Former Arkansas Police Chief Escapes Prison, Serves 80-Year Sentence for Murder and Rape

Strategic Insights -

Grant Hardin, a 56-year-old former police chief, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas, on Sunday while serving an 80-year sentence for murder and rape. Hardin, who was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of James Appleton in 2017, was spotted on surveillance footage wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic a law enforcement uniform. He is considered extremely dangerous and should not be approached.

Key Takeaways:

  • Grant Hardin, a former Arkansas police chief, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas, on Sunday while serving an 80-year sentence for murder and rape.
  • Hardin, 56, was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of James Appleton in 2017 and received a 30-year sentence.
  • In 2018, Hardin was charged with the 1997 rape of elementary school teacher Amy Harrison, for which he pleaded guilty and received two 25-year sentences to be served consecutively.
  • Hardin was a police chief in Gateway, a small town near the Arkansas-Missouri border, and was arrested and charged with Appleton's murder in February 2017.
  • The motive for the murder remains a mystery, and DNA evidence linked Hardin to the rape of Amy Harrison in 1997.

Statistics:

  • Grant Hardin served a 4-month stint as Gateway police chief in early 2016 before being arrested and charged with Appleton's murder in February 2017.
  • Hardin received an 80-year sentence for murder and rape, consisting of a 30-year sentence for the murder and two 25-year sentences for rape to be served consecutively.
  • James Appleton, the victim of the 2017 murder, worked for the Gateway water department and was shot in the head on February 23, 2017.
  • Amy Harrison, the victim of the 1997 rape, was a teacher at Frank Tillery Elementary School and was assaulted at gunpoint in a school bathroom while a Sunday church service was being held in the cafeteria.
  • DNA evidence linked Hardin to the rape of Amy Harrison in 1997, using samples taken from the victim's clothes and DNA taken from Hardin during the 2017 investigation.

Sources:

  • Arkansas Department of Corrections
  • Stone County, Arkansas Sheriff's Office
  • ABC 40/29
  • Arkansas State Police Department