Overview

• Hardin escaped on May 25 from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock by impersonating a corrections officer in a makeshift uniform, slipping through a sally port that was opened for him.
• Search teams have scoured the Ozark Mountains into a fourth day with drones, helicopters and canine units facing challenges from rugged terrain and heavy rain.
• Corrections officials have launched an inquiry into how he obtained or manufactured the unissued guard attire that allowed him to exit the facility unnoticed.
• Cheryl Tillman and other victims’ relatives say the escape has reopened trauma in Gateway; local law enforcement is urging residents to secure properties and report any suspicious activity.
• Hardin remains at large and is considered extremely dangerous; he is serving an 80-year sentence for the 2017 murder of James Appleton and the 1997 rape of a schoolteacher.