Latest news with #murderer
New York Times
3 days ago
- New York Times
Prison Kitchen Job Apparently Helped Ex-Police Chief Escape, Officials Say
A former small-town police chief and convicted murderer who escaped from a prison in Calico Rock Ark., on May 25 apparently used his job in the prison's kitchen to help plan and carry out his escape, according to prison officials. They believe that the prisoner, Grant Hardin, took advantage of his kitchen assignment to study staff movements, access restricted areas and gather materials for a disguise that helped him slip past security, Rand Champion, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, said in an interview. Mr. Hardin, 56, was captured on June 6; he pleaded not guilty to second-degree escape on Tuesday. Mr. Hardin spent months preparing, the authorities believe, watching the prison's routines from inside before picking the right moment to make his move. 'This wasn't something he came up with that Sunday morning when he woke up,' Mr. Champion said. 'This was well thought out and was something he had been planning for a while.' Officials have started to interview Mr. Hardin, but they say that won't know for sure how he pulled off his escape until they finish speaking with him — or at least examine the altered uniform. Still, early evidence — including prison video and an examination of kitchen utensils and food — suggests he had used his kitchen job to help him alter one of his old white prison uniforms. The prison kitchen is stocked with tea, coffee, spices and markers used for labeling, Mr. Champion said. Mr. Hardin may have dyed an old prison uniform with tea, darkened it with coffee, used ink from a permanent marker — or, possibly, all three, Mr. Champion said. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Former police chief known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' pleads not guilty to a prison escape charge
A convicted murderer and former police chief known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks" pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge stemming from his recent escape from an Arkansas prison. Grant Hardin, who was captured June 6, appeared at the hearing via video. He pleaded not guilty to second-degree escape, was found to be indigent and was appointed a public defender. Hardin was captured 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the Calico Rock prison from which he escaped on May 25. Authorities said he escaped by donning an outfit designed to look like a law enforcement uniform. After his capture, Hardin was transferred to a maximum security prison in Varner, a small community about 65 miles (124 kilometers) southeast of Little Rock. A jury trial was set for the week of Nov. 5, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for Oct. 21. Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway, near the Arkansas- Missouri border, is serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. He was the subject of the TV documentary 'Devil in the Ozarks.' A spokesperson said Hardin's escape remains under investigation. Legislators also plan to review it.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Washington Post
Former police chief known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' pleads not guilty to a prison escape charge
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A convicted murderer and former police chief known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks" pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge stemming from his recent escape from an Arkansas prison. Grant Hardin, who was captured June 6 , appeared at the hearing via video. He pleaded not guilty to second-degree escape, was found to be indigent and was appointed a public defender.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
Escaped murderer known as ‘Devil in the Ozarks' captured after massive manhunt
Escaped Arkansas murderer Grant Hardin — the subject of the Devil in the Ozarks true crime documentary — has been captured after he escaped captivity, according to the Mountain View Police. Hardin escaped from the Arkansas Department of Corrections' North Central Unit on May 25 after he disguised himself as a law enforcement officer. The Arkansas Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness confirmed to KARK that Hardin was captured "about a mile" from the prison, where he was hiding in the woods. According to Magness, a specialized tracking unit from the US Border Patrol assisted area police in the search. Hardin, a former police chief in Gateway, Arkansas, was serving a 30-year sentence for first-degree murder and another sentence for rape. His case drew national attention and was the subject of the true-crime documentary Devil in the Ozarks. He was being housed in a maximum-security wing of the primarily medium-security prison, formerly known as the North Central Unit, now called Calico Rock. Officials are investigating whether a job Hardin worked in the facility's kitchen aided in his escape. The investigation will focus in part on whether or not the role gave him access to materials he could have used to create his disguise, the Associated Press reported. On the day of his escape, Hardin was pushing a cart while wearing his makeshift uniform. He approached a door with the cart in tow, and a prison guard opened a secure gate, which allowed him to exit the facility. Hardin had been outside for approximately 20 minutes before a correctional officer noticed that he was missing. No other inmates escaped during the breakout. Before he was caught, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert J. Hammons wrote in a criminal complaint that — based on two unconfirmed sightings, one which placed Hardin in Missouri — Hardin had fled the state. 'Based on this information, investigators believe Hardin has fled the state of Arkansas to avoid recapture,' the filing said. Hammons also noted in his write-up that Hardin had extensive knowledge of the region and experience as a survivalist. 'He has extensive knowledge of the Ozark Mountain region, where he is believed to be possibly hiding in caves or rugged terrain that he is familiar with,' the deputy marshal said.
CBS News
05-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Convicted murderer known as "Devil in the Ozarks" has likely fled Arkansas after prison escape, marshals say
Manhunt continues after former police chief known as "Devil in the Ozarks" escapes prison The convicted murderer and former police chief known as the "Devil in the Ozarks" may have fled Arkansas after escaping from prison last month, investigators said in a recently released federal court filing. A criminal complaint filed in federal court in Little Rock against Grant Hardin was released this week. Authorities have said Hardin escaped the Calico Rock prison in Arkansas by donning an outfit designed to look like a law enforcement uniform. Hardin was previously the police chief of the small town of Gateway, Arkansas. Grant Hardin, a former Arkansas Police Chief currently serving 30 years for the murder of James Appleton KFSM In the complaint, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert J. Hammons cites two previously publicized unconfirmed sightings of Hardin — one in central Arkansas and another in southern Missouri. "Based on this information, investigators believe Hardin has fled the state of Arkansas to avoid recapture," the filing said. "He has extensive knowledge of the Ozark Mountain region, where he is believed to be possibly hiding in caves or rugged terrain that he is familiar with." The complaint, first reported by The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, does not detail any other sightings of Hardin or evidence of him fleeing the state. Arkansas authorities have previously said they're focusing on north-central Arkansas and tips of sightings elsewhere so far have not panned out. Heavy rains have foiled efforts to use bloodhounds to follow Hardin's trail. The Arkansas Department of Corrections released a photo of how Hardin may look after several weeks on the run. In the edited image, Hardin has facial hair and appears slimmer than in his mugshot "due to the expected limited supply of food available," a department spokesperson told CBS News. New possible image of Grant Hardin released Tuesday by the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Arkansas Department of Corrections Hardin was serving multiple sentences after he pleaded guilty to both rape and murder, CBS News previously reported. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2017 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. While he was imprisoned in that case, police matched his DNA to samples taken from a 1997 rape case. Hardin pleaded guilty to two counts of rape in 2019, according to CBS affiliate KFSM, and was sentenced to 25 years for each count. The reward for information that leads to Hardin's capture has increased to $25,000, the Arkansas Department of Corrections said, with reward money coming from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at
