By Jeff Martin and Safiyah Riddle
Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A former police chief and convicted killer known as the “Devil in the Ozarks” was captured by law enforcement 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the prison he escaped from following massive, nearly two-weeks-long manhunt in the mountains of northern Arkansas, authorities announced on Friday.
Grant Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. Eventually, his notoriety led to a TV documentary, “Devil in the Ozarks.”
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.
“He’d been on the run for a week and a half and probably didn’t have any energy left in him,” he added.
Hardin’s identity was confirmed through fingerprinting, the Izard County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
There’s no indication that Hardin was injured, though he will be checked for dehydration and other medical problems.
Now, investigators are “chomping at the bit and really ready to talk to him,” Champion said, who used his cellphone to capture an image of Hardin being led away by officers. Hardin said nothing during those moments.
Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in a fatal shooting. In order to escape, he had impersonated 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.
Champion said that someone should have checked Hardin’s identity before he was allowed to leave, describing the lack of verification as a “lapse” that’s being investigated.
Searchers had been using bloodhounds, officers on horseback, drones and helicopters in their hunt for Hardin since he escaped on May 25.
An elite and highly trained U.S. Border Patrol team had recently joined the search, federal authorities announced this week.
The Border Patrol Tactical Team known as BORTAC provided “advanced search capabilities and operational support” in the hunt for Hardin, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. Its members are experienced in navigating complex terrain, the agency said. The Ozark Mountains region is known for its rocky and rugged landscape, thick forests and an extensive cave network.
Hardin pleaded guilty in 2017 to first-degree murder for the killing of James Appleton, 59. Appleton worked for the Gateway water department when he was shot in the head Feb. 23, 2017, near Garfield. Police found Appleton’s body inside a car. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Hardin’s DNA was also matched to the 1997 rape of a teacher at an elementary school in Rogers, north of Fayetteville. He was sentenced to 50 years for that crime.
Cheryl Tillman, Appleton’s sister, was with her mother and sister at a flea market in Ozark, Missouri, when law enforcement called to tell her Hardin had been captured. Tillman is also the mayor of Gateway, the 450-person town where Hardin was briefly police chief.
Tillman 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.