Grant Hardin

Grant Matthew Hardin^[1] (born December 6, 1968),^[2] also known as "Devil in the Ozarks",^[3] is an American murderer and rapist convicted in the 2017 shooting death of 59-year-old former Emerson Electric electrician, carpenter, volunteer firefighter, and water department employee James Lee Appleton in Gateway, Arkansas. Hardin served as a former constable, former Walmart dockworker, former law enforcement officer for three Northwest Arkansas police departments, and a former police chief for the town of Gateway, Arkansas. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison for Appleton's murder in 2017.^[4][5][6]

Two years after his incarceration, his DNA matched to an unsolved 1997 rape of a teacher in Rogers, Arkansas. He was sentenced to 25 more years in prison. On May 25, 2025, he managed to escape the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas, by impersonating a corrections officer using a makeshift uniform, being on the run for nearly two weeks, until June 6, 2025, when he was captured while hiding in the woods nearly two miles northwest of the prison.^[4][5][7] During his escape, the FBI immediately offered a $20,000 reward in connection of the manhunt, with an additional $5,000 from the United States Marshals Service.^[8]

His crimes were featured in a 2019 episode of the series "Shattered" by Investigation Discovery.^[9] Hardin was also a subject of a 2023 HBO Max documentary, titled: "Devil in the Ozarks".^[10][11] The title of the documentary would be gradually used as Hardin's nickname.^[12] Hardin's crime of rape was featured in Cold Justice: Sex Crimes series by Turner Network Television.^[13]

According to FBI, Hardin was born on December 6, 1968 in Bentonville, Arkansas.^[2] He was raised in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, with his parents later living in Garfield, Arkansas, a town of about 600 people which is located near the Missouri border.^[14][15] Hardin was a practicing Christian, which reportedly influenced his personal life. He is approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds. Hardin lived in Pea Ridge until 1990, when he moved in with a friend in Fayetteville. Grant Hardin was later married to Linda Hardin, with whom he met in 1995 while working in the Eureka Springs Police Department during his career as an officer. Their relationship progressed quickly, with them marrying shortly after meeting each other. Later, Linda would give birth to Hardin's daughter. After that, the couple would relocate to Grant Hardin’s childhood home, located on Gann Ridge Road in Garfield, Arkansas. Reportedly, Linda Hardin supported Grant during his incarteration, providing alibi during his murder investigation, she believed in his innocence despite him pleading gulty at his trial.^[16]

According to Northwest Arkansas records, Hardin received multiple carriers across Benton and Washington counties throughout the late-1980s. Hardin first worked full-time at First Brands Corporation in Rogers, Arkansas, as a Carton Loader Manual from mid-1987 until 1988. At the same time, Hardin served various part-time roles at Empire Seed Company, also in Rogers, from February 1987 to August 1989. Hardin later worked full-time at a Walmart Regional Distribution Center in Bentonville as a receiving dockworker from June 17, 1989 until December 5, 1989. Exactly one day after Hardin left Walmart, Hardin temporarily worked full-time at a UPS in Springdale as a “driver’s helper” for the holiday rush from December 6 until December 12, 1989.^[17]

Grant Hardin attended Northwest Arkansas Community College between 2013 and 2015, earning an associate degree as part of his preparation to become a police officer.^[16] According to leaked Fayetteville police department records, Hardin attended Pea Ridge High School in 1991, becoming an exemplary student who was a member of the school's student council. Hardin was also a member of various school clubs, like National Honor Society and Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Hardin said that he enjoyed hobbies like hunting, weight lifting and playing basketball. People who were close to Hardin, like pastors, school teachers and family friends, described him as an "honest christian boy who held all of the right qualities to be good officer". One of his teachers said: "I am retiring but he still takes the time to visit me".^[18]

In January 2016, Hardin was appointed as a police chief in Gateway, Arkansas, before resigning after four months.^[19][20] Hardin had previously served two terms in the Benton County District 1 Constable from 2009 until 2010 and again from 2013 until 2014, before serving as a correctional officer at the Northwest Arkansas Community Correction Center in Fayetteville on November 21, 2016. He served as a guard there until his arrest the following year on February 27, 2017.^[21][22] According to 2008 election records, Grant Hardin received a majority vote of 64.91% in Benton County District 1, running against officer Lee R. Paull. Hardin ran unopposed in 2012, giving him the rank of Constable once again.^[23]

Hardin previously held several other law enforcement positions in Arkansas throughout the 1990s, but was terminated from his job multiple times for using excessive force, having poor performance and falsifying police reports.^[24][25] Hardin first served in the Fayetteville, Arkansas Police Department from August 6, 1990 until his first termination on May 22, 1991 because of poor performance according to former Fayetteville Police Chief Richard Watson in an interview with KFSM-TV. He then had a short stint for the Huntsville, Arkansas Police Department from November 1, 1991 until June 2, 1992, and finally the Eureka Springs, Arkansas Police Department from July 20, 1993 until October 4, 1996. Then-Eureka Springs Police Chief Earl Hyatt replied to KHBS/KHOG in an interview that his third termination was caused by using excessive force and lying on a report.^[26]

One of Hardin's termination letters said that he was “indecisive” in stressful situations and had a “tendency to not accept constructive criticism”. According to a police chief, Hardin failed in many important parts of the police department’s training program, with him saying: "He's a hothead. He doesn't seem to get along well with people. He's a narcissist". He also said that Hardin took part in police trainings not because he wanted to be a good police officer, but because he wanted to be a good criminal.^[27]

Reportedly, during his time as a Gateway police chief, Hardin had a heated relationship with the Benton County Sheriff's Office, and was in a conflict with the department’s lieutenant, which led to them "getting into each other's faces". Hardin was also in a disagreement with James Lee Appleton (November 14, 1957 – February 23, 2017), a 59-year-old man from Merriam, Kansas, about fixing his police car. The conflict resulted in the city council giving Hardin an ultimatum: resign or be fired. Hardin resigned after serving four months as Gateway's police chief.^[28][19][20]

On February 23, 2017, Hardin shot Appleton in the head while he was sitting in his white Chevrolet Silverado and speaking to his brother-in-law on the phone. According to the witnesses, while Appleton was speaking on the phone, a car pulled up beside him. Hardin then stepped out of the car and fired a bullet through Appleton's window before driving away.^[6][11] Resident of Gateway, John Bray, heard the gunshot while he was driving and decided to check the area. He found Appleton slumped over in his seat and immediately called 911.^[19] As the first responders arrived on the scene, he was pronounced dead from a single gunshot wound to the head.^[6] Appleton served as a longtime supervisor for Emerson Electric for 27 years before spending another 12 years as a carpenter. He briefly worked as a volunteer firefighter and later as an employee for the Gateway Rural Water Authority until his murder.

Shortly afterward, a police investigation into the shooting began. Thanks to the witnesses, Hardin was quickly identified as the prime suspect.^[6] During the night of the shooting, Hardin took his wife, Linda Hardin, and their daughter to a restaurant. Police shortly arrived to the restaurant and took Hardin into custody, holding him in jail without bail.^[19][29] Police later conducted a search of his home and vehicle, finding physical evidence for the murder.^[30]

Hardin pled guilty to first-degree murder of Appleton in October 2017.^[31][32] He was initially charged with capital murder, but agreed to a plea deal in which he would plead guilty to the first degree murder charge in exchange for a lesser sentence.^[33] Based on the plea deal, he was then sentenced to 30 years in prison with 10 years suspended.^[34][33] Multiple members of Appleton's family were present in the courtroom during his sentencing. When the judge asked Hardin if he had anything to say to them, he responded by saying: "I don't know how to say it, but I'm sorry".^[35] The motive for the murder remained unknown.^[36] After his conviction, Hardin was transported to North Central Unit prison located in Calico Rock, Arkansas to serve his sentence.^[4] According to Shane Wilkinson, who was Hardin's lawyer, he regretted his guilty plea and expressed a desire to have it withdrawn.^[31][32]

During Hardin's incarceration, a Benton County prosecutor, Nathan Smith, said that the DNA which they collected from Hardin after his 2017 murder conviction matched to the previously-unsolved rape of an elementary school teacher in November 1997.^[32] The victim, Frank Tillery Elementary School teacher Amy Harrison, had been attacked as she was preparing lessons for students on November 9, 1997.^[37][38] The attacker ambushed her as soon as she stepped out of the teacher’s-lounge's bathroom, raping her in two different rooms before leaving.^[39] According to the teacher's initial complaint, the assailant pointed a gun at her as he was raping her in the teacher's-lounge bathroom. He was wearing a stocking cap and sunglasses with no shoes, being extremely careful about making contact with any surfaces.^[6][22] After he fled, she called 911, and while crying, told the dispatcher that she’d been “molested” by a man at her school, and that he acted as if she may have known him.^[40] Analysis of the assailant's behavior during the attack led police to suspect possible involvement of someone who knew how police investigated such cases. Hardin did ejaculate in the room, however, which led to police collecting his DNA.^[6][22]

Former Rogers Police Chief Haynes Minor, who was featured in an Investigation Discovery documentary about the rape, issued a special John Doe warrant in 2000 for a person matching the DNA evidence from the crime scene to avoid an appeal based on a statute of limitations.^[5][8]

In April 2018, after 20 years of investigations, Hardin's DNA was matched to a sample from the crime scene, and he was charged with three counts of rape, a single count of kidnapping and a single count of sexual abuse. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.^[41][42][43] On February 7, 2019, Hardin pleaded guilty to one count of rape in Benton County before Judge Robin Green, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. During the sentencing, his victim, Amy Harrison, recounted her experience during the rape and said: "I’m not a victim. I didn’t deserve this. This was you, and you deserve to go to prison." Hardin apologized to her and said he hopes she can forgive him.^[44] Hardin would try to withdraw his guilty plea on April 2019 but the motion would be denied by Judge Green.^[45][46]

After his capture on June 6, 2025, Grant Hardin was charged with 2nd degree escape. He was also federally charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution or incarceration, with it being thrown out on June 13. Hardin appeared in a courtroom through a video call on June 17, pleading not-guilty to the charges. During his hearing, Hardin was found indigent, with public defender being assigned to his case. His pre-trial hearing is scheduled to start on October 21 and a jury trial was set to start by the judge Tim Weaver between November 5 to 7.^[47][48]

On May 25, 2025, Hardin managed to escape from North Central Unit prison at approximately 2:55 p.m. CT. Prison authorities initially announced his escape as having occurred at 3:40 p.m. CT, but amended the time after reviewing security camera footage. Authorities discovered Hardin's escape when he failed to show up to a routine headcount, approximately 15–20 minutes after he escaped. The camera footage showed Hardin walking out of the prison disguised, wearing a "makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement" but not a prison guard uniform.^[49][50] According to Izard County Court's affidavit, Hardin impersonated a police officer by mimicking their "dress and manners", a guard operating the gate mistook him for a coworker and let him out of the prison. Hardin was wearing black pants, a black T-shirt, a black baseball cap and a bulletproof vest. While he was walking away, he wheeled a cart that had a box and several pieces of wood.^[11][49] The police described Hardin as 6-foot-tall caucasian male. Authorities also said that he was considered to be armed and extremely dangerous, warning people to not approach him.^[51][52]

After the escape, an arrest warrant was issued for Hardin for the charge of 2nd degree escape.^[11] During the manhunt, there was a heavy rain, which made it difficult for police dogs to pursue Hardin. The police were using bloodhounds to find him, reportedly, they briefly found and then lost his scent when the rains began. The search efforts were conducted for less than a quarter of a mile before the bloodhounds lost the smell, meaning that he could have gone in any direction after that.^[24][53] The police said that they are using canines, drones and helicopters in the manhunt, which is happening in the rugged terrain of north Arkansas.^[54][21] Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies were patrolling the area around the prison as police believed he was still in the area. The terrain around the prison was described as “one of the most cave-dense regions of the state”, the spokesman of Arkansas police, Rand Champion, said that was is concerned about the caves as Hardin can use them to hide and take shelter. According to Matt Covington, speleologist, there are around 300 to 400 reported caves in and around Calico Rock which can become ideal hiding places.^[55][56]

The police said that they are conducting an investigation into Hardin's job at a prison kitchen, which may have played a role in his escape. According to Angelo Brown, a professor, Hardin's experience as a police chief means he may have had connections with police officials who could have helped him.^[57][58] When Hardin worked in a prison kitchen, he never got in trouble. Reportedly, he was considered a "model inmate" in the facility, which Hardin may have used to his advantage.^[59] On May 26, a reward of $10,000 was announced by the FBI for information that would lead to Hardin's arrest. On May 27, the bounty was doubled, making it $20,000.^[60][61] Reportedly, the tips sent to FBI came from as far as 70 miles away, with some people saying that they had seen him in Missouri.^[62][63]

On June 2, after a week of searches, law enforcement increased Hardin's bounty to $25,000. In a statement, police chief said that the search is still being conducted in North Central Arkansas region despite him having plans to escape the state. He added that the search there will continue until he gets a "verifiable evidence or a verifiable tip that that he is not in the area".^[64] A court document dated June 2 said that the police is seeking access to cell tower data near the Calico Rock prison between 6 a.m. on May 24 and 11:59 p.m. on May 29 in an attempt learn more about Hardin’s escape or if he had any help.^[65] On June 3, the police released a new mugshot of Hardin on social media, which was altered to make him look much slimmer and have facial hair. Chief of police said that the image is a projection of what he might possibly look like after a week on the run, he said that the image included week's worth of hair growth, as well him being slimmer due to limited supply of food available.^[66][67] He added that there was no new developments since June 3, though tips are being investigated.^[68]

On June 4, a criminal complaint against Hardin which was filed by deputy Marshal Robert Hammons was released to the public. The complaint stated that investigators began to believe that Hardin likely fled the state of Arkansas to avoid recapture, citing unconfirmed reports of him, one in central Arkansas and other in southern Missouri. On June 5, US Border patrol announced that they are deploying a special operations team to assist in the manhunt.^[69][70] On June 6, law enforcement said that they are continuing to patrol the roadways near the prison and are setting up security checkpoints in the area, they also contacted nearby states, because Hardin previously lived near Missouri border.^[71]

On June 6, at approximately 3:45 p.m., the police announced that Hardin was captured in the woods of Moccasin Creek in Izard County, located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of the North Central Unit, after their dogs were able to pick up his scent. His identity was immediately confirmed via fingerprint analysis.^[72][73] After police noticed him, Hardin attempted to briefly run away from them, however, he was quickly tackled to the ground and taken into custody.^[74] Hardin was arrested by Arkansas law enforcement and special tactical units of US Border Patrol, known as BORTAC.^[75][76] The police said that there was no indication that he was injured, though he said Hardin would be checked for dehydration and other medical problems. Authorities used his cellphone to take photos of Hardin as he was being led away by officers.^[77]

After his capture, Hardin was transported to Varner Unit, a high-security and supermax state prison located in the unincorporated town of Varner, Arkansas, in Lincoln County, located 28 miles (45 km) southeast of Pine Bluff.^[78] According to Arkansas Department of Corrections spokesperson Rand Champion, he said that Hardin will be interrogated "in the coming days" to give police "any meaningful details" about his escape and time on the run, and a security review of the North Central Unit will continue to find more information about the escape.^[75][79] On June 9, a new video was released by police, showing Hardin arriving at the Varner Unit prison, being handcuffed and held by officers as he walks in.^[80]

The police believed that Hardin took advantage of his job at the kitchen and studied prison staff's movements, resulting in him accessing restricted areas and getting materials to craft his fake police uniform. Hardin reportedly spent months preparing, watching the prison’s routine operations from the inside before picking a right time to make a move for his escape. The police interrogated Hardin on June 17, they said that the police will not fully know how he managed to pull off his escape until they finish talking with him. Evidence from the prison, like surveillance footage and an examination of kitchen utensils and food suggest that Hardin altered one of his old prison uniforms by dying it with tea, darkening it with coffee and ink from a permanent marker.^[81]

The police interrogated multiple prison guards and studied surveillance footage as part of the investigation.^[81] During Arkansas Department of Corrections' board meeting, ADOC Director, Dexter Payne, said that the prison guard operating the gate did not properly confirm Hardin's identity, adding: "The person who was responsible didn't do what he was supposed to do". Two board members during the meeting called for the ADOC to conduct its own investigation and present their evidence to the board.^[82] Legislators also plan to investigate the escape.^[83]

After the murder of James Appleton, various Gateway community members were upset by the event. Melissa Townsend, a local worker, said that she was "heartbroken", adding: "We used to see him check our water, he would say hi to everybody, you know, he was a good guy”. Nathan Smith, Hardin's prosecutor, said that Hardin and Appleton knew each other prior to the murder and the reason why his motive remains unknown is because he "lacked the courage to say it".^[30] Gateway town council members, Lisa Ingalls and Chris Jones, also condemned the murder, with Chris saying that he hopes the murder didnt "scar the town".^[84] After Hardin's DNA matched to one found at the scene of Amy Harrison's rape, Smith said that Hardin is one of the most dangerous people he has ever seen. Amy Harrison, in an interview with the media, said that her case with Hardin is settled and that she will move on with her life.^[85]

After Hardin's escape, he was described by the people who knew him as a "sociopath" and "evil". James Appleton's sister, Cheryl Tilman, who is currently working as Gateway's mayor, described him as "an evil man" in an interview with KHBS, adding: "It's almost like déjà vu all over again".^[11][86] Nathan Smith, now a former attorney who was the prosecutor in Hardin's rape trial, said: "I hate it for the victims and their families to have to kind of relive that with the lack of knowledge of what’s going on", he also said that he had no doubt the police will recapture Hardin.^[87][9]

Creator of the 2023 "Devil in the Ozarks" documentary about Hardin, Ari Mark, said that he has been "in touch with subjects of that film" and is "praying for his immediate recapture" in the documentary's IMDB page.^[88] Cheryl Tillman, sister of James Appleton, said that added that she was "alarmed" by his escape.^[10] Earl Hyatt, former Eureka Springs Police chief who worked with Hardin, said that he won't "hesitate at anything" because he is "desperate", adding: "What does he have to lose at this point?".^[89] Several legislators from Arkansas, Howard Beaty and Matt McKee, sent a letter to Benny Magness, leader of state's board, questioning him why Hardin was incarcerated at North Central Unit, they also said that his escape "speaks to a broader system failure”.^[90][91]

After Hardin's capture, governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee, thanked all law enforcement agencies for the search. In a post on X, she said: "Arkansans can breathe a sigh of relief because violent criminal Grant Hardin is now in custody".^[92] In her statement, she also gave special thanks to president Donald Trump and secretary Kristi Noem for sending an US Border Patrol unit, which she said was "instrumental in tracking and apprehending Hardin”.^[93][7] Dexter Payne, a director of the Arkansas Division of Correction, said that Hardin's capture was "a great joint operation by a number of agencies" and that he is "thankful for their tireless efforts".^[93] In a statement, Lindsay Wallace, secretary of corrections, stated: “To every one of our Department staff that assisted in this manhunt over the last 13 days, I give my heartfelt thank you for your immeasurable contributions to bring this search to a peaceful conclusion".^[94] Izard County Sheriff's office said that they "sincerely appreciate the continued support of the community for all law enforcement personnel involved in this operation".^[95]

Cheryl Tillman, in an interview with CBS affiliate KFSM-TV, said that she was grateful no one was hurt during Hardin's manhunt and praised the police. The Arkansas corrections board chair member, Benny Magness, said that he appreciates all that had been done by law enforcement so "the community could feel safe".^[96] Prosecutor Bryan Sexton, who overseed Hardin's trials on rape and murder, said that families of his victims "could get closure in their lives and secondly go back to their normal lives, which had been disrupted the whole time he was out".^[97]

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