CNN – Grant Hardin, the one-time Arkansas police chief who escaped from prison where he was serving sentences for murder and rape, has been recaptured, according to the Izard County Sheriff’s Office.
Hardin, 56, had been on the run for more than 10 days after breaking out of the prison on May 25, wearing what authorities described as a makeshift law enforcement uniform.
Once the police chief of the small town of Gateway, Arkansas, he was serving a 30-year sentence for murder and two 25-year sentences for two counts of rape when he escaped.
A former police chief was in prison for murder and rape. His escape has left a small town on edge and reopened old wounds
He was captured Friday afternoon, just 1.5 miles west of the prison grounds, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office.
…article continued below
– Advertisement –
Tracking dogs picked up a scent in the area and Hardin was “apprehended a short time later” by Arkansas law enforcement officers and US Border Patrol, according to a news release from the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
His escape incited an intense search effort in the difficult, rocky terrain of northern Arkansas near the prison, hampered by heavy rain. The area includes plentiful caves and old outbuildings, offering a fugitive many places to hide. Authorities said earlier in the week they believed he may have left the state.
He had been incarcerated since 2017 after he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the death of James Appleton, according to court documents …
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders released the following statement today on the capture of inmate Grant Hardin:
…article continued below
– Advertisement –
“Thanks to the great work of local, state and federal law enforcement Arkansans can breathe a sigh of relief and I can confirm that violent criminal Grant Hardin is back in custody. I am grateful for all law enforcement who contributed to his capture and give special thanks to the Trump administration and Secretary Kristi Noem, who sent a team from Border Patrol that was instrumental in tracking and apprehending Hardin.”