Search for Escaped Former Police Chief Escalates as FBI Offers $10,000 Reward
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The FBI has offered a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of Grant Hardin, a former police chief who escaped from an Arkansas prison on Sunday.
The Department of Justice said it was supporting Arkansas authorities in the search for Hardin, who was convicted of first-degree murder and rape, after he fled the North Central Unit prison near Calico Rock.
The Context
In October 2017, Grant Matthew Hardin pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder charge in connection with the shooting of James Appleton, who was found dead inside his car. He received a 30-year sentence. The former police chief was also sentenced to 50 years for the rape of an Arkansas elementary school teacher in 1997. His crimes earned him the nickname "Devil in the Ozarks" in a 2023 documentary.
What To Know
In an update on the search, which began on Sunday, authorities in Arkansas said the FBI had issued a $10,000 reward for anyone who had information that could lead to Hardin's arrest.
"This morning, the FBI, Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police, and Department of Justice have announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of escaped inmate Grant Matthew Hardin," Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, told Newsweek.
"Hardin escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on Sunday, May 25. An arrest warrant was issued for Hardin on May 26 by the Circuit Court of Izard County after he was charged with second-degree escape," Champion continued.
Anyone with information concerning Hardin should "contact the FBI's toll-free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). You may also contact your local FBI office, local law enforcement, or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov."
A poster of Grant Matthew Hardin, who escaped from prison in Arkansas on May 25.
A poster of Grant Matthew Hardin, who escaped from prison in Arkansas on May 25.
FBI
Hardin escaped from prison by wearing clothing that made him look like a member of staff rather than a prisoner, an investigation of his escape found. Hardin has since been charged with second-degree escape, which carries a minimum jail sentence of nine months.
Hardin previously served as the police chief of Gateway, a city to the north of Fayetteville on the state line with Missouri. Locals fear that his knowledge of the area means authorities may find it harder to locate him.
Officials said the cave system in the Ozark Mountains was a point of focus for the search effort. Arkansas residents described Hardin as "very, very smart" and someone who "knows where the caves are" in the region.
What People Are Saying
Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, said: "That's one of the challenges of this area—there are a lot of places to hide and take shelter, a lot of abandoned sheds, and there are a lot of caves in this area, so that's been a priority for the search team."
In its initial statement about Grant Hardin's escape, the Department of Corrections said: "On Sunday, May 25, at approximately 3:40 p.m., inmate Grant Hardin, escaped from the North Central Unit. Anyone with information about inmate Hardin's whereabouts should contact local law enforcement immediately. The Division of Correction and the Division of Community Correction are working with local, state and federal law enforcement to follow leads.
"Hardin has been at the North Central Unit since 2017, serving a 30-year sentence for first degree murder, as well as an additional sentence for rape. Hardin was the former police chief for the city of Gateway with a background in law enforcement."
What Happens Next
Anyone with information on Hardin's movements is encouraged to contact the FBI.
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He also had some distilled water he used for his CPAP machine he got from the Infirmary,' the report said. Hardin said he began to get very hungry and worried about how close the search teams were getting to him, so he began trying to leave the area, the report alleged. 'This is what led to the search teams spotting him and capturing inmate Hardin,' the report said. Several procedural issues at the facility contributed to Hardin's successful escape, the critical incident review committee said in the report, including confusion over which agency was overseeing the initial response to Hardin's escape. Some workers were not properly notified that an inmate had escaped, the report added. 'The Escape Notification Checklist was started but, due to the misunderstanding of the communication of the question, 'Have the Notifications been made?' and new staff arriving at the Command Center to assume post it was not completed,' it said. 'Corrective action and policy changes have already taken place. However, this committee feels that a command center drill should be added to the many drills already done during training and practice,' the report added. The committee also recommended that the facility replace the black aprons used by inmates with white aprons, add additional surveillance cameras to avoid blind spots from the guard towers and change the types of locks used on interior and exterior doors. The committee also found Hardin's custody level had been incorrectly classified, and he should have been in a more secure facility with more restrictions. Ultimately, two employees at the prison have been fired for policy violations, corrections officials have said, while others received demotions or disciplinary action for violations of the code of conduct, but officials have said there was no evidence employees knowingly assisted Hardin's escape, and he has denied having any help from other inmates. The DOC declined to provide any additional comment on the report. After his capture on June 6, Hardin was transferred to a maximum-security prison in Varner, Arkansas, about 75 miles southeast of Little Rock. CNN's Zoe Sottile and Taylor Romine contributed to this report.
