Shocking new photos reveal the dramatic moment a convicted murderer and rapist known as the ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ was captured in the dense Arkansas woods just over a mile from the prison he escaped, concluding a tense, two-week manhunt.
Grant Hardin, the former police chief of Gateway, a small town near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving 30 years for murder and 50 years for the rape when he slipped out of the North Central Unit prison facility on May 25.
Officials say Hardin, whose notoriety led to the TV documentary ‘Devil in the Ozarks,‘ managed to evade authorities for 13 days, disappearing into the wilderness and sparking a search involving local, state and federal agencies.
He was eventually tracked down and apprehended on Friday afternoon in rugged terrain about 1.5 miles from the prison.
Newly released photos show members of the US Border Patrol Special Operations Group capturing the shirtless, mud-stained Hardin.
‘One Fugitive. ZERO CHANCE,’ US Border Patrol stated in a Facebook post accompanying the photos.
When officers approached him, he briefly attempted to run but was quickly tackled to the ground.
‘He’d been on the run for a week and a half and probably didn’t have any energy left in him,’ said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas prison system.
Shocking new photos reveal the dramatic moment Grant Hardin, a convicted murderer and rapist, was captured in the dense Arkansas woods, concluding a tense, two-week manhunt following his escape from prison
The photos show members of the US Border Patrol Special Operations Group capturing the shirtless, mud-stained fugitive less than two miles from where he escaped
Hardin was tracked down and apprehended in rugged terrain
Grant Hardin, 56, was serving 30 years for murder and 50 years for the rape when he slipped out of the North Central Unit prison facility on May 25
‘They got him about a mile from the prison, in the woods,’ added Benny Magness, Chairman of the Arkansas Board of Corrections.
‘I’m so proud of our Department staff and all the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies for being steadfast as they always are.’
For nearly two weeks, armed officers, backed by helicopters, drones, and K-9 units, combed miles of forest and rocky terrain in a desperate bid to catch a man many feared had nothing left to lose.
‘Thanks to the great work of local, state, and federal law enforcement, Arkansans can breathe a sigh of relief,’ Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said after news of Hardin’s capture broke.
‘I’m grateful to every officer who contributed and give special thanks to the Trump administration and Secretary Kristi Noem, who sent a specialized Border Patrol team that was instrumental in tracking and apprehending Hardin.’
That specialized unit, part of the elite US Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), was credited with key assistance in pinning down Hardin’s location – a patch of rugged woods near Calico Rock.
Law enforcement leaders stressed the dangers of the operation – a manhunt over rough terrain under the blistering sun, with officers working around the clock, often with little sleep and under the constant threat that Hardin could attack at any moment.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections has not released the full details of how Hardin managed to escape in the first place, but an investigation is expected to follow.
Officials say Hardin, whose notoriety led to a TV documentary, ‘Devil in the Ozarks,’ managed to evade authorities for 13 days
Hardin escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock. His escape terrified communities and sparked a massive multi-agency dragnet
According to a court document, he impersonated a corrections officer ‘in dress and manner’ in order to escape.
Hardin was housed in a maximum-security wing of the primarily medium-security prison, formally known as the North Central Unit.
Officials are investigating whether a job Hardin held in the kitchen facilitated his escape, including if it gave him access to materials to fashion a makeshift uniform.
A prison officer in one of the guard towers opened a secure gate, allowing him to simply walk out of the facility.
Champion stated that someone should have checked Hardin’s identity before he was allowed to leave, describing the lack of verification as a ‘lapse’ that’s being investigated.
Hardin has been returned to the custody of the Arkansas Department of Corrections and now faces new charges stemming from his escape.
Hardin had a history in law enforcement, serving as police chief in Gateway – a town of fewer than 500 people – for four months in 2016.
He also served two terms as a constable in Benton County and worked as a police officer in Fayetteville, Huntsville, and Eureka Springs from 1990 through 1996.
