Grant Hardin, a former Gateway, Arkansas police chief, escaped from prison where he was serving time for murder and rape. He is considered armed and dangerous, and local law enforcement is urging the community to stay vigilant.
Search Intensifies for Convicted Murderer Who Escaped Arkansas Prison
Search Intensifies for Convicted Murderer Who Escaped Arkansas Prison
Authorities are on high alert after ex-police chief Grant Hardin fled custody, prompting a statewide manhunt.
The hunt for a former police chief convicted of serious crimes intensified this week after he escaped from an Arkansas prison on Sunday afternoon. Grant Hardin, who served as the police chief in Gateway, Arkansas, for a brief period in 2016, was incarcerated at the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock since 2017. He was sentenced for first-degree murder after fatally shooting 59-year-old James Appleton, a case that shocked the small town bordering Missouri.
According to the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Hardin fled from the facility at approximately 3:40 PM local time and was not in his prison uniform at the time of his escape. Instead, he donned a makeshift outfit that mimicked a law enforcement uniform. The department has urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact local authorities.
Hardin, 56, remains on the run, and the Stone County Sheriff's Office has warned the public to approach him with caution, labeling him as "armed and dangerous." The Pea Ridge Police Department has also joined the search, acknowledging that Hardin has several family connections in the area.
A former prosecutor who played a key role in convicting Hardin, Nathan Smith, described him as a "sociopath," distinguishing him from other inmates who may have committed lesser offenses. Hardin's criminal history is extensive; he not only pleaded guilty to Apple's murder but was also linked through DNA evidence to a 1997 unsolved rape case involving Amy Harrison at Frank Tillery Elementary School, resulting in an additional 50-year sentence.
Before his short tenure as police chief, Hardin faced issues at the Eureka Springs Police Department, where he resigned before being dismissed for falsifying a police report, with his former chief commenting on his violent tendencies.
Hardin's escape comes amid rising concerns regarding prison security following a separate incident earlier this month, involving ten inmates breaching a wall in a Louisiana prison. As local law enforcement mobilizes extensive resources to recapture Hardin, the community remains alert and on edge regarding his potential whereabouts.
