A former police chief in Arkansas is currently on the run after escaping from prison on Sunday. Grant Hardin, the former police chief of Gateway, a small town near the Arkansas-Missouri border, managed to flee from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, where he has been incarcerated since 2017. Details of his escape have not been disclosed by corrections officials, but they did mention that Hardin had disguised himself and was wearing an outfit that resembled law enforcement attire.
Authorities from the Division of Correction and the Division of Community Correction are now working with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to track down Hardin and bring him back into custody. Hardin was serving a 30-year sentence for first-degree murder in connection with the killing of James Appleton in 2017. Appleton, who worked for the Gateway water department, was shot in the head while talking to the then-mayor of Gateway, Andrew Tillman.
In addition to the murder charge, Hardin is also serving a 50-year sentence for the rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers in 1997. Police were able to link Hardin to the rape case through DNA evidence, which was collected and tested against profiles over the years. The match was finally made when Hardin was arrested and imprisoned for the murder of James Appleton.
The escape of a former police chief convicted of such heinous crimes has sparked concern and urgency among law enforcement agencies in Arkansas. The public is advised to report any sightings or information that could lead to the capture of Grant Hardin. As the search intensifies, authorities are working tirelessly to ensure that Hardin is apprehended and brought back to face justice for his crimes.
