Editor’s Note: This story contains discussions of rape or sexual assault that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can find help and discreet resources on the National Sexual Assault Hotline website or by calling 1-800-656-4673.
(NewsNation) — The search continued Wednesday for a former police chief in Arkansas who escaped prison, dubbed the “Devil in the Ozarks.”
Hardin, who is serving decades-long sentences for rape and first-degree murder, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas, where he had been held since 2017.
Court documents say Hardin escaped from the prison on Sunday by impersonating a corrections officer “in dress and manner.” A prison officer reportedly opened a secure gate, allowing him to leave the facility.
Grant Hardin was a former police chief, served in multiple departments
Hardin, originally from Garfield, Arkansas, was hired as police chief in the small town of Gateway in 2016. He resigned just months after taking the position.
Hardin had also served in the Eureka Springs Police Department before resigning in 1996.
Hardin served two terms as constable in Benton, Arkansas, and worked as a correctional officer.
Grant Hardin was convicted of first-degree murder and rape
In October 2017, Hardin pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the shooting death of James Appleton.
Appleton, 59, worked for the water department in Gateway and was talking to his brother-in-law, Andrew Tillman, the previous mayor of Gateway, when he was shot in the head by Hardin.
Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison on top of the 50 years he was serving for the 1997 rape of a teacher in Rogers, Arkansas.
Manhunt underway to capture Grant Hardin
Authorities said they are using canines, drones and helicopters to search for Hardin in the rugged northern Arkansas terrain.
The prison is located in a rural part of the state, and the search effort has hit roadblocks due to recent heavy rain.
Video surveillance showed Hardin escaped at just before 3 p.m. on Sunday. Officials announced his escape two hours later.
