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2w ago

Convicted 'Devil in the Ozarks' Flees Arkansas Prison in Officer Disguise

Heavy rain and rugged terrain are slowing the multi-agency search, complicating efforts to determine whether Hardin had help obtaining his disguise.

CORRECTS SOURCE This image provided by the Arkansas Department of Corrections shows Grant Hardin, a former police chief and convicted killer, escaping the North Central Unit prison wearing a disguise in Calico Rock, Ark. (Arkansas Department of Corrections via AP)
A photo of Grant Hardin, a former police chief in Arkansas who was sentenced to prison for murder and rape. Hardin escaped from a facility near the Missouri border on May 25, authorities said.

Overview

  • Grant Hardin slipped out of the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25 by wearing a corrections-style uniform designed to mimic law enforcement.
  • He was serving an 80-year sentence for the 2017 murder of James Appleton and the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher following DNA evidence.
  • The Arkansas Department of Corrections has deployed canines, drones and helicopters across the Ozark Mountains but faces delays from heavy rain and rocky terrain.
  • Prison officials are probing how Hardin acquired or fabricated his disguise and whether he received outside assistance in planning his escape.
  • Hardin was the subject of the 2023 Investigation Discovery documentary “Devil in the Ozarks,” which detailed his rape conviction and abuses of power as Gateway’s police chief.