Latest news with #Ex-Arkansas
USA Today
18-06-2025
- USA Today
Ex-police chief who escaped from Arkansas prison pleads not guilty
Ex-police chief who escaped from Arkansas prison pleads not guilty Show Caption Hide Caption Ex-Arkansas police chief imprisoned for murder escapes prison Grant Hardin, a former Gateway, Arkansas, police chief serving time for murder and rape, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. unbranded - Newsworthy A former police chief who was recaptured earlier this month has pleaded not guilty in connection to his high-profile escape from an Arkansas prison, where he was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. Grant Hardin, known as the "Devil in the Ozarks," made his first court appearance through a video call on June 17, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty to second-degree escape. During the hearing, Hardin, 56, was found indigent, and a public defender was assigned to his case, court records show. A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Oct. 21, and a jury trial was set to take place from Nov. 5 to Nov. 7. On June 6, Hardin was captured just a mile-and-a-half west of the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock, Arkansas, according to state Department of Corrections spokesperson Rand Champion. He escaped the facility on May 25 by disguising himself as a corrections officer. The search for Hardin, which lasted about 12 days, was challenged by the mountainous and rough terrain in the Ozark Mountains. After his capture, Hardin was transferred to the Varner Unit, a maximum security prison about 75 miles southeast of Little Rock. Hardin, a former police chief in Gateway, a small town near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving decades-long sentences for murder and rape. He gained notoriety after becoming the subject of "Devil in the Ozarks," a 2023 TV documentary about his crimes. Hardin's escape remains under investigation, according to authorities. The escape followed the May 16 jailbreak of 10 inmates in New Orleans, which sparked fear and anger among the community and prompted calls for accountability. Eight of those escapees have since been captured while at least 16 accomplices have been arrested. Like true crime? Check out Witness: A library of true crime stories Who is Grant Hardin? Between 1990 and 2016, Hardin had bounced around police departments, USA TODAY previously reported. He then became the chief of police in Gateway in January 2016. He resigned from his position in April 2016 and was later hired at the Northwest Arkansas Community Correction Center in Fayetteville, where he worked until his arrest. In 2017, Hardin pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the shooting and killing of Gateway water department employee James Appleton, according to court records. The fatal shooting had occurred in February of the same year. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder. Following his murder conviction, a DNA test connected Hardin to the 1997 rape of a school teacher in nearby Rogers, Arkansas, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case. Court records showed that Hardin pleaded guilty to two counts of rape in 2019 and was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for each count consecutively. Shortly before 3 p.m. local time on May 25, Hardin escaped the Calico Rock prison. He had disguised himself as a corrections officer and walked to an exit gate, according to court records. He then tricked a real officer into opening the gate, allowing him to leave the medium-security facility on foot, court records said. Hardin's escape sparked a widespread manhunt that involved hundreds of local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. The FBI had offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his arrest. On June 6, Hardin was found just west of the Calico Rock prison, Champion said. In a photo of his arrest, Hardin was seen sitting on the ground in a vegetated area with his hands behind his back in a baseball cap, a dirty T-shirt, and pants. 'How did they let this happen?' A jailbreak, a monthlong manhunt and a push to fix New Orleans' broken lockup Authorities probing into escape, 12-day evasion Authorities are still investigating how Hardin eluded law enforcement for about 12 days. Champion told NBC News that authorities do not believe that he had assistance from inside the prison or on the outside. In an interview with The New York Times, Champion said authorities believe Hardin may have used his experience in the Calico Rock prison's kitchen to help plan and carry out his escape. He added that Hardin may have used his kitchen assignment to observe staff movements, access restricted areas, and obtain materials for his disguise, the newspaper reported. Authorities also believe Hardin had spent months preparing for escape, which may include watching the prison's routines from inside the facility, according to The Times. "This wasn't something he came up with that Sunday morning when he woke up," Champion told The Times. "This was well thought out and was something he had been planning for a while." The Arkansas Department of Corrections did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on June 17. Contributing: Michael Loria, Jeanine Santucci, and James Powel, USA TODAY
USA Today
07-06-2025
- USA Today
A 12-day search ends less than 2 miles away: How 'Devil in the Ozarks' killer was caught
A 12-day search ends less than 2 miles away: How 'Devil in the Ozarks' killer was caught Show Caption Hide Caption Ex-Arkansas police chief imprisoned for murder escapes prison Grant Hardin, a former Gateway, Arkansas, police chief serving time for murder and rape, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. unbranded - Newsworthy The former Arkansas police chief who escaped prison disguised as a guard only made it about a mile-and-a-half away from the facility in the 12 days before he was captured, officials said. Convicted murderer and rapist Grant Hardin was found at about 3 p.m. on June 6 west of the North Central Unit state prison near Moccasin Creek in Izard County, Arkansas Department of Corrections spokesperson Rand Champion said in a statement. In a photo of his arrest, Hardin is seen sitting on the ground in a vegetated area with his hands behind his back in a baseball cap and dirty T-shirt and pants. Hardin, 56, was in prison serving a decadeslong sentence for the 2017 murder of water department employee James Appleton in Gateway, Arkansas, and the 1997 rape of a school teacher in nearby Rogers. He's known as the "Devil in the Ozarks," the name of a 2023 TV documentary about his crimes. His escape on May 25 involved dressing up in a makeshift outfit to disguise himself as a corrections officer, tricking a real officer into opening a gate and allowing him to walk out of the medium-security facility, court records said. He will now be housed at the high-security Varner Unit in Gould, Arkansas, Champion said. Here's what we know about Hardin's capture and escape: Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more How was Hardin caught, ending 12-day manhunt? Authorities said tracking dogs picked up Hardin's scent and were able to lead them to Hardin. Hundreds of law enforcement officers at the local, state and federal level spent nearly two weeks searching for Hardin, using dogs, drones and aircraft, at times hampered by severe weather. Moccasin Creek where he was found has seen high water due to heavy rainfall in the last two weeks, which may have limited Hardin's ability to move around. It also prevented authorities from finding him sooner. Champion said search teams had looked through the area before but couldn't fully investigate because of the high water. Though Hardin was previously thought to have left the state, Champion said investigators now believe he never got very far at all from the prison. He was fingerprinted and assessed at the North Central Unit before being moved to the Varner Unit, Champion said. He will be interviewed in the coming days. How did he escape? Hardin slipped away from the prison the afternoon of May 25 wearing a "makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement," the Arkansas Department of Corrections said. "Inmate Hardin impersonated a corrections officer in dress and manner causing the Corrections Officer operating a secure gate to open the gate and allow Inmate Hardin to walk away from the North Central Unit," Special Agent Dennis Simons of the Izard County Sheriff's Office wrote in an arrest affidavit. A photo from surveillance footage showed Hardin wearing the outfit and pushing a loaded cart as he escaped. Champion said Hardin was gone for about 20 minutes when an officer noticed he was missing. 'Devil in the Ozarks' killer: Why was it so hard to find Grant Hardin? His escape came amid an ongoing weekslong search for escaped inmates in Louisiana. On May 16, 10 inmates broke out of a New Orleans jail; two are still on the run as of June 7. Who is Grant Hardin? Hardin pleaded guilty to the Feb. 23, 2017, murder of Appleton. Appleton's brother-in-law and the mayor of Gateway at the time, Andrew Tillman, told police he was on the phone with Appleton while Appleton was driving his truck. Appleton pulled over so he wouldn't lose signal while on the phone with Tillman, Tillman told investigators. Tillman heard what sounded like a car door slamming shut, then nothing. A witness also told police they saw someone pulled over behind the truck in a car and heard a gunshot, and identified the driver as Hardin. Appleton was found dead in his truck with a gunshot to the side of his head and face. After his conviction, his DNA was matched with that from an unsolved rape case in 1997, in which a teacher said she was attacked while at school by a man who held her at gunpoint, according to court records. Hardin pleaded guilty to charges related to the rape. Hardin's combined convictions added up to 80 years in prison sentences. Hardin was the chief of police in Gateway for about four months in 2016, the Associated Press reported. He was also terminated from roles at other police departments, local outlets have reported.
USA Today
07-06-2025
- USA Today
A 12-day search ends less than 2 miles away: How the 'Devil in the Ozarks' was caught
A 12-day search ends less than 2 miles away: How the 'Devil in the Ozarks' was caught Show Caption Hide Caption Ex-Arkansas police chief imprisoned for murder escapes prison Grant Hardin, a former Gateway, Arkansas, police chief serving time for murder and rape, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. unbranded - Newsworthy The former Arkansas police chief who escaped prison disguised as a guard only made it about a mile-and-a-half away from the facility in the 12 days before he was captured, officials said. Convicted murderer and rapist Grant Hardin was found at about 3 p.m. on June 6 west of the North Central Unit state prison near Moccasin Creek in Izard County, Arkansas Department of Corrections spokesperson Rand Champion said in a statement. In a photo of his arrest, Hardin is seen sitting on the ground in a vegetated area with his hands behind his back in a baseball cap and dirty T-shirt and pants. Hardin, 56, was in prison serving a decadeslong sentence for the 2017 murder of water department employee James Appleton in Gateway, Arkansas, and the 1997 rape of a school teacher in nearby Rogers. He's known as the "Devil in the Ozarks," the name of a 2023 TV documentary about his crimes. His escape on May 25 involved dressing up in a makeshift outfit to disguise himself as a corrections officer, tricking a real officer into opening a gate and allowing him to walk out of the medium-security facility, court records said. He will now be housed at the high-security Varner Unit in Gould, Arkansas, Champion said. Here's what we know about Hardin's capture and escape: Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more How was Hardin caught, ending 12-day manhunt? Authorities said tracking dogs picked up Hardin's scent and were able to lead them to Hardin. Hundreds of law enforcement officers at the local, state and federal level spent nearly two weeks searching for Hardin, using dogs, drones and aircraft, at times hampered by severe weather. Moccasin Creek where he was found has seen high water due to heavy rainfall in the last two weeks, which may have limited Hardin's ability to move around. It also prevented authorities from finding him sooner. Champion said search teams had looked through the area before but couldn't fully investigate because of the high water. Though Hardin was previously thought to have left the state, Champion said investigators now believe he never got very far at all from the prison. He was fingerprinted and assessed at the North Central Unit before being moved to the Varner Unit, Champion said. He will be interviewed in the coming days. How did he escape? Hardin slipped away from the prison the afternoon of May 25 wearing a "makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement," the Arkansas Department of Corrections said. "Inmate Hardin impersonated a corrections officer in dress and manner causing the Corrections Officer operating a secure gate to open the gate and allow Inmate Hardin to walk away from the North Central Unit," Special Agent Dennis Simons of the Izard County Sheriff's Office wrote in an arrest affidavit. A photo from surveillance footage showed Hardin wearing the outfit and pushing a loaded cart as he escaped. Champion said Hardin was gone for about 20 minutes when an officer noticed he was missing. 'Devil in the Ozarks' killer: Why was it so hard to find Grant Hardin? His escape came amid an ongoing weekslong search for escaped inmates in Louisiana. On May 16, 10 inmates broke out of a New Orleans jail; two are still on the run as of June 7. Who is Grant Hardin? Hardin pleaded guilty to the Feb. 23, 2017, murder of Appleton. Appleton's brother-in-law and the mayor of Gateway at the time, Andrew Tillman, told police he was on the phone with Appleton while Appleton was driving his truck. Appleton pulled over so he wouldn't lose signal while on the phone with Tillman, Tillman told investigators. Tillman heard what sounded like a car door slamming shut, then nothing. A witness also told police they saw someone pulled over behind the truck in a car and heard a gunshot, and identified the driver as Hardin. Appleton was found dead in his truck with a gunshot to the side of his head and face. After his conviction, his DNA was matched with that from an unsolved rape case in 1997, in which a teacher said she was attacked while at school by a man who held her at gunpoint, according to court records. Hardin pleaded guilty to charges related to the rape. Hardin's combined convictions added up to 80 years in prison sentences. Hardin was the chief of police in Gateway for about four months in 2016, the Associated Press reported. He was also terminated from roles at other police departments, local outlets have reported.
USA Today
06-06-2025
- USA Today
'Devil in the Ozarks' fugitive captured after 12-day Arkansas manhunt
'Devil in the Ozarks' fugitive captured after 12-day Arkansas manhunt Show Caption Hide Caption Ex-Arkansas police chief imprisoned for murder escapes prison Grant Hardin, a former Gateway, Arkansas, police chief serving time for murder and rape, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. unbranded - Newsworthy A former Arkansas police chief who escaped from a prison where he was serving decades-long sentences for murder and rape was captured June 6 after a 12-day manhunt involving federal, state and local law enforcement. Police in Mountain View and the Stone County Sheriff's Office confirmed that escaped inmate Grant Hardin has been captured. According to a social media post by the Mountain View Police, Hardin was captured by authorities on Friday afternoon. Grant Hardin, 56, had gained notoriety as the subject of the 2023 documentary 'Devil in the Ozarks'' about his 1997 rape of a school teacher and 2017 murder of a water department worker. Hardin fled the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas, through a secure entryway on May 25 wearing a fake law enforcement uniform. His disguise caused a corrections officer to open a gate and let him walk out of the medium-security facility. The escape followed the May 16 jailbreak of 10 inmates in New Orleans – several of them charged with murder – which drew national attention and caused consternation in area communities. Hardin was regarded as no less dangerous a fugitive. In 2017 he was convicted of killing James Appleton, an employee of the northwest Arkansas town of Gateway whose brother-in-law, Andrew Tillman, was the mayor. Tillman told investigators they were talking on the phone when Appleton was shot to death in his pickup truck. A DNA test conducted following the murder connected Hardin to an unresolved 1997 rape in Rogers, Arkansas, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case. The teacher was attacked at gunpoint after leaving her classroom to go to a restroom near the teacher's lounge, according to the affidavit. Like true crime? Check out Witness: A library of true crime stories Getting away with murder: : These fugitives were never caught Where did Hardin work in law enforcement? Hardin's combined convictions, including two counts of rape, added up to 80 years in prison sentences. 'He's a sociopath,'' former Benton County prosecutor Nathan Smith told Arkansas ABC affiliate KHBS/KHOG. 'Prison's not full of people who are all bad. It's full of a lot of people who just do bad things. Grant's different.'' Hardin had an erratic career in Arkansas law enforcement starting in 1990, working for police departments in Fayetteville, Huntsville and Eureka Springs before briefly serving as Gateway's police chief in 2016. He was fired from the Fayetteville job after less than a year because of subpar performance and failure to accept constructive criticism, according to KHBS/KHOG. In Huntsville, where he worked from April 1993 to October 1996, the former police chief told the TV station Hardin used excessive force and made poor decisions. Escaping from prison, for which he now faces charges, may be just the latest one. Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Michael Loria and James Powel, USA TODAY
USA Today
06-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Florida sheriff charged with racketeering in illegal gambling, corruption probe
Florida sheriff charged with racketeering in illegal gambling, corruption probe Show Caption Hide Caption Ex-Arkansas police chief imprisoned for murder escapes prison Grant Hardin, a former Gateway, Arkansas, police chief serving time for murder and rape, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. unbranded - Newsworthy A sheriff in central Florida was arrested and charged in connection with an alleged massive gambling operation and public corruption scheme that generated more than $21 million in profits, authorities announced on June 5. Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was charged with one count of racketeering and one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's office said in a statement. Online inmate records showed that Lopez was booked into a jail in nearby Lake County, Florida, on the morning of June 5. He is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on June 30, according to inmate records. It is unclear if Lopez has an attorney. Uthmeier's office noted that the investigation remains ongoing and other charges may be announced at a later date. Lopez allegedly initially participated in the operation for personal payouts and campaign contributions before later using his position to "shield the enterprise from law enforcement," according to Uthmeier's office. Lopez was elected sheriff in 2020 and re-elected in 2024. Following his arrest, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order suspending Lopez from his position. The governor appointed Christopher Blackmon, the central region chief for the Florida Highway Patrol, as the county's sheriff. Osceola County Manager Don Fisher said in a statement that the county had no role in the investigation as the sheriff is a separate constitutional officer and apart from the county or the county commission. He added that county officials were prepared to support Blackmon as the interim sheriff. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on June 5. "As law enforcement, we are held to higher standards of integrity and character than other professions. This case revealed that Lopez violated the trust and integrity expected of him as the duly elected sheriff of Osceola County," Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said in a statement. "Florida's sheriffs are leaders for not only their office and deputies, but for their community and the citizens that elected them." Why is it so hard to find him? 'Devil in the Ozarks' killer remains a fugitive. 'Multifaceted role in expanding and protecting this illegal enterprise' Uthmeier's office accused Lopez of playing a "multifaceted role in expanding and protecting this illegal enterprise." Prosecutors said the alleged criminal organization was uncovered in 2023 in a multi-agency investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the support of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The investigation revealed that the organization was operating an illegal gambling enterprise in central Florida, particularly in Lake and Osceola Counties, according to prosecutors. The operation allegedly generated more than $21.6 million in illicit proceeds. Following his election as sheriff in November 2020, prosecutors said Lopez "continued to advance the interests" of the organization and collected a portion of the gambling proceeds for his involvement. Four people whom Uthmeier described as the sheriff's associates were also charged with racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering, according to state charging documents. The four were identified as Ying Zhang, Sharon Fedrick, Sheldon Wetherholt, and Carol Cote. The charging documents state that the operation started in at least 2019 and continued until at least 2024. Beginning around June 2022, Lopez and his four associates owned or managed a "gambling house" out of a business known as Fusion Social Club or Eclipse Social Club, according to the charging documents. The business, which conducted a lottery and possessed a slot machine, was located in Kissimmee in central Florida's Osceola County, just south of Orlando, the charging documents stated. In a social media post on June 5, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shared a video showing HSI agents arresting Lopez. "Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, no one is above the law — including public officials," the department said in the post. Prosecutors said other arrest warrants are expected to be served in the coming days. Inmate records showed that Fedrick and Cote were booked into Lake County Jail on the afternoon and night of June 5. The two were also being held without bond and are expected to appear in court on June 30. Death, a 'criminal enterprise': How an entire police department was put on leave Latest investigation involving Osceola County Sheriff's Office Lopez, who was born in Chicago and grew up in central Florida, was first elected as sheriff in 2020, according to his biography on the Osceola County Sheriff's Office website. He was sworn in on January 5, 2021, and became the first Hispanic sheriff in the county and state. Lopez joined the sheriff's office in 2003 while he was serving in the Navy Reserve, the website stated. He previously served 22 years in the U.S. military and received multiple awards and accolades throughout his career, according to the website. Lopez and the Osceola County Sheriff's Office have been involved in other investigations in recent years. In December 2024, Lopez pleaded no contest to a civil infraction and agreed to pay a $250 fine for posting a photo of a dead body on his personal Instagram page, FOX 35 Orlando and WFTV reported. The image was of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, who disappeared in February 2024 from her home in Kissimmee. Her body was found days later, and the boyfriend of the girl's mother was charged with her death. Lopez and the sheriff's office also came under scrutiny in 2022 after a 20-year-old was shot and killed by deputies, according to local television station WESH. Authorities said the 20-year-old and the group he was with were accused of stealing pizza and Pokémon cards from a Target store in Kissimmee, WESH reported. A grand jury declined to file charges in the case, according to WESH, but criticized the sheriff's office for its handling of the incident. The grand jury recommended policy and procedure changes for shootings involving law enforcement, WESH reported. "Our conclusion bluntly is that this should not have happened," the grand jury report states, according to Central Florida Public Media. "Our findings uncovered grave concerns about whether the appropriate amount of force was used to apprehend misdemeanor shoplifters and how insufficient training around vehicle blocks and lack of communication needlessly created circumstances where a deputy was faced with death or great bodily harm."
