Overview

• Grant Hardin broke out of the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25 by donning a makeshift law enforcement disguise; he was serving sentences for the 2017 murder of James Appleton and a 1997 rape.
• Hundreds of federal, state and local personnel are scouring northern Arkansas with drones, helicopters and canine teams in a coordinated multi-agency effort.
• Heavy rain has grounded aircraft; low clouds have impaired tracking dogs, limiting both aerial and ground searches across the area.
• Geologists say more than 1,500 caves and abandoned structures in the Ozark foothills offer Hardin concealment options but carry risks of hypothermia and entrapment.
• The FBI has posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and officials are urging residents around Calico Rock and Gateway to report any suspicious activity.