Latest news with #ArkansasDepartmentOfCorrections
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS 'Devil in the Ozarks' captured by police after murderous police chief escaped jail using a disguise
A tense, two-week manhunt ended in the dense Arkansas woods on Friday afternoon as authorities captured Grant Hardin, a convicted murderer and rapist and known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks'. Hardin's escape from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock had terrified communities and sparked a massive multi-agency dragnet. The Arkansas Department of Corrections confirmed Hardin's capture roughly a mile from where his brazen breakout began on May 25. Officials say Hardin, a former police chief turned violent felon, managed to evade authorities for 13 days before being tracked down and apprehended near the rugged terrain he likely thought would be his shield. '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,' said Benny Magness, Chairman of the Arkansas Board of Corrections. 'They sacrificed everything to make sure Hardin was captured and the community could finally feel safe again.'
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Marshals say ‘Devil in the Ozarks' who escaped Arkansas prison has likely fled state
This combo of images provided by the Arkansas Department of Corrections shows an actual photo of inmate Grant Hardin, left, and a photo rendering of the convicted former police chief known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks" as the search for the escaped inmate headed into its second week. (Arkansas Department of Corrections via AP) Investigators believe that a convicted murderer and former police chief known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' 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. Andrew Demillo, The Associated Press
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
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. Fugitive Grant Hardin 'knows where the caves are,' said Darla Nix, a cafe owner in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, whose sons grew up around him. Nix, who describes Hardin as a survivor, remembers him as a 'very, very smart' and mostly quiet person. For the searchers, 'caves have definitely been a source of concern and a point of emphasis,' said Rand Champion, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Corrections. '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,' Champion said. 'It adds to the challenge of a search in this area, for sure.' Hardin, the 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.' He escaped Sunday from the North Central Unit — a medium-security prison also known as the Calico Rock prison — by impersonating a corrections officer 'in dress and manner,' according to a court document. A prison officer opened a secure gate, allowing him to leave the facility. Authorities have been using canines, drones and helicopters to search for Hardin in the rugged northern Arkansas terrain, Champion said. The sheriffs of several counties across the Arkansas Ozarks had urged residents to lock their homes and vehicles and call 911 if they notice anything suspicious. In some ways, the terrain is similar to the site of one of the most notorious manhunts in U.S. history. Bomber Eric Rudolph, described by authorities as a skilled outdoorsman, evaded law officers for years in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It was a five-year manhunt that finally ended in 2003 with his capture for with his capture in 2003. Rudolph knew of many cabins in the area owned by out-of-town people, and he also knew of caves in the area, former FBI executive Chris Swecker, who led the agency's Charlotte, North Carolina, office at the time, said in the FBI's historical account of the case. 'I think it is very likely that he not only had campsites and caves, but he was also spending some time in those cabins,' Swecker said. 'He was anticipating a great conflict and he had clearly lined up caves and campsites where he could go,' he added. Rudolph pleaded guilty to federal charges associated with four bombings in Georgia and Alabama, including one in Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta during the 1996 Olympic Games. There are more than 2,000 documented caves in northern Arkansas, state officials say. Many of them have entrances only a few feet wide that are not obvious to passersby, said Michael Ray Taylor, who has written multiple books on caves, including 'Hidden Nature: Wild Southern Caves.' The key is finding the entrance, Taylor said. 'The entrance may look like a rabbit hole, but if you wriggle through it, suddenly you find enormous passageways,' he said. Local residents might discover some caves as teenagers, so a fugitive would want to choose one that deputies in the search didn't also discover as teens, Taylor said. It would be quite possible to hide out underground for an extended period, but 'you have to go out for food, and you're more likely to be discovered,' he said. 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. He was also serving 50 years for the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, north of Fayetteville. He had been held in the Calico Rock prison since 2017.
Telegraph
27-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Manhunt for killer police chief nicknamed ‘Devil in the Ozarks' after jailbreak
Officers are hunting a former police chief and convicted killer and rapist nicknamed 'Devil in the Ozarks' who escaped from prison over the weekend. Grant Hardin, the former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. On Sunday, Hardin escaped from the North Central Unit — a prison also known as the Calico Rock prison — by disguising himself and wearing a 'makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement,' state prison officials said in a statement. 'That was not a standard inmate uniform, not a standard correctional uniform,' said Rand Champion, a spokesman for the Arkansas department of corrections. Authorities are using dogs, drones and helicopters to search for the escapee, Mr Champion added. 'Everything we've got, we're using,' he said. Mr Champion said the search area has been widened the longer Hardin has been missing, although could not provide further details. He said: 'Where this facility is located, the topography does provide challenges,' he said. 'At the same time, it kind of limits where he is able to get. 'It's called Calico Rock for a reason, because it's very rocky.' Complicating the search effort is the heavy rain that's fallen in recent days in the area, he said. 'You take that rain and combine it with the terrain, and it makes for a tough situation.' Izard County Sheriff Charley Melton urged local residents to lock their homes and cars and call 911 if they notice anything suspicious. Other sheriffs also issued similar warnings about Hardin, who was the focus of a 2023 documentary, Devil in the Ozarks. Cheryl Tillman, whose brother James Appleton was killed by Hardin in 2017, said she and other relatives are alarmed by Hardin's escape since they were witnesses in his court proceedings. 'We were there at his trial when all that went down, and he seen us there, he knows,' she said, adding: 'He's just an evil man. He is no good for society.' Hardin pleaded guilty in October 2017 to first-degree murder for fatally shooting Appleton, who was 59. Appleton worked for the Gateway water department when he was shot in the head on Feb 23 2017, near Garfield. Police found Appleton's body inside a car. Investigators at the time did not release a motive for the killing and Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is also serving 50 years in prison for the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers north of Fayetteville. Hardin had been held in the Calico Rock prison since 2017.
