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NBC News
15-06-2025
- NBC News
A disguise and a prison guard's mistake helped 'Devil in the Ozarks' escape
Dressed in all black and pushing a cart with wooden pallets, a former police chief turned convicted murderer and rapist walked past a guard and out the back gate of an Arkansas prison before disappearing into the woods. Grant Hardin's escape from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock last month involved detailed planning, perfect timing, and a makeshift outfit designed to mimic a law enforcement uniform. Hundreds of state, local and federal agents swarmed the small town, battling severe weather and rugged terrain to search for the man known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks.' After nearly two weeks on the run, he was found near an Izard County creek — about 1.5 miles west of the prison. The brazen prison break, which occurred a little more than a week after 10 inmates escaped a New Orleans jail, exposed a security lapse at the facility that houses about 800 inmates. But Hardin, who was described as a model inmate who never caused trouble, ultimately escaped because of one employee's error. 'This was not an instance where there wasn't proper protocol or proper policy,' Arkansas Department of Corrections board member William 'Dubs' Byers said in an interview. 'It was a matter of the protocol not being followed. One person in particular just didn't pay attention as he should have and questioned this fellow when he walked out the back door.' Urgent manhunt for 'Devil in the Ozarks' It was just before 3 p.m. on May 25 when Hardin, disguised in a black T-shirt, black pants and a black baseball cap, strolled across the prison grounds. He was wheeling a cart carrying a box and wooden pallets. Byers said employees swipe their badges to exit the prison's front gate. Hardin left through a back sally port gate, which is typically used for vehicle traffic. The officer on duty was in a control tower and, based on preliminary information, assumed Hardin was an employee. 'He didn't pay close enough attention. He just thought that the person walking up was an officer because he looked like an officer,' Byers said. 'He didn't talk to him, he didn't question him, he didn't check him closely. He just opened the gate and assumed that he was an officer taking some things outside the fence.' About 20 minutes had passed before a routine head count revealed that Hardin was missing. By then, he was long gone. Brian Scheerer, owner of Calico Cold Creek Manor, said people were on edge as law enforcement set up a perimeter around the prison. 'You could tell that there was certainly a different vibe in the air. The streets were all closed where they were stopping just about everybody. They weren't taking any chances,' he said in an interview. His manor, which he rents out during the summer, is about four miles from the prison. 'People were hunkering in, even myself,' Scheerer said. 'Where my property is, it's very secluded. When I went to check my place after renters, I was very cautious." Prison break opens old wounds for victims Hardin was in prison for fatally shooting Gateway, Arkansas, city water employee James Appleton, and sexually assaulting teacher Amy Harrison. Both cases were featured in the Max documentary 'Devil in the Ozarks.' According to an affidavit filed in the case, a passerby was driving home from work on Feb. 23, 2017, when he saw Appleton's truck stopped on the side of the road. Appleton was on the phone with his brother-in-law, then Gateway Mayor Andrew Tillman, and had pulled over so he would not lose the connection. Hardin's white car was stopped behind the truck, the passerby told police. After driving about a few hundred yards up the road, the passerby said he heard a loud bang and saw Hardin's car driving quickly up the street and turn down a dirt road, the affidavit states. The passerby turned around to check on Appleton and found him dead in the driver's seat. Hardin, the former police chief of Gateway, was arrested that night as he returned home from having dinner with his wife and daughter. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the crime. DNA taken after his arrest linked him to the Nov. 9, 1997, sexual assault of Harrison at Frank Tillery Elementary School. According to an affidavit filed in that case, several people were in the school's cafeteria for a Sunday church service. Harrison was at the school to prepare for the week. Harrison told police she left her classroom and went to the lounge to use the restroom. When she came out, she said a man was standing in front of the door, pointing a gun at her. The affidavit states that she said she was sexually assaulted in the bathroom and then forced to move to a classroom, where she was raped. Hardin asked if she was going to tell anyone and then left the room, according to the affidavit. She found a janitor and had him call 911. Harrison declined to comment to NBC News. Appleton's sister, Gateway Mayor Cheryl Tillman, did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday. She previously told NBC News that Hardin's escape brought back 'a lot of memories of when it first happened.' 'What were they doing down at the prison that this happened?' she said. Hardin 'didn't put up a fight once apprehended' An investigation is being conducted to learn how he planned his escape. Byers said Hardin was a model inmate at the facility and believes he used that to his advantage. Hardin worked in the kitchen and never got in trouble while incarcerated, Byers said. 'Those types of inmates kind of build up trust, you know, they come to work every day, they don't have any disciplinary, they're not causing any problem, and they build up trust in the system,' Byers said. 'I think that contributed to his ability to do the things he needed to do in order to effectuate this escape.' What also remains a mystery is how Hardin evaded law enforcement for 13 days. Authorities do not believe he had help from inside the prison or on the outside, Rand Champion, a Corrections Department spokesperson, said in an email. Excessive rain and thunderstorms rolled through the area during the first week of Hardin's escape. Because of the weather, tracking dogs had difficulty picking up a scent, drones couldn't be flown as high and helicopters were grounded, Champion said at a news conference. He told NBC News that crews were initially limited in where they could search. Tracking dogs picked up Hardin's scent in Moccasin Creek, about 1.5 miles from the prison, around 3 p.m. on June 6. Authorities said in a news release that he was apprehended a short time later by U.S. Border Patrol and Arkansas law enforcement officers. Champion said Hardin tried to flee the search teams but 'had little resistance due to being on the run for an extended period of time.' Hardin 'didn't put up a fight once apprehended,' Champion said. Hardin was taken to Varner Supermax prison in Gould, Arkansas, which also houses high-profile inmates, including convicted child rapist and murderer Zachary Holly, and Army center shooter Abdulhakim Muhammad. Champion said it's the most secure facility in the state. The community can now breathe a sigh of relief, Scheerer said. 'We were just so happy that they caught him,' Scheerer said. 'This was an evil guy.'
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.
Toronto Star
06-06-2025
- Toronto Star
Ex-police chief and convicted killer who escaped from an Arkansas jail has been captured
A former police chief and convicted killer known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' was captured by law enforcement 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the prison he escaped from following a massive manhunt in the mountains of northern Arkansas, authorities announced on Friday. Grant Hardin's identity was confirmed through fingerprinting, the Izard County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. 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.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Searchers had been using bloodhounds, officers on horseback, drones and helicopters in their hunt for Hardin since he escaped nearly two weeks ago on May 25. An elite and highly trained U.S. Border Patrol team had recently joined the search, federal authorities announced this week. The Border Patrol Tactical Team known as BORTAC provided 'advanced search capabilities and operational support' in the hunt for Hardin, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. Its members are experienced in navigating complex terrain, the agency said. The Ozark Mountains region is known for its rocky and rugged landscape, thick forests and an extensive cave network. 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. In order to escape, he had impersonated a corrections officer 'in dress and manner,' according to a court document. A prison officer in one of the guard towers opened a secure gate, allowing him to walk out of the facility. 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 for that crime. Eventually, his notoriety led to a TV documentary, 'Devil in the Ozarks.' Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the state prison system, said that someone should have checked Hardin's identity before he was allowed to leave, describing the lack of verification as a 'lapse' that's being investigated. A deputy U.S. Marshal has said in court papers that investigators theorize that he has likely fled Arkansas, but searchers are continuing to hunt for Hardin around the prison at Calico Rock.
Toronto Star
06-06-2025
- Toronto Star
Ex-police chief and convicted killer who escaped from Arkansas jail captured
A former police chief and convicted killer known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' was captured 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the prison grounds by law enforcement official safter he escaped from a prison, triggering a massive manhunt in the mountains of northern Arkansas, authorities announced on Friday. Grant Hardin's identity was confirmed through fingerprinting, the Izard County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. 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.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW An elite and highly trained U.S. Border Patrol had joined the search in the Ozark Mountains for Hardin federal authorities announced this week. The Border Patrol Tactical Team known as BORTAC provided 'advanced search capabilities and operational support' in the hunt for Hardin, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. Its members are experienced in navigating complex terrain, the agency said. The Ozark Mountains region is known for its rocky and rugged landscape, thick forests and an extensive cave network. Searchers had been using bloodhounds, officers on horseback, drones and helicopters in their hunt for Hardin since he escaped nearly two weeks ago, on May 25. 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. In order to escape, he had impersonated a corrections officer 'in dress and manner,' according to a court document. A prison officer in one of the guard towers opened a secure gate, allowing him to walk out of the facility. 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 for that crime. Eventually, his notoriety led to a TV documentary, 'Devil in the Ozarks.' Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the state prison system, said that someone should have checked Hardin's identity before he was allowed to leave, describing the lack of verification as a 'lapse' that's being investigated. A deputy U.S. Marshal has said in court papers that investigators theorize that he has likely fled Arkansas, but searchers are continuing to hunt for Hardin around the prison at Calico Rock.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Search continues over a week for escaped Arkansas inmate Grant Hardin
CALICO ROCK, Ark. – A massive search is currently underway for an ex-police chief who escaped from an Izard County prison more than a week ago. Authorities have been using any and every resource possible to locate 56-year-old Grant Hardin, a convicted murderer and rapist. Who is Grant Hardin, the 'Devil in the Ozarks'? Hardin is a former police chief in northwest Arkansas who escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. He was serving a sentence for rape and murder convictions. According to court documents, Hardin was reportedly let out by a corrections officer. A spokesperson with the Arkansas Department of Corrections said Hardin escaped by disguising himself in an 'ADC-type uniform.' Logan Barnes is the owner of Knowles True Value Hardware Store in Calico Rock. he says the community is remaining cautious as each day passes. 'At first I was spooked.I think everyone was a little leery.' Barnes goes on to say, 'We have a bunch of people that hunt and fish and they know how to protect their property.' Officials say the rocky terrain, past rainy weather and his police background has made it difficult to find him. The rural area creates hiding places like caves. 'There's a lot of places to hide here. You could go off-grid here and no one would find you,' said Charlie Allen, owner of Lindsey Trout Dock. A spokesperson with the Arkansas Department of Corrections says the manhunt includes helicopters, drones, horseback, ATVs, police checkpoints and more. 'We're the safest place on earth right now because there are cops everywhere,' said a local. FBI offering $10,000 reward for information on Arkansas inmate escapee Grant Hardin Charlie Allen has owned Lindsey Trout Dock on the White River for years, he says they have a lot of tourists that come out to fish and some have already asked about Hardin but adds the water wouldn't be easy to swim across. 'Since he has escaped this river has been really high and it's cold water so you would die of hyperthermia.' Allen goes on to say he believes Hardin will be captured because, 'I got friends that are involved in the prison and they're in the K9 unit out there so I have faith in that.' Some of the community say they're keeping the faith that he will be arrested. 'This community is like a family where everyone is looking out for each other,' said Bambi Bowden, executive director of Main Street Calico Rock. Allen hopes the 'Devil in the Ozarks' time on the run will finally end soon. 'He is not only a rapist but he is a murderer he needs to be in prison,' Allen said. Authorities increase reward for information on Arkansas inmate escapee Grant Hardin to $25,000 The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Marshals Service have increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Arkansas prison escapee Grant Hardin to a combined $25,000 after five days of searching. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
