Convicted Murderer Grant Hardin Details Prison Escape in Interviews
CALICO ROCK, Arkansas — Grant Hardin, a convicted murderer and rapist known as the “Devil in the Ozarks,” was recaptured on June 6 after escaping from prison on May 25. The Arkansas Department of Corrections interviewed Hardin at least five times about his escape plan, which he allegedly described in detail.
Hardin, 56, was serving a combined 80-year sentence for murder and two counts of rape. During interviews with Arkansas Division of Corrections Director Dexter Payne, he disclosed that he spent six months planning his escape, using his access to the prison kitchen to fashion a law enforcement disguise.
According to a report from the state’s critical incident review committee, Hardin employed black aprons to create a stab vest and colored a white inmate uniform and hat with black Sharpie markers, leaving the word “POLICE” visible on the back. Hardin claimed kitchen supervisors rarely monitored him, allowing him the freedom to execute his plans.
On the day of his escape, Hardin overheard a conversation suggesting that rules were about to change, which prompted him to act. He gathered supplies and food from the kitchen and made his way to the prison gate, dressed in his homemade outfit, pulling a cart that contained a ladder made from pallets.
Security footage showed Hardin walking toward a sally port gate, where he directed a guard to “open the gate.” The officer complied, allowing Hardin to walk out dressed as if he were part of the staff.
Following his escape, prison officials initiated a lockdown and a search operation. A K-9 unit soon tracked Hardin to the woods, but he managed to evade capture for some time, relying on berries and creek water to survive. Ultimately, Hardin confessed that his hunger and anxiety led to his capture.
The incident review committee identified procedural failures that contributed to Hardin’s escape, including miscommunications during the response. Corrective actions have been implemented, such as plans to improve security and monitor inmates more closely.
Hardin has pleaded not guilty to an escape charge and is scheduled for trial in November. Following his recapture, he was moved to a maximum-security facility in Varner, Arkansas.
