Recaptured Arkansas prison escapee known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' sent to SuperMax prison
Convicted killer and recaptured prison escapee Grant Hardin, known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks,' has been transferred to the Varner SuperMax prison southeast of Little Rock, Arkansas prison authorities announced Saturday.
After a nearly two-week search in the rugged mountains of northern Arkansas, authorities recaptured Hardin on Friday 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the prison from which he escaped. Hardin briefly attempted to run from officers when he saw them approach, but he was quickly tackled to the ground, said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas prison system.
Authorities tried to track Hardin using drones, bloodhounds and a helicopter, but high water from heavy rains during the search raised the water level in creeks and streams around the prison. That likely limited his abilities — and also those of the searchers -- to move through the rugged terrain, Champion said.
'The direction he went, specifically around Moccasin Creek, saw high water due to the abundance of rain the last few weeks, which more than likely limited his options to get around the area,' Champion said. 'Search teams had looked through this area before, but the high water previously limited their ability to fully investigate.'
Residents of the nearby town of Calico Rock, like Roger Simons, said they were surprised to learn that Hardin had stayed so close to the prison.
'None of us really thought he was still in the area,' said Simons, a local bartender. 'We thought he was long gone — that's what I would have bet my money on."
Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in a fatal shooting. He escaped by impersonating a corrections officer 'in dress and manner,' according to a court document.
A prison officer in one of the guard towers opened a secure gate, allowing him to walk out of the facility. Authorities say they are investigating why Hardin's identity was not checked before he was allowed to leave.
Benton County Prosecutor Bryan Sexton, who oversaw Hardin's convictions for murder and rape, said he had been in close contact with law enforcement officials who were 'consistent' with their belief that Hardin remained in the northern Arkansas region.
Hardin is a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border whose notoriety led to a TV documentary called 'Devil in the Ozarks.' Sexton said his escape had significantly disrupted the lives of trial witnesses and Hardin's victims, whom he kept updated on the pursuit for the fugitive.
'Every one of them to a person informed me that they had to make changes in their lives because they had had concerns for their safety,' Sexton said.
After Hardin's recapture, 'they could get closure in their lives and secondly go back to their normal lives, which had been disrupted the whole time he was out,' Sexton said.
Cheryl Tillman, the sister of a man shot by Hardin in 2017, told The Associated Press that Hardin's capture was a 'big sigh of relief' for her whole family.
'We don't have to walk around, turning around all the time, thinking somebody's on our back,' Tillman said, emphasizing her appreciation for the officers who helped capture Hardin.
Sexton said he was more assured now that Hardin was being sent to a more secure facility.
The Varner Unit, established in 1987, has the capacity to house 1,714 inmates. It is the site where former President Bill Clinton's gubernatorial chief of staff, a death penalty opponent, faced charges for trying to smuggle a knife and tattoo needles into death row.
Within Varner, a special 'supermax' unit houses the most high-risk prisoners such as a man who fatally shot a soldier at a military recruiting station and death row inmates such as convicted child rapist and murderer Zachary Holly. Damien Wayne Echols of the West Memphis Three was also incarcerated there prior to his release.
'By reputation, Varner is the most secure prison in the Arkansas system,' Sexton said. "I think that all things considering, putting him (Hardin) in the most secure facility we can is probably a wise thing to do."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bryant police investigating after three found dead Sunday morning
BRYANT, Ark. – Officials with the Bryant Police Department are investigating after three people were found dead in a home Sunday morning. According to a post on , officers with the Bryant PD were called around 7:30 a.m. to a home on Lena Drive. Police said a man advised that he came home from work and found his wife and in-laws dead from gunshot wounds. Officials also said that three uninjured children were also found in the home at the time. Officials said that officers from the Bryant PD and deputies from the Saline County Sheriff's Office identified 34-year-old Jarrod Mitchell as a person of interest. Mitchell was transported to the Saline County Detention Center and faces three counts of first degree murder. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘I am horrified,' Residents react after Bryant police make an arrest in connection to triple homicide
ALEXANDER, Ark. – Bryant police have made an arrest in a triple homicide that happened on Lena Drive in Alexander on Sunday. A quiet neighborhood turned into a crime scene Sunday morning after police responded to a caller saying he came home from work and found his wife and in-laws dead with gunshot wounds. Sandra Harris, a neighbor who lives just down the street from the police tape, shared her reaction. 'I am horrified. I have been here since 2018, and I have never lived where there has been a triple homicide ever,' Harris said. Bryant police investigating after three found dead Sunday morning Police arrested 34-year-old Jarrod Mitchell eight hours after responding to the 911 call. He's charged with the killing of his sister and both parents. While the arrest has brought some relief to the community, sorrow still weighs heavy on the heart — especially for the three kids who were in the home, uninjured, when police arrived. 'That is very sad and heartbreaking because I am a grandmother myself,' Harris said. Bryant police said Mitchell was transported to the Saline County Detention Center and faces three counts of 1st degree murder. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
News24
an hour ago
- News24
12 SANDF members now arrested for 2023 murder of Hawks officer
Ten more people have been arrested and charged in connection with the 2023 murder of Hawks officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Ngwako Frans Mathipa. This brings to 12 the number of people arrested since Sunday for his murder. All 12 are South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members. Two other members of the SANDF were arrested on Sunday and were due to appear in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Monday. The proceedings have been delayed, however, with the State having revealed in open court that another 10 individuals have now also handed themselves over. Mathipa was killed after gunmen opened fire on his vehicle near the Hammanskraal Toll Plaza in August 2023. He was attached to the Hawks' Crimes Against the State section and was investigating an alleged abduction at the hands of SANDF officials at the time.
