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CALICO ROCK, Ark. (BFMG) — A former Arkansas police chief serving time for murder and rape has escaped from prison and remains at large, prompting a statewide manhunt, authorities said.
Grant Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock around 2:50 p.m. Sunday, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Hardin, the former police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, was sentenced in 2017 to 30 years for first-degree murder and 50 years for a 1997 rape.
Officials said Hardin escaped through a sally port while dressed in a makeshift uniform resembling law enforcement attire. Surveillance footage showed him pulling a cart, which was later found abandoned outside the prison gates.
“He is considered extremely dangerous and should not be approached,” the Department of Corrections said in a statement Tuesday. An active search is underway involving multiple state and local law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Eastern Arkansas Fugitive Task Force.
Stone County Sheriff Brandon Long told ABC News that roads near the facility were closed Sunday night and early Monday to inspect vehicles and ensure Hardin had not fled in a stolen car or taken someone hostage. The search has been hampered by rugged terrain, dense woods and recent heavy rains.
“I am very scared that this guy is going to hurt or kill somebody before this is over with,” Long told ABC.
Hardin, who worked in the prison kitchen, had no significant disciplinary history, officials said. It remains unclear whether his job granted him access to the escape route or if anyone assisted in the escape.
Nathan Smith, the former Benton County prosecutor who secured convictions against Hardin, called him “a sociopath” in an interview with local ABC affiliate KHBS.
“He has no moral core or center that would prevent him from doing anything,” Smith said. “By escaping, he’s reopening wounds for the victims and their families.”
Hardin pleaded guilty in 2017 to murdering 59-year-old James Appleton. He was also convicted in the rape of an elementary school teacher, a case featured in the 2023 television series Devil in the Ozarks.
Gateway Mayor Cheryl Tillman, Appleton’s sister, told KATV she fears for her family’s safety. “It’s kind of scary,” she said. “I don’t think he’ll be taken alive.”
Hardin is described as 6 feet tall and weighing 259 pounds. Authorities urge residents in Izard and surrounding counties to remain vigilant, lock doors, and report any suspicious activity by calling 911.
The search continues with the assistance of helicopters, drones, K-9 teams and ATVs.
Anyone with information about Hardin’s whereabouts is asked to contact local law enforcement immediately.
