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The Sun
29-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Chilling pic of ‘Devil in the Ozarks' killer who broke from prison in disguise as cops fear he'll hide forever in caves
A CHILLING photo shows the 'Devil in the Ozarks' killer fleeing prison while disguised as a law enforcement officer. A desperate manhunt is underway to find Grant Hardin, 56, who is feared to be hiding in one of hundreds of underground caves in Arkansas. 2 His horrific crimes were featured in the 2023 Max documentary "Devil in the Ozarks." Officials have been scouring the state's rugged Ozark Mountains for the former police chief - a convicted killer and rapist - who escaped from prison on Sunday. The area has hundreds of subterranean caves, abandoned cabins and campsites - giving him plenty of possible hideouts. He "knows where the caves are,' said Darla Nix, a cafe owner in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, whose sons grew up around Hardin. Nix described the evil ex-cop as a survivor, and remembered him as a "very, very smart" and mostly quiet person. The "caves have definitely been a source of concern and a point of emphasis," said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the corrections department. 'Until we have credible evidence that he is not in the area, we assume that he's probably still in the area,' he added. Hardin duped prison officers by impersonating a corrections officer in dress and manner, according to a court document. Chilling footage released today by the ADC shows him brazenly strolling out of the North Central Unit, a medium-security prison in Calico Rock. It reveals the evil killer disguised as a law enforcement officer. Violent tornado causes catastrophic damage near Arkansas A prison officer opened a secure gate, allowing him to simply walk out of the facility. Champion said, "The outfit was not a standard inmate or correctional uniform." Authorities are using canines, drones and helicopters to search the rugged northern Arkansas terrain, Champion added. He's just an evil man. He is no good for society Cheryl Tillman, whose brother was killed by Hardin Officials are trying to determine how he was either able to get the uniform or make it himself. Video surveillance shows Hardin escaping at about 2:55 p.m. on Sunday, Champion said. Officials announced his escape from the medium-security facility about two hours later. POLICE CHIEF Hardin had briefly served as police chief for the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder for fatally shooting James Appleton, 59, a Gateway water department employee, in the head in 2017. When Hardin's DNA was entered into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, officials discovered it matched the 1997 rape of a teacher at an elementary school in Rogers, north of Fayetteville. What crimes did Grant Hardin commit? The former Arkansas police chief, 56, was serving a decadeslong sentence for a brutal rape and a murder when he escaped from prison His horrific crimes were featured in the 2023 Max documentary "Devil in the Ozarks." Murder Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder for fatally shooting James Appleton, 59. His victim, a Gateway water department employee, was shot in the head in 2017. Appleton was on the phone with his brother-in-law, then-Gateway Mayor Andrew Tillman, at the time of the shooting. Police found his body inside a car. Hardin took his wife and daughter to dinner the night of the shooting, according to the affidavit. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Cold case rape Hardin's DNA was entered into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, and it matched the 1997 rape of a teacher at an elementary school in Rogers, north of Fayetteville. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison on two counts of rape. He was a police officer in Eureka Springs at that time. Source: NBC He had been working as a police officer in Eureka Springs at that time. Hardin was sentenced to 50 years in prison for that crime. SHOCKED Former Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Nathan Smith, who helped put Hardin in prison, told NBC the crimes were "shocking." "Anytime you have a former law enforcement officer accused and convicted and committed these crimes, I think it shocks everyone," he added on Wednesday. Izard County Sheriff Charley Melton, and other local sheriffs have urged residents to lock their homes and vehicles and call 911 if they see anything suspicious. WORKED IN KITCHEN Cheryl Tillman, whose brother was killed by Hardin, said she and other relatives are alarmed by his escape since they were witnesses in his court proceedings. She added, "We were there at his trial when all that went down, and he seen us there, he knows. "He's just an evil man. He is no good for society." As Hardin had held a job in the prison's kitchen, officials are checking whether this gave him easy access to tools that could have helped him, including creating the makeshift uniform. Tillman said, "It sounds like to me that he was given free range down there. "Now that he's free, it makes it uneasy for all of us, the whole family." The FBI announced on Thursday that it was offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his arrest.
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Caves and other mountain hideouts are being searched for fugitive known as ‘Devil in the Ozarks'
Grant Hardin, a former police chief and convicted killer, is seen escaping the North Central Unit prison wearing a disguise in Calico Rock, Ark. (Arkansas Department of Corrections via AP) There are plenty of hideouts in the rugged terrain of the Ozark Mountains, from abandoned cabins to campsites in the vast forests where searchers are hunting for a convicted former police chief 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. Local, state and federal law enforcement have continued to scour the region around the prison throughout the third day of the search. 'Until we have credible evidence that he is not in the area, we assume that he's probably still in the area,' Rand Champion, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, said at a press conference Wednesday. Fugitive Grant Hardin, 56, '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 Champion. '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. The area around the prison is 'one of the most cave-dense regions of the state,' said Matt Covington, a University of Arkansas geology professor who studies caves. This undated photo provided by the Arkansas Department of Corrections Communications Department shows inmate Grant Hardin. (Arkansas Department of Corrections Communications Department via AP) This undated photo provided by the Arkansas Department of Corrections Communications Department shows inmate Grant Hardin. (Arkansas Department of Corrections Communications Department via AP) Impersonating an officer 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 wearing an outfit designed to look like a law enforcement uniform, according to Champion. A prison officer opened a secure gate, allowing him to leave the facility. Champion said that someone should have checked Hardin's identity before he was allowed to leave the facility, describing the lack of verification as a 'lapse' that is being investigated. It took authorities approximately 30 minutes to notice Hardin had escaped. Champion said that inmates are evaluated and given a classification when they first enter the prison system to determine where they are housed. There are portions of the Calico Rock facility that are maximum-security. While incarcerated, Hardin did not have any major disciplinary issues, Champion said. 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. Dark places to hide 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. 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. 'He was anticipating a great conflict and he had clearly lined up caves and campsites where he could go,' Swecker said. Rudolph pleaded guilty to federal charges associated with four bombings in Georgia and Alabama. There are nearly 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. 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. Cheryl Tillman, mayor of Gateway, Ark., and sister of James Appleton, who was fatally shot in 2017, works on her laptop at Town Hall on May 28, 2026. Grant Hardin, who briefly served as police chief, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. (AP Photo/N... Cheryl Tillman, mayor of Gateway, Ark., and sister of James Appleton, who was fatally shot in 2017, works on her laptop at Town Hall on May 28, 2026. Grant Hardin, who briefly served as police chief, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. (AP Photo/Nick Ingram) Checkered past Hardin had a checkered and brief law enforcement career. He worked at the Fayetteville Police Department from August 1990 to May 1991, but was let go because he didn't meet the standards of his training period, a department spokesman said. Hardin worked about six months at the Huntsville Police Department before resigning, but records do not give a reason for his resignation, according to Police Chief Todd Thomas, who joined the department after Hardin worked there. Hardin later worked at the Eureka Springs Police Department from 1993 to 1996. Former Chief Earl Hyatt said Hardin resigned because Hyatt was going to fire him over incidents that included the use of excessive force. 'He did not need to be a police officer at all,' Hyatt told television station KNWA. He continued to have trouble in his brief stint as an officer in Gateway, according to the 450-person town's mayor Cheryl Tillman. While Hardin was the town's sole officer, 'there was things that I seen that wasn't good. He was always angry,' said Tillman, who wasn't mayor at the time. Hardin pleaded guilty in 2017 to first-degree murder for the killing of James Appleton, 59. Appleton, who was Tillman's brother, 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. 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. Jeff Martin, Andrew Demillo And Safiyah Riddle, The Associated Press
The Independent
28-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
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.
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.
