OAN Staff Abril Elfi
10:39 AM – Saturday, June 7, 2025
Grant Hardin, a convicted murderer and rapist, has been captured after he escaped custody and had been on the run for weeks.
According to the Izard County Sheriff’s Office, Hardin, nicknamed the “Devil in the Ozarks,” was captured approximately 1.5 miles north-northwest of the North Central Unit prison facility from which he escaped on May 25th.
Sources reportedly told Fox News that Hardin appeared malnourished when he was apprehended.
The Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) stated that local law enforcement, state police, federal agencies, and elite tactical teams focused their search in the area surrounding the prison grounds.
Tracking dogs detected a smell in the vicinity, and Hardin was captured shortly after, they said.
“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,” said Governor Sarah Sanders. “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.”
Hardin, 56, was serving an 80-year sentence for James Appleton’s murder in 2017 as well as an unsolved rape case from 1997.
Hardin escaped from prison via a sally port while dressed in a handmade ADC-style uniform, according to ADC communications director Rand Champion, who clarified that the clothing he was wearing was not official.
“I’m incredibly appreciative to all of our dedicated law enforcement agencies that spent countless hours, both day and night, sacrificing their time, utilizing their resources and lending their invaluable expertise to this search,” said Secretary of Corrections Lindsay Wallace. “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.”
The Izard County Sheriff’s Office released a statement thanking the public and law enforcement for their ongoing support during the manhunt.
They have not released any information regarding if Hardin received any outside assistance during his escape.
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