital. "Now, if he gets dysentery or some kind of really bad foodborne or waterborne illness, that could take him out real quick. So, let's hope that he drinks some bad water and has some really terrible disease that gets him out of the woods because my biggest concern is that if you're a hiker or a camper or hunter out there, you're not going to see it coming." Arkansas Officials Release New Photo Of Escaped 'Devil In The Ozarks' On Run For Weeks Hendrix added that Hardin has shown little regard for human life in the past, and "every person in the woods right now is an opportunity for equipment for this guy." Arkansas authorities have warned that the escapee may be armed and dangerous. Read On The Fox News App "I definitely would stay clear of the area," he said. Former Arkansas Police Chief Grant Hardin's Prison Escape Offers Unique Challenges To Searchers: Experts Hardin escaped prison through a sally port, wearing a makeshift ADC-style uniform, ADC communications director Rand Champion said last week, noting the uniform he was wearing was not official. The former police chief pleaded guilty to fatally shooting a man in the face inside the victim's work truck in 2017. After submitting DNA samples when he was booked for the murder case, his DNA was linked to the 1997 cold-case rape of a teacher. He pleaded guilty in that case in 2019, according to KNWA. 'Devil In The Ozarks': Fbi Offers $10K Reward For Capture Of Former Arkansas Police Chief On The Run "This guy is just so evil. I mean, this guy is a sociopath," Hendrix said. "[Hardin] has no care for humans or anybody but himself. He's law-enforcement trained. He has a history of issues in and out of the police. I think there's a whole bigger story of how this guy was a cop for 27 years, right? … I would not want to be out looking for this guy." Hardin is described as a 6-foot White male, weighing approximately 259 pounds. Hendrix said at that weight, Hardin has a caloric reserve that could help him survive for weeks alone in wooded areas of the Ozarks, which have hundreds of caves and natural resources that include food, water, berries and other natural food supplies. Devil In The Ozarks' Who Escaped Prison Likely Still In Arkansas Area: Officials "There's just a lot of, you know, berries, cattails, fish, you know, there's like natural native fruits like persimmon, maybe even plums in that area," Hendrix explained. "So there's a lot of … natural things to live off the land. If he has a gun, I don't know about using a gun to shoot an animal just because of how loud it would be, but there [are] ways to get food. … He's such a heavy individual [at] 260 pounds. He's got a couple of months of reserves." Police searching for Hardin in the wilderness will likely be looking for "concealed" evidence of a person living in the woods, such as a burnt-out fire or other materials that have been covered up, or an underground fire. The FBI and U.S. Marshals are offering a combined $25,000 for any information leading to Hardin's capture. They are asking anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at Manhunt Underway After Disgraced Former Police Chief Convicted Of Murder, Rape Escapes Arkansas Prison Champion said during a news conference last week that authorities are fairly confident in the route they believe Hardin took when he escaped and said authorities believed he was still in the Ozarks area, but a federal complaint filed against Hardin on May 30 suggests another possibility: he may be out of state. Based on two unconfirmed sightings, including one in Missouri on May 26, a day after Hardin escaped, federal officials believe he's not in Arkansas anymore, as The Arkansas Democrat Gazette first reported. "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," Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert J. Hammons wrote in the criminal complaint, according to the Gazette. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of article source: Dangerous 'Devil in the Ozarks' former police chief on the run as expert warns outdoorsmen to stay away
a day ago
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.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Search continues over a week for escaped Arkansas inmate Grant Hardin
CALICO ROCK, Ark. – A massive search is currently underway for an ex-police chief who escaped from an Izard County prison more than a week ago. Authorities have been using any and every resource possible to locate 56-year-old Grant Hardin, a convicted murderer and rapist. Who is Grant Hardin, the 'Devil in the Ozarks'? Hardin is a former police chief in northwest Arkansas who escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. He was serving a sentence for rape and murder convictions. According to court documents, Hardin was reportedly let out by a corrections officer. A spokesperson with the Arkansas Department of Corrections said Hardin escaped by disguising himself in an 'ADC-type uniform.' Logan Barnes is the owner of Knowles True Value Hardware Store in Calico Rock. he says the community is remaining cautious as each day passes. 'At first I was spooked.I think everyone was a little leery.' Barnes goes on to say, 'We have a bunch of people that hunt and fish and they know how to protect their property.' Officials say the rocky terrain, past rainy weather and his police background has made it difficult to find him. The rural area creates hiding places like caves. 'There's a lot of places to hide here. You could go off-grid here and no one would find you,' said Charlie Allen, owner of Lindsey Trout Dock. A spokesperson with the Arkansas Department of Corrections says the manhunt includes helicopters, drones, horseback, ATVs, police checkpoints and more. 'We're the safest place on earth right now because there are cops everywhere,' said a local. FBI offering $10,000 reward for information on Arkansas inmate escapee Grant Hardin Charlie Allen has owned Lindsey Trout Dock on the White River for years, he says they have a lot of tourists that come out to fish and some have already asked about Hardin but adds the water wouldn't be easy to swim across. 'Since he has escaped this river has been really high and it's cold water so you would die of hyperthermia.' Allen goes on to say he believes Hardin will be captured because, 'I got friends that are involved in the prison and they're in the K9 unit out there so I have faith in that.' Some of the community say they're keeping the faith that he will be arrested. 'This community is like a family where everyone is looking out for each other,' said Bambi Bowden, executive director of Main Street Calico Rock. Allen hopes the 'Devil in the Ozarks' time on the run will finally end soon. 'He is not only a rapist but he is a murderer he needs to be in prison,' Allen said. Authorities increase reward for information on Arkansas inmate escapee Grant Hardin to $25,000 The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Marshals Service have increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Arkansas prison escapee Grant Hardin to a combined $25,000 after five days of searching. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
