Calico Rock, Arkansas – A massive manhunt is underway in the rugged Ozark Mountains after a convicted murderer and rapist known as the “Devil in the Ozarks” escaped from an Arkansas prison over the weekend—terrifying victims’ families and prompting statewide warnings.
Grant Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Missouri border, slipped out of the North Central Unit—also called Calico Rock prison—on Sunday by disguising himself in what officials describe as a homemade law enforcement uniform. Authorities say the disguise included black pants, a black T-shirt, a bulletproof vest-like item, and a black baseball cap. He was last seen wheeling a cart through a secured sally port, carrying what appeared to be boxes and wooden planks.
“That was not a standard inmate uniform, not a standard correctional uniform,” said Arkansas Department of Corrections spokesperson Rand Champion. “We’re trying to determine how he was able to create or obtain it.”
Hardin, 60, is serving multiple lengthy sentences: 30 years for the 2017 murder of James Appleton, and two 25-year terms for raping an elementary school teacher in 1997. The chilling nature of his crimes—and his background in law enforcement—has made his escape all the more unsettling.
Now, as drones, helicopters, and canine units sweep the rain-soaked wilderness around Calico Rock, residents are on high alert. Authorities warn the rocky terrain makes both the escape and the search more difficult, though it may also limit Hardin’s movement.
“It’s called Calico Rock for a reason—it’s very rocky,” Champion said. “The rain and terrain are making this a tough situation.”
Cheryl Tillman, the sister of Appleton—whom Hardin fatally shot in the head in 2017—said the escape has reopened old wounds. “We were there at his trial. He saw us. He knows who we are,” she told the Associated Press. “He’s just an evil man. He is no good for society.”
Hardin, who once served as a police officer, constable, and police chief, was convicted after DNA linked him to the 1997 rape, years after his murder conviction. His case was the focus of the 2023 documentary “Devil in the Ozarks.” The motive behind Appleton’s killing remains unknown.
Authorities have urged residents in the area to lock doors, remain vigilant, and report suspicious activity immediately. Izard County Sheriff Charley Melton echoed the concern: “This man is dangerous, and we are asking the public to be cautious.”
Retired U.S. Marshals Inspector Craig Caine noted that while the wilderness may seem like cover, rural familiarity could work against Hardin. “In small towns, people know each other,” he said. “It could be his downfall.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Hardin remained at large.
“My only concern is for the victims who had finally found closure,” said Benton County prosecutor Bryan Sexton. “They are now being forced to relive the damage this man inflicted.”
