FBI joins search for prison escapee known as 'Devil in the Ozarks'
A former police chief who was convicted of a 2017 murder and a 1997 rape escaped from an Arkansas prison.
Law enforcement officers in Arkansas were on the hunt Wednesday for a former police chief who broke out of a state facility where he was imprisoned for rape and murder.
Grant Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas, on Sunday, wearing a "makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement," according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Hardin, the former police chief in Gateway, Arkansas, was serving decadeslong prison sentences for the 2017 murder of James Appleton and the 1997 rape of a school teacher, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
The rape became the subject of a 2023 documentary titled "Devil in the Ozarks," according to the documentary's IMDB page.
"We’ve since been in touch with the subjects of that film and law enforcement and are praying for Hardin’s immediate capture in the name of justice and the victims and their families’ peace of mind," Ari Mark, one of the executive producers of the documentary, told Paste BN.
The FBI, Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police and local police were working to find Hardin, officials said.
Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, said in a Wednesday press briefing that the search area has expanded but rainy and overcast conditions have limited the use of drones and helicopters, in addition to curtailing the effectiveness of tracking dogs.
Like true crime? Check out Witness: A library of true crime stories
What was Grant Hardin convicted of?
In 2017, Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Appleton, according to a plea agreement. Appleton's brother-in-law, who was the mayor of Gateway at the time, told investigators that he was on the phone with Appleton during the shooting, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A witness told investigators he saw a white car parked behind Appleton's truck, heard a loud bang and saw the white car speed away. The witness checked the truck and found Appleton dead, according to the affidavit.
A DNA test conducted following the murder conviction connected Hardin to the 1997 rape of a school teacher in Rogers, Arkansas, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case. She was attacked at gunpoint after leaving her classroom to go to a restroom near the teacher's lounge, according to the affidavit.
Hardin pleaded guilty to two counts of rape in 2019 and was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for each count consecutively, according to the plea agreement.
What was Grant Hardin's record as a police officer?
Before becoming the police chief in Gateway, Hardin worked at the Fayetteville Police Department from Aug. 6, 1990, to May 22, 1991, KHBS/KHOG reported. The department’s chief of police at the time said he terminated Hardin because his efforts "fall short of the average probationary officer" and he had a "tendency to not accept constructive criticism along with indecisiveness under stressful situations."
Hardin then moved to the Eureka Springs Police Department, where he worked from April 1993 to October 1996. The department’s former police chief said Hardin made poor decisions on the job and used excessive force, according to KHBS/KHOG.
In 2016, Hardin served as the chief of police for Gateway for about four months, the Associated Press reported.
How did Grant Hardin escape?
Hardin escaped from a facility located about 130 miles north of Little Rock, Arkansas, at 2:55 p.m. local time on May 25, according to the Department of Corrections. Champion said about 20 minutes passed before an officer discovered Hardin was missing.
Hardin escaped through a secure entryway wearing "an ADC type uniform," the Stone County Sheriff's Office said. A photo shared by the sheriff's office shows Hardin pushing a loaded cart.
Officials are investigating the events that led to the escape.