2 days ago
Heart-pounding moment killer cop who escaped jail finally caught in forest
Grant Hardin, who worked for a time as a police chief in the Arkansas town of Gateway, was serving 30 years in prison for a 2017 fatal shooting, and another 50 years for a 1997 rape
The heart-pounding moment the"Devil of the Ozarks" was finally captured in the forest of Arkansas was caught in dramatic photographs. The convicted murderer and rapist was tracked down around a mile away from the prison he had escaped from two weeks ago by US Border Patrol agents.
Grant Hardin, who once worked as a police chief, was serving 80 years for murder and rape at the North Central Unit prison on May 25 when he slipped away by impersonating a prison officer. His escape sparked a huge manhunt as he evaded authorities by burrowing deep into the rugged terrain.
New images show US Border Patrol Special Operations Group officers restraining Hardin - who could be seen laying shirtless, face down on the forest floor, with his arms tied behind his back with a ligature. US Border Patrol released the photos accompanied with the caption: "One Fugitive. ZERO CHANCE."
Hardin - whose infamy earned him publicity through the Devil In The Ozarks documentary - briefly tried to run as he was approached by officers, but they quickly tackled him to the ground and restrained him.
Arkansas prison system spokesperson Rand Champion said: "He'd been on the run for a week and a half and probably didn't have any energy left in him."
It took two weeks for an enormous search crew - comprised of rifle-wielding officers, helicopters, drone and dog units - to comb the enormous forest and find the man, who many feared could strike again.
According to NBC news Hardin walked out the North Central Unit just before 3pm after he disguised himself in a "makeshift" law enforcement uniform. An affidavit stated that he "impersonated a corrections officer in dress and manner, causing a corrections officer operating a secure gate to open the gate."
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.
Hardin's DNA was also 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.
Cheryl Tillman, Appleton's sister, was with her mother and sister at a flea market in Ozark, Missouri, when law enforcement called to tell her Hardin had been captured. Tillman is also the mayor of Gateway, the 450-person town where Hardin was briefly police chief.
