Law enforcement officials in northwest Arkansas are searching for a former Arkansas police chief serving a 30-year sentence for murder and rape who has escaped from prison, while disguised in what appeared to be a police-style outfit.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections shared in a press release that 56-year-old Grant Hardin fled from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, located in Izard County, at around 3:40 p.m. CDT. (Calico Rock is approximately 126 miles north of Little Rock).
Officials reported that Hardin was wearing an improvised uniform resembling that of a police officer at the time of his escape. However, he was not dressed as a corrections officer, and all prison-issued gear has been accounted for, suggesting he did not use official DOC equipment during the breakout. Authorities have described Hardin as being 6 feet tall and weighing roughly 259 pounds.
According to the Stone County Sheriff’s Office, the ongoing manhunt involves a coordinated effort among the Arkansas Department of Corrections, state police, and various local law enforcement agencies. Hardin previously served as the police chief of Gateway, a small community in Benton County with a population of just 444 as of 2023 (Gateway lies near the Missouri state line, about 129 miles west of Calico Rock).
Hardin has been incarcerated at the North Central Unit since 2017. He is serving a 30-year sentence for first-degree murder, along with two 25-year sentences for separate rape convictions. He admitted to the killing of 59-year-old James Appleton, a municipal water worker who was discovered with a gunshot wound to the face inside his service truck in October 2017. Hardin was also tied to a previously unsolved 1997 rape case through DNA evidence. The victim, Amy Harrison, was a teacher at Frank Tillery Elementary in Rogers. She was assaulted at gunpoint while preparing lesson materials after school, according to The Associated Press.
Rand Champion with the Department of Corrections in an interview with KHBS-TV: “Whenever an inmate escapes custody, we treat it as a serious public safety concern. Given his law enforcement experience, this case raises additional red flags. He poses a credible threat to the community.”
The Stone County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning on social media, stating that Hardin is “considered extremely dangerous” and should not be approached under any circumstances. Authorities said anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should contact local law enforcement immediately.
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