Grant Hardin, convicted murderer and former police chief known as the “Devil in the Ozarks,” was recaptured Friday in Arkansas nearly two weeks after he escaped from the prison. Hardin has been transferred to the Varner SuperMax prison southeast of Little Rock.He was found just 1.5 miles northwest of the Calico Rock prison he escaped from. When officers approached, he tried to flee but was quickly tackled and taken into custody.Hardin, formerly the police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, disappeared from the North Central Unit, a medium-security prison in Calico Rock, less than 30 minutes before officials realised he was missing. According to the Arkansas department of corrections, he escaped wearing a “makeshift” law enforcement uniform.Hardin is currently serving a 30-year sentence for the 2017 murder of city employee James Appleton, along with a separate 50-year sentence for a 1997 rape, which was linked to him through DNA evidence in 2018.Search teams used drones, bloodhounds, and a helicopter during the manhunt. However, heavy rains raised water levels in nearby creeks and streams, making it difficult for both Hardin and the searchers to move through the rugged terrain.Prison system spokesperson Rand Champion said the area around Moccasin Creek was particularly hard to search earlier because of high water. “Search teams had looked through this area before, but the high water previously limited their ability to fully investigate.” Hardin had been imprisoned at Calico Rock since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder.A tower guard opened a secure gate, unknowingly allowing him to walk out. Authorities are now investigating why his identity wasn’t properly checked.Benton County prosecutor Bryan Sexton, who led the cases against Hardin for murder and rape, said he believed Hardin stayed in the northern Arkansas area. He kept victims and witnesses informed during the search.Now that Hardin has been caught, Sexton said the victims can begin to find closure. Cheryl Tillman, whose brother was shot by Hardin in 2017, called the capture a “big sigh of relief.”Sexton said he was relieved that Hardin is now in a more secure facility. The Varner Unit, opened in 1987, houses over 1,700 inmates, including high-risk and death row prisoners. Its supermax section is reserved for the most dangerous offenders, including those convicted of high-profile crimes.Hardin’s case drew national attention after it was featured in a documentary titled Devil in the Ozarks.
