Manhunt Intensifies for Escaped Convict ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ in Arkansas Wilderness

CALICO ROCK, Ark. — Authorities are combing the rugged Ozark Mountains, searching caves, abandoned cabins, and dense forests for Grant Hardin, a former police chief and convicted murderer and rapist who escaped from the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock, Arkansas, on Sunday, May 25, 2025. The 56-year-old fugitive, dubbed the “Devil in the Ozarks,” has eluded capture for days, prompting an extensive manhunt involving drones, helicopters, canines, and ground teams across northern Arkansas.

Hardin, once the police chief of Gateway, a small town near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving an 80-year sentence for the 2017 murder of James Appleton, a water department employee, and the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, Arkansas. His crimes, chronicled in a 2023 HBO documentary titled Devil in the Ozarks, shocked the communities he once served. According to court documents, Hardin escaped the medium-security prison by impersonating a corrections officer, wearing a “makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement” and convincing a prison guard to open a secure gate around 2:55 p.m. on Sunday. The escape went unnoticed for nearly two hours, giving Hardin a significant head start into the rocky terrain surrounding Calico Rock.

“It’s called Calico Rock for a reason—it’s very rocky,” said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, highlighting the challenging topography complicating the search. “The terrain limits his escape routes but also makes our efforts difficult.” Heavy rainfall in recent days has further hindered operations, slowing ground teams and reducing visibility. Despite these obstacles, authorities remain confident Hardin is still in the north-central Arkansas area, with the FBI offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest, as announced on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

The search has focused on the Ozark Mountains’ numerous hideouts, from subterranean cave systems to abandoned campsites and cabins scattered across the vast forests. Local resident Darla Nix, a café owner in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, told The Independent that Hardin is familiar with the region’s hidden cave networks, raising concerns about his ability to evade capture. The rugged landscape has drawn comparisons to the five-year manhunt for bomber Eric Rudolph in the Appalachian Mountains, which ended in 2003.

Hardin’s escape has rattled nearby communities, particularly in Gateway, where he briefly served as police chief in 2016. Cheryl Tillman, the current mayor of Gateway and sister of Hardin’s murder victim James Appleton, expressed fear and frustration. “He’s just an evil man,” she told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “He is no good for society.” Tillman, who witnessed Hardin’s trial, fears he may target her family, adding, “I don’t think he will be taken alive. He won’t go peacefully.”

Sheriffs across multiple counties, including Izard and Stone, have urged residents to lock their homes and vehicles and report suspicious activity immediately. “Hardin is extremely dangerous,” the Stone County Sheriff’s Office stated, emphasizing the threat posed by the fugitive, who is described as a sociopath by former Benton County prosecutor Nathan Smith. “He’s already proven that he has no moral core,” Smith told Arkansas ABC affiliate KHBS/KHOG.

Investigators are probing how Hardin obtained or crafted his disguise, which Champion confirmed was not a standard inmate or correctional uniform. Authorities are also examining whether Hardin’s job in the prison kitchen may have facilitated his escape, as reported by Yahoo News. The decision to house a convict with Hardin’s violent history in a medium-security facility has sparked scrutiny, with officials reviewing security protocols at the North Central Unit, which holds about 800 inmates.

As the manhunt enters its fifth day, the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police, and local law enforcement continue to follow leads, with no confirmed sightings of Hardin reported as of Thursday morning. The escape has reignited trauma for victims’ families and raised questions about prison security, leaving a region on edge as the search for the “Devil in the Ozarks” presses on.

17GEN4.com

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