Convicted murderer known as "Devil in the Ozarks" has likely fled Arkansas after prison escape, marshals say
The convicted murderer and former police chief known as the "Devil in the Ozarks" may have fled Arkansas after escaping from prison last month, investigators said in a recently released federal court filing.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court in Little Rock against Grant Hardin was released this week. Authorities have said Hardin escaped the Calico Rock prison in Arkansas by donning an outfit designed to look like a law enforcement uniform. Hardin was previously the police chief of the small town of Gateway, Arkansas.
In the complaint, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert J. Hammons cites two previously publicized unconfirmed sightings of Hardin — one in central Arkansas and another in southern Missouri.
"Based on this information, investigators believe Hardin has fled the state of Arkansas to avoid recapture," the filing states. "He has extensive knowledge of the Ozark Mountain region, where he is believed to be possibly hiding in caves or rugged terrain that he is familiar with."
The complaint, first reported by , does not detail any other sightings of Hardin or evidence of him fleeing the state. Arkansas authorities have previously said they're focusing on north-central Arkansas and tips of sightings elsewhere so far have not panned out. Heavy rains have foiled efforts to use bloodhounds to follow Hardin's trail.
U.S. Border Patrol announced Thursday that it deployed a special operations team to assist in the manhunt.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections released a photo of how Hardin may look after several weeks on the run. In the edited image, Hardin has facial hair and appears slimmer than in his mug shot "due to the expected limited supply of food available," a department spokesperson told CBS News.
Hardin was serving multiple sentences after he pleaded guilty to both rape and murder, CBS News previously reported. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2017 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. While he was imprisoned in that case, police matched his DNA to samples taken from a 1997 rape case. Hardin pleaded guilty to two counts of rape in 2019, according to , and was sentenced to 25 years for each count.
The reward for information that leads to Hardin's capture has increased to $25,000, the Arkansas Department of Corrections said, with reward money coming from the FBI and the U.S. Marshals. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at .
