Former Arkansas Police Chief Serving Murder, Rape Sentences Escapes Prison

Grant Hardin, a former police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, escaped from the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock, where he had been serving sentences for first-degree murder and rape since 2017. Hardin was convicted for the 2017 shooting death of James Appleton, a Gateway water department employee, and was also linked through DNA to a 1997 rape case, resulting in an additional 50-year sentence. Authorities, including the Arkansas State Police and divisions of correction, are actively searching for Hardin and coordinating with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Hardin’s escape was discovered around 3:40 p.m. on Sunday, though officials have not yet disclosed how he managed to escape. Law enforcement is urging the public to report any information about Hardin’s whereabouts. Hardin is described as 6 feet tall and weighing 269 pounds, with many known contacts in the Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri areas.