A convicted murderer and rapist, who previously served as police chief in the American town of Gateway, Arkansas, has escaped from prison, prompting a widespread multi-agency manhunt.
Grant Hardin, currently serving multiple lengthy sentences, fled from the North Central Unit correctional facility in Calico Rock on Sunday, according to officials from the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC).
Hardin, who held the position of Gateway’s police chief for approximately four months in early 2016, has been imprisoned since 2017. Authorities have confirmed that he was wearing a makeshift law enforcement outfit at the time of his escape, which did not resemble standard prison-issue clothing. All official equipment issued by the ADC has reportedly been accounted for.
Details regarding how the escape occurred remain scarce as investigations continue. The ADC, Arkansas State Police, and other local agencies are actively involved in the search. Members of the public are being urged to report any sightings or information that could assist in locating Hardin.
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Hardin pleaded guilty in October 2017 to the first-degree murder of 59-year-old James Appleton. Appleton, an employee of the Gateway water department, was speaking with his brother-in-law – the then-mayor of Gateway, Andrew Tillman – when he was fatally shot in the head near the town of Garfield. His body was later discovered inside a vehicle.
In addition to the 30-year sentence for Appleton’s murder, Hardin is also serving a 50-year sentence for the 1997 rape of a primary school teacher in Rogers, a town situated north of Fayetteville. That case remained unsolved for years until DNA from the crime scene was matched with Hardin’s profile following his arrest for the murder.
The ADC released a statement on Sunday night confirming that the search remained active:
“As of 11:30 PM on Sunday, 25 May, the search for inmate Grant Hardin, ADC #168541, is ongoing. The effort is a joint operation involving the Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police, and local and state law enforcement agencies.
“It has been determined that Hardin was wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement when he escaped. He was not in a Department of Corrections uniform, and all DOC-issued equipment has been recovered.
“Officials continue to deploy a range of methods to locate Hardin and are also reviewing the circumstances that enabled the escape. Further updates will follow as the situation develops.
“Hardin remains at large, and we urge anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact local authorities immediately.”
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Reports from KFSM-TV indicate that investigators had long been pursuing the 1997 rape case. As the statute of limitations approached in 2003, a so-called “John Doe Warrant” was issued using DNA evidence. A breakthrough came years later when the same DNA was linked to Hardin after he was convicted of Appleton’s murder.
