Former Arkansas Police Chief Escapes from Prison
CALICO ROCK, Ark. – Grant Hardin, a former police chief serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on Sunday, state corrections officials have confirmed. Hardin, who has been incarcerated since 2017, managed to flee without details provided regarding the circumstances of his escape.
The 41-year-old Hardin was formerly the chief of police in Gateway, a small town near the Arkansas-Missouri border. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in October 2017 for the fatal shooting of 59-year-old James Appleton, an incident that occurred on February 23, 2017. Appleton was killed while conversing with his brother-in-law, then-Gateway Mayor Andrew Tillman. His body was discovered inside a vehicle.
Hardin was sentenced to 30 years for Appleton’s murder. Additionally, he is serving another 50-year sentence for raping an elementary school teacher in 1997, a crime to which he was linked through DNA evidence. The DNA matching process, which resumed as the statute of limitations was nearing an end, ultimately connected Hardin to the rape after his imprisonment for murder.
Following Hardin’s escape, the Arkansas Division of Correction and the Division of Community Correction are coordinating efforts with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to track him down. Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any information that could aid in his apprehension.
As this situation unfolds, the community remains on high alert, concerned about the implications of allowing a convicted murderer and rapist to roam free.
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