CALICO ROCK, AR – Authorities across Arkansas are engaged in an active manhunt for Grant Hardin, a former police chief convicted of murder and rape, who escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Hardin, 56, is considered extremely dangerous and should not be approached.

• Who Escaped: Grant Hardin, a former police chief convicted of first-degree murder and rape, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas.
• Convictions: Hardin was serving sentences for the 2017 murder of a city employee and the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher.
• Escape Details: He escaped on Sunday, May 25, 2025, reportedly wearing a makeshift uniform designed to resemble law enforcement.

Details of Conviction and Incarceration

Hardin was serving a 30-year sentence for the 2017 first-degree murder of James Appleton, a city water department employee in Gateway, Arkansas. Records indicate Hardin fatally shot Appleton through his car window while Appleton was on the phone with his brother-in-law, then-Gateway Mayor Andrew Tillman. No clear motive for this crime has been publicly established.

While incarcerated for Appleton’s murder, DNA evidence connected Hardin to a cold case: the 1997 rape of Amy Harrison, an elementary school teacher in Rogers, Arkansas. Hardin subsequently pleaded guilty to the rape, receiving an additional 50-year sentence. He had been held at the North Central Unit since 2017. Prior to his convictions, Hardin served as the police chief of Gateway for approximately four months in 2016.

The Escape

The Arkansas Department of Corrections confirmed that Hardin escaped from the facility at approximately 2:50 p.m. on Sunday. Officials stated he was no longer in his prison uniform at the time of his escape and was wearing a “makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement.” A still image from a security camera reportedly shows Hardin pushing a cart loaded with materials as he left through a sally port. Authorities are investigating the specific circumstances and events that led to his successful escape.

Ongoing Search Efforts

A multi-agency effort involving the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police, and local law enforcement is underway to locate Hardin. Roads in the immediate vicinity of the prison were temporarily shut down as officials checked vehicles for any sign of the escapee. Search efforts have been complicated by recent rainfall in the area, though officials hope the weather will subside.

Stone County Sheriff Brandon Long expressed significant concern, stating, “I am very scared that this guy is going to hurt or kill somebody before this is over with.” Former Benton County prosecutor Nathan Smith, who was involved in Hardin’s convictions, described him as “a sociopath” with “no moral core or center that would prevent him from doing anything.” Authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant, keep homes and vehicles locked, and report any sightings to 911 immediately without attempting to approach Hardin.