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Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former Arkansas police chief Grant Hardin's prison escape offers unique challenges to searchers: experts
The former Arkansas police chief who escaped prison on Sunday may have an "edge" compared to other escapees due to his past in law enforcement, experts say. Former Gateway Police Department Chief Grant Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit, a medium-security prison, Sunday afternoon in Calico Rock, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC). Nicknamed the "Devil in the Ozarks," Hardin was serving decades in prison for murder and rape. Eric Brown, a 24-year U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and CEO of Imperio Consulting, told Fox News Digital that a former police chief like Hardin "has a working knowledge of law enforcement procedures, patrol routines and how search operations are typically structured." "That gives him an initial edge. He knows how law enforcement thinks," Brown told Fox News Digital. 'Devil In The Ozarks' Who Escaped Prison Likely Still In Arkansas Area: Officials Law enforcement officials "will likely lean on geo-fencing, license plate readers, and known associate surveillance," Brown added. Read On The Fox News App "If he's on foot, dogs, drones and thermal imaging tighten the noose," Brown said. "Establishing a perimeter means thinking like the fugitive, assessing terrain, choke points and logical escape routes. Officials are watching for movement: stolen vehicles, property break-ins, supply thefts, even unusual local chatter. The key is pattern disruption." It took less than 30 minutes for prison officials to notice that Hardin had disappeared from prison. Photos that the Stone County Sheriff's Office posted to social media show Hardin wearing an ADC-style uniform during his escape through a sally port, though ADC communications director Rand Champion said the uniform he was wearing was not official. Louisiana Ag Confident Remaining Jailbreak Fugitives Will Be Recaptured After Officials Make 14Th Arrest Angelo Brown, Ph.D., assistant professor of criminology at Arkansas State University, similarly told Fox News Digital that law enforcement officials will likely be using drones and infrared camera technology to search heavily wooded areas in Stone County, where Hardin escaped, which is located just east of the Ozark Mountains. Hardin has ties to Garfield, Eureka Springs, Holiday Island and Huntsville, according to the FBI. Angelo Brown said Hardin's police chief experience means he likely has ties to law enforcement officials who may help him, and he will avoid making "simple mistakes that a lot of people on the run make, like going to relatives' homes, using… cellphones, credit cards, things like that." Botched Crime Scene Handling Could Derail Prosecution Of Orleans Parish Jail Escapees, Former Fbi Agent Says "Getting away, that's still very unlikely. Especially now, even if it is state-level corruption… the federal government's involved in this search and investigation, the state police, various agencies are working on this. So, I think law enforcement is doing everything they can to keep people safe," he said, noting, however, that it is impossible to "mitigate the risk completely" with a fugitive on the run. Champion said during a Wednesday news conference that authorities are fairly confident in the route they believe Hardin took when he escaped and his current location. "Based on the information that we have and the experience of our teams, they feel fairly confident that he is still fairly close to this region," Champion said, noting that "all it takes is one vehicle" for Hardin to use to travel elsewhere, though officials have established a perimeter around Stone County. "As of this time, they are still very confident that he is in the area," Champion said. Massive Jail Break In New Orleans 'Impossible' Without Staff Involvement, Says Ex-fbi Fugitive Hunter Champion said the public should assume Hardin is "a very dangerous individual," and there is a risk he may commit more crimes while he is on the run. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years for murder plus additional time for rape. Manhunt Underway After Disgraced Former Police Chief Convicted Of Murder, Rape Escapes Arkansas Prison He pleaded guilty to the 2017 murder of James Appleton, 59, a city water employee who was found shot in the face inside his work truck, KNWA reported. While Hardin was being booked into the state prison around that time, officials submitted his DNA sample into a database. His DNA linked him to the rape cold case of a teacher in 1997, the outlet reported. Hardin ended up pleading guilty in that case in 2019, according to KNWA. The former police chief's escape came two days after 10 prisoners escaped a correctional facility in New Orleans, eight of whom have since been recaptured while two remain at large. Hardin is described as a 6-foot White male, weighing approximately 259 pounds. The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to his recapture and is asking tipsters to call 1-800-CALL-FBI with any information concerning the escapee. Fox News' Stepheny Price and Louis Casiano contributed to this article source: Former Arkansas police chief Grant Hardin's prison escape offers unique challenges to searchers: experts
Fox News
2 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Former Arkansas police chief Grant Hardin's prison escape offers unique challenges to searchers: experts
The former Arkansas police chief who escaped prison on Sunday may have an "edge" compared to other escapees due to his past in law enforcement, experts say. Former Gateway Police Department Chief Grant Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit, a medium-security prison, Sunday afternoon in Calico Rock, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC). Nicknamed the "Devil in the Ozarks," Hardin was serving decades in prison for murder and rape. Eric Brown, a 24-year U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and CEO of Imperio Consulting, told Fox News Digital that a former police chief like Hardin "has a working knowledge of law enforcement procedures, patrol routines and how search operations are typically structured." "That gives him an initial edge. He knows how law enforcement thinks," Brown told Fox News Digital. Law enforcement officials "will likely lean on geo-fencing, license plate readers, and known associate surveillance," Brown added. "But every fugitive makes mistakes." "If he's on foot, dogs, drones and thermal imaging tighten the noose," Brown said. "Establishing a perimeter means thinking like the fugitive, assessing terrain, choke points and logical escape routes. Officials are watching for movement: stolen vehicles, property break-ins, supply thefts, even unusual local chatter. The key is pattern disruption." It took less than 30 minutes for prison officials to notice that Hardin had disappeared from prison. Photos that the Stone County Sheriff's Office posted to social media show Hardin wearing an ADC-style uniform during his escape through a sally port, though ADC communications director Rand Champion said the uniform he was wearing was not official. Angelo Brown, Ph.D., assistant professor of criminology at Arkansas State University, similarly told Fox News Digital that law enforcement officials will likely be using drones and infrared camera technology to search heavily wooded areas in Stone County, where Hardin escaped, which is located just east of the Ozark Mountains. Hardin has ties to Garfield, Eureka Springs, Holiday Island and Huntsville, according to the FBI. Angelo Brown said Hardin's police chief experience means he likely has ties to law enforcement officials who may help him, and he will avoid making "simple mistakes that a lot of people on the run make, like going to relatives' homes, using… cellphones, credit cards, things like that." "Getting away, that's still very unlikely. Especially now, even if it is state-level corruption… the federal government's involved in this search and investigation, the state police, various agencies are working on this. So, I think law enforcement is doing everything they can to keep people safe," he said, noting, however, that it is impossible to "mitigate the risk completely" with a fugitive on the run. Champion said during a Wednesday news conference that authorities are fairly confident in the route they believe Hardin took when he escaped and his current location. "Based on the information that we have and the experience of our teams, they feel fairly confident that he is still fairly close to this region," Champion said, noting that "all it takes is one vehicle" for Hardin to use to travel elsewhere, though officials have established a perimeter around Stone County. "As of this time, they are still very confident that he is in the area," Champion said. Champion said the public should assume Hardin is "a very dangerous individual," and there is a risk he may commit more crimes while he is on the run. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years for murder plus additional time for rape. He pleaded guilty to the 2017 murder of James Appleton, 59, a city water employee who was found shot in the face inside his work truck, KNWA reported. While Hardin was being booked into the state prison around that time, officials submitted his DNA sample into a database. His DNA linked him to the rape cold case of a teacher in 1997, the outlet reported. Hardin ended up pleading guilty in that case in 2019, according to KNWA. The former police chief's escape came two days after 10 prisoners escaped a correctional facility in New Orleans, eight of whom have since been recaptured while two remain at large. Hardin is described as a 6-foot White male, weighing approximately 259 pounds. The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to his recapture and is asking tipsters to call 1-800-CALL-FBI with any information concerning the escapee.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
5 days after Hardin escape, focus stays in north AR; reward bumps to $25K
CALICO ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Five days after convicted murderer and rapist Grant Hardin escaped a Calico Rock prison, the search remains centered on north Arkansas. According to Arkansas Department of Corrections spokesperson Rand Champion said all tips so far have been 'looked into and investigated,' but none have 'come to fruition at this time.' 'At this time, there are no new updates as searches continue,' Champion said. 'The focus remains the north central Arkansas region for our search teams. Caves complicate search for escaped Arkansas inmate Two rewards are being offered for information leading to Hardin's arrest: $20,000 from the FBI, and now $5,000 from the U.S. Marshalls for a combined reward of $25,000, according to Champion. Authorities urge those with information about Hardin or his whereabouts report to their local law enforcement 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Bloodhounds hunting fugitive dubbed "Devil in the Ozarks" foiled by heavy rains after prison escape
A bloodhound picked up the scent shortly after the "Devil in the Ozarks" escaped from a lockup in northern Arkansas. The hound didn't have to go far to begin the hunt - it lives at the prison as part of a specialized unit that uses man's best friend to help track fugitives. Although the scent of convicted killer Grant Hardin was lost because of heavy rain, experts say that even days after Sunday's escape, the animal's highly developed sense of smell can still pick up a fresh trail. Bloodhounds are known for being tenacious trackers, said Brian Tierney, president of the National Police Bloodhound Association. They're playing a key role in the search for Hardin, now in its sixth day. They also save lives, as one young bloodhound did just two weeks ago in Maine. Millie, a 10-month-old hound, tracked a 5-year-old girl with autism who went missing from her home on May 16, Maine State Police said. The dog found the girl waist-deep in water in a cedar swamp, the agency said. Authorities credited Millie's dedication and "incredible nose" for saving the girl. Heavy rain interrupted the search for Hardin Bad weather confounded the hunt for Hardin, who was serving a 30-year sentence for murder when he escaped from the North Central Unit, a medium-security prison in Calico Rock, Arkansas. The hound found - then lost - Hardin's scent when heavy rains blew through the area, said state prison spokesman Rand Champion. Hardin was tracked for less than a quarter of a mile when the bloodhound lost the trail. The fugitive could have gone in any direction after that. "That was one of the most frustrating things, that they were able to track him but then they lost him because of the rain," Champion said. The FBI on Friday announced it's offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Hardin's arrest. This image provided by the Arkansas Department of Corrections shows Grant Hardin, a former police chief and convicted killer, escaping the North Central Unit prison wearing a disguise in Calico Rock, Ark. Arkansas Department of Corrections via AP Hardin took almost nothing with him and left behind plenty of clothes, bedsheets and other items that are used to familiarize the bloodhounds with his scent, Champion said. Those items are shared with the dogs to give them the initial scent of the person they are seeking, Tierney said. It's a process that's standard operating procedure for Arkansas' prison dogs. Hardin's criminal history A former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in a fatal shooting for which he was serving a 30-year sentence. Hardin's DNA was matched to the 1997 rape of a teacher at an elementary school in Rogers, north of Fayetteville. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison for that crime. Eventually, his notoriety led to a TV documentary, "Devil in the Ozarks." Champion said that someone should have checked Hardin's identity before he was allowed to leave, describing the lack of verification as a "lapse" that is being investigated. An investigation into what led up to the escape "to help determine any assistance he may have had" was ongoing, the Arkansas Department of Corrections said. Bloodhounds live at Calico Rock prison Authorities haven't disclosed how many dogs are involved in the manhunt, but the Calico Rock prison is known for its bloodhounds that live in a kennel on prison property. The nearly one dozen dogs at the prison have helped many other agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to track a variety of people over the years, according to a 2021 state audit report on the prison. Southern prisons have a long history of keeping bloodhounds around in case of escapes, like the one featured in country artist Blake Shelton's song "Ol' Red," about a hound that hunts escaped inmates with "a nose that could smell a two-day trail." Police set up checkpoints looking for escaped prisoner Grant Hardin, Thursday, May 29, 2025, near downtown Calico Rock, Ark. Nicholas Ingram / AP Dogs in Arkansas' prison system have also been used to help other agencies find people who are not dangerous, such as missing children, people with special needs or elderly people, Champion said. The bloodhounds tend to raise a ruckus when they find their mark. But the prison system uses other types of dogs in searching for children and vulnerable people who go missing, and those dogs tend to lick people and make friends with them when they are found, Champion said. Fugitives use tricks to throw bloodhounds off their trail Fugitives being hunted by bloodhounds have been known to take extreme steps to throw the dogs off their trail, Tierney said. Two convicted killers who broke out of a maximum-security prison in upstate New York in 2015 collected dozens of containers of black and cayenne pepper before their escape. They had intended to use the pepper "to interfere with tracking dogs they assumed would be part of a manhunt for them after the escape," a state investigation found. One of the men was shot and killed during the manhunt; another was also shot but survived and was captured. Tierney said he's heard of other methods used by fugitives to evade tracking dogs. Among them: Sleeping in trees could allow one's scent to disperse before reaching the ground, he said. Hardin has troubled past in law enforcement In his first job as a police officer 35 years ago in the college town of Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas, Hardin struggled almost immediately, his supervisors said. "Other recruits do not like Grant," one wrote in a performance review. After a few months on the job, most shift supervisors concluded that he was "not suited for police work," Fayetteville's police chief at the time wrote to the director of the state commission on enforcement standards in the spring of 1991. But after being dismissed by Fayetteville police, he kept getting hired for other law enforcement jobs in northwest Arkansas. In documents and interviews, other police leaders echoed what Fayetteville's police chief had said - that Grant should not have become a police officer. By the time he was the police chief in the small town of Gateway in 2016, "he was out chasing cars for no reason," Cheryl Tillman, the town's current mayor, recalled in the documentary "Devil in the Ozarks." CBS News' Ian Lee asked Tillman what her reaction was when she found out Hardin had escaped prison. "My heart just sank," Tillman said. "You know, I thought, oh my gosh, what are we gonna do now?" Tillman told CBS News that "anxiety is really high." "I get really nervous and scared. And I don't like guns, but we have one loaded now," Tillman said. Hardin has also been described by those who know him as a smart and cunning person who has learned many police tactics over the years and knows how law officers hunt fugitives. "That individual probably watched the extended forecast before he went out," Tierney said. "He would know that heavy rain is going to hinder the dogs."
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Bloodhounds hunting ‘Devil in the Ozarks' fugitive are seen as key part of manhunt
A bloodhound picked up the scent shortly after the ' Devil in the Ozarks ' escaped from a lockup in northern Arkansas. The hound didn't have to go far to begin the hunt — it lives at the prison as part of a specialized unit that uses man's best friend to help track fugitives. Although the scent of convicted killer Grant Hardin was lost because of heavy rain, experts say that even days after Sunday's escape, the animal's highly developed sense of small can still pick up a fresh trail. Bloodhounds are known for being tenacious trackers, said Brian Tierney, president of the National Police Bloodhound Association. They're playing a key role in the search for Hardin, now in its sixth day. They also save lives, as one young bloodhound did just two weeks ago in Maine. Millie, a 10-month-old hound tracked a five-year-old girl with autism who went missing from her home on May 16, Maine State Police said. The dog found the girl waist-deep in water in a cedar swamp, the agency said. Authorities credited Millie's dedication and 'incredible nose' for saving the girl. Heavy rain interrupted the search for Hardin Bad weather confounded the hunt for Hardin, who was serving a 30-year sentence for murder when he escaped from the North Central Unit, a medium-security prison in Calico Rock, Arkansas. The hound found - then lost - Hardin's scent when heavy rains blew through the area, said state prison spokesman Rand Champion. Hardin was tracked for less than a quarter of a mile when the bloodhound lost the trail. The fugitive could have gone in any direction after that. 'That was one of the most frustrating things, that they were able to track him but then they lost him because of the rain,' Champion said. Hardin took almost nothing with him and left behind plenty of clothes, bedsheets and other items that are used to familiarize the bloodhounds with his scent, Champion said. Those items are shared with the dogs to give them the initial scent of the person they are seeking, Tierney said. It's a process that's standard operating procedure for Arkansas' prison dogs. Who is Grant Hardin? A former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in a fatal shooting for which he was serving a 30-year sentence. Hardin's DNA was matched to the 1997 rape of a teacher at an elementary school in Rogers, north of Fayetteville. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison for that crime. Eventually, his notoriety led to a TV documentary, 'Devil in the Ozarks.' Champion said that someone should have checked Hardin's identity before he was allowed to leave, describing the lack of verification as a 'lapse' that is being investigated. Bloodhounds live at Calico Rock prison Authorities haven't disclosed how many dogs are involved in the manhunt, but the Calico Rock prison is known for its bloodhounds that live in a kennel on prison property. The nearly one dozen dogs at the prison have helped many other agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to track a variety of people over the years, according to a 2021 state audit report on the prison. Southern prisons have a long history of keeping bloodhounds around in case of escapes, like the one featured in country artist Blake Shelton's song 'Ol' Red,' about a hound that hunts escaped inmates with 'a nose that could smell a two-day trail.' Dogs in Arkansas' prison system have also been used to help other agencies find people who are not dangerous, such as missing children, people with special needs or elderly people, Champion said. The bloodhounds tend to raise a ruckus when they find their mark. But the prison system uses other types of dogs in searching for children and vulnerable people who go missing, and those dogs tend to lick people and make friends with them when they are found, Champion said. Fugitives use spices, other means to foil bloodhounds Fugitives being hunted by bloodhounds have been known to take extreme steps to throw the dogs off their trail, Tierney said. Two convicted killers who broke out of a maximum-security prison in upstate New York in 2015 collected dozens of containers of black and cayenne pepper before their escape. They had intended to use the pepper 'to interfere with tracking dogs they assumed would be part of a manhunt for them after the escape,' a state investigation found. One of the men was shot and killed during the manhunt; another was also shot but survived and was captured. Tierney said he's heard of other methods used by fugitives to evade tracking dogs. Among them: Sleeping in trees could allow one's scent to disperse before reaching the ground, he said. Hardin has troubled past in law enforcement In his first job as a police officer 35 years ago in the college town of Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas, Hardin struggled almost immediately, his supervisors said. 'Other recruits do not like Grant,' one wrote in a performance review. After a few months on the job, most shift supervisors concluded that he was 'not suited for police work,' Fayetteville's police chief at the time wrote to the director of the state commission on enforcement standards in the spring of 1991. But after being dismissed by Fayetteville police, he kept getting hired for other law enforcement jobs in northwest Arkansas. In documents and interviews, other police leaders echoed what Fayetteville's police chief had said — that Grant should not have become a police officer. By the time he was the police chief in the small town of Gateway in 2016, 'he was out chasing cars for no reason,' Cheryl Tillman, the town's current mayor, recalled in the documentary 'Devil in the Ozarks.' He's also been described by those who know him as a smart and cunning person who has learned many police tactics over the years and knows how law officers hunt fugitives. 'That individual probably watched the extended forecast before he went out,' Tierney said. 'He would know that heavy rain is going to hinder the dogs.' Associated Press Writer Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed. Jeff Martin, Andrew Demillo And Safiyah Riddle, The Associated Press
