Arkansas Officials Release New Photo of Fugitive Known as 'Devil in the Ozarks' Once Again on the Run
Authorities release new image of fugitive ex-police chief Grant Hardin amid intensified Arkansas manhunt.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) has intensified its search efforts after Grant Hardin, a former police chief turned convicted murderer and rapist, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. The agency released an updated image of Hardin this week, urging the public to remain vigilant as the manhunt enters its second week in north-central Arkansas near the Ozarks.
Hardin, 56, previously headed the Gateway Police Department before being sentenced to over three decades behind bars for the murder of James Appleton, a city water employee, as well as rape charges tied to a 1997 cold case. Dubbed the "Devil in the Ozarks," Hardin is considered extremely dangerous. Authorities have stressed that anyone spotting him should not approach but immediately notify law enforcement.
According to prison officials, it took less than half an hour to discover Hardin had slipped out of the facility through a sally port, wearing a correctional-style uniform. However, ADC personnel later clarified that the attire was not an official prison-issued uniform, potentially complicating identification efforts outside facility grounds.
A coordinated operation is underway, involving local law enforcement, the FBI, and U.S. Marshals. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading directly to Hardin's capture. Investigators are following up on numerous tips and focusing their search within areas Hardin is known to have connections: Garfield, Eureka Springs, Holiday Island, and Huntsville.
ADC communications director Rand Champion noted at a recent news conference that authorities are "fairly confident" about the escape route Hardin used and his possible whereabouts. Nevertheless, Champion issued a strong warning to the public, underscoring that Hardin remains a "very dangerous individual" with a high risk of reoffending while on the run.
The escape comes less than two weeks after a high-profile jailbreak in New Orleans, where 10 inmates managed to flee; eight have since been recaptured, leaving two still at large. The incidents have prompted renewed scrutiny of prison security across the region.
Hardin, described as a 6-foot-tall White male weighing around 259 pounds, was convicted of murder in 2017 after pleading guilty to killing Appleton, who was found shot inside his work vehicle. Forensic evidence at the time of Hardin's incarceration also linked him to a decades-old rape case involving a local teacher, adding to his already lengthy sentence when he pled guilty in 2019.
Authorities ask anyone with information regarding Hardin’s whereabouts to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online. Law enforcement officials continue to urge communities across northern Arkansas to remain alert until Hardin is apprehended.
