Captured after a high-profile escape, convicted murderer Grant Hardin, infamously dubbed the “Devil in the Ozarks,” was recently moved to the Varner SuperMax prison near Little Rock, Arkansas, state prison officials announced on Saturday.
Hardin’s daring breakout and subsequent capture followed an intensive nearly two-week manhunt in the challenging terrain of northern Arkansas. On Friday, law enforcement caught up with him just 1.5 miles from the prison he had fled. Officer Rand Champion, representing the Arkansas prison system, reported that Hardin attempted a brief escape when spotted by officers but was swiftly subdued.
Officials had employed drones, bloodhounds, and a helicopter in their pursuit, though their efforts were hampered by swollen creeks and streams caused by recent rains. This floodwater made both Hardin’s and the searchers’ navigation through the rugged territory difficult, Champion explained.
“The high water levels around Moccasin Creek reduced his mobility and our search capacity,” Champion noted. Some areas had been previously searched, but the conditions had restricted thorough investigations.
Residents in Calico Rock, a community close to the prison, were taken aback by the news that Hardin hadn’t ventured far. Roger Simons, a bartender in the area, expressed his surprise, stating, “We all figured he had put considerable distance between himself and the prison by now.”
Since 2017, Hardin had been incarcerated at the Calico Rock prison, following a first-degree murder conviction. His escape involved impersonating a corrections officer as detailed in a court document. An unverified officer granted him access to leave through a security gate, prompting an internal investigation into the lapse in protocol.
Benton County Prosecutor Bryan Sexton, involved in Hardin’s past convictions, maintained close ties with law enforcement during the search. Sexton reported that authorities consistently believed Hardin remained in the vicinity.
A former police chief in Gateway, a small town straddling the Arkansas-Missouri line, Hardin gained notoriety and even became the subject of a documentary titled “Devil in the Ozarks.” His brief time at large profoundly affected trial witnesses and victims with concerns for their safety prompting them to change their routines, Sexton noted.
With Hardin’s capture, “The victims and witnesses can finally find closure and return to their daily lives,” Sexton said.
For Cheryl Tillman, whose brother was fatally shot by Hardin in 2017, his apprehension was monumental. “We can finally feel at ease—there’s no more looking over our shoulders,” she expressed, expressing her gratitude to the officers involved in the capture.
Sexton is reassured by Hardin’s transfer to Varner, a more secure establishment. Established in 1987 with a capacity for 1,714 inmates, Varner houses a special “supermax” unit for high-risk offenders. This includes significant threats to society such as death row inmates and others who have committed grave offenses.
“Varner holds the reputation as the most secure prison within Arkansas,” Sexton asserted, stating that ensuring Hardin is held in such a fortified facility is a prudent decision under the circumstances.