Former Police Chief Escapes from Arkansas Prison

Strategic Insights -

Authorities in northwest Arkansas are searching for Grant Hardin, 56, a former police chief serving a 30-year sentence for murder and rape, who escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock. Hardin, a 6-foot individual weighing approximately 259 pounds, wore a makeshift police uniform when he escaped. The search is a joint effort of the Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police, and local law enforcement.

Key Takeaways:

  • Grant Hardin, a 56-year-old former police chief, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas, on Sunday at approximately 3:40 p.m. CDT.
  • He was wearing a makeshift police uniform designed to mimic law enforcement, but not a standard prison guard uniform.
  • Hardin has a 30-year sentence for first-degree murder and 25 years for each of two rape counts, to which he pleaded guilty in 2017.
  • The murder victim, James Appleton, was a 59-year-old city water employee found shot in the face in his work truck in October 2017.
  • Hardin's DNA linked him to the rape of a teacher, Amy Harrison, at Frank Tillery Elementary in Rogers in 1997.
  • The escape is considered a threat to the public, given Hardin's law enforcement background and history of violent crimes.
  • The search for Hardin is ongoing, with multiple law enforcement agencies involved in the effort.
  • Hardin was previously the chief of police for the city of Gateway, a small town with a population of 444 in 2023.

Statistics:

  • Grant Hardin's 30-year sentence for first-degree murder.
  • 25 years for each of two rape counts.
  • 6 feet in height, approximately 259 pounds in weight.
  • Population of Gateway, Arkansas: 444 (2023).
  • Indictment of James Appleton, murder victim (2017).
  • DNA evidence linking Grant Hardin to the rape of Amy Harrison (1997).

Sources:

  • UPI, "Authorities search for former police chief who escaped from Arkansas prison", May 26
  • KHBS-TV, "Former police chief escapes from Arkansas prison", May 26
  • KNWA, "Former police chief at Arkansas prison escapes", May 26
  • Cold Justice: Sex Crimes, TNT series, 2015, profiling the rape of Amy Harrison in Rogers, Arkansas.