A former police chief and convicted murderer — known as the “Devil in the Ozarks” — appeared in court Tuesday, June 17, on new escape charges. Grant Hardin, 56, was recaptured by law enforcement after a two-week-long manhunt in Arkansas.
He had escaped from prison, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections, and pleaded not guilty to second-degree escape.
Escape from medium-security prison
Last month, authorities with the Arkansas Department of Corrections said Hardin escaped from the North Central Unit in Arkansas, a medium-security prison. He was found by state and federal authorities on Friday, June 6, about 1.5 miles west of Calico Rock prison, where he escaped from.
According to investigators, on Sunday, May 25, Hardin wore a disguise that looked like a law enforcement uniform and tricked a guard into thinking he was a legitimate officer to leave the prison. He was seen on surveillance video pushing a cart through a secure area of the prison and was able to leave undetected.
A spokesperson for the prison told The New York Times that authorities believe Hardin used his prison kitchen job to alter clothing and make it appear as a law enforcement uniform. They also believe he did not receive help from individuals inside the prison.
Massive search and reward
Hardin’s escape sparked a manhunt by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies as hundreds of police officers and officials used search dogs, drones and ATVs to track him down.
Investigators also released photos of him to the public and offered a $25,000 reward to encourage people to give information that could lead to his capture.
Background and previous convictions
Hardin is the former police chief in the town of Gateway, near the Arkansas-Missouri border, and was serving time for murder and rape at the time of his escape.
In 2017, Hardin confessed to killing James Appleton, who worked for Gateway’s water department and was also the brother-in-law of then-Mayor Andrew Tillman. He was sentenced to 30 years behind bars.
Hardin was also convicted in a 1997 rape of a local schoolteacher, Amy Harrison, which had gone unsolved for 20 years. DNA evidence eventually linked Hardin to the crime. He was then convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison for this sexual assault.
HBO Max highlighted Hardin’s crimes in a documentary called “Devil in the Ozarks.” Hardin is now being housed at the Varner Supermax facility. His trial is scheduled for November.
contributed to this report.