If you’ve spent any time looking at true crime headlines lately, you’ve probably seen the name Grant Hardin pop up. It sounds like something out of a Hollywood thriller: a former police chief turned convicted killer vanishes into the rugged terrain of the Arkansas mountains. People have been frantically asking, has Grant Hardin been found, or is he still out there somewhere in the woods? It's a fair question, especially considering how much fear his escape pumped into local communities back in 2025.
The short answer is yes. He was caught. But the details of how he got out—and how they eventually tracked him down—are honestly wilder than most people realize.
The Breakout: How an Ex-Cop Fooled the System
Grant Hardin wasn’t just any inmate. Before he was sentenced for murder and rape, he wore a badge. He was the former police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, and that background in law enforcement gave him a terrifying "edge" when it came to understanding how prisons work.
On May 25, 2025, Hardin pulled off a stunt that sounds almost too simple to work. He didn’t tunnel out or scale a wall. Instead, he basically walked out the front door. He had spent months carefully crafting a makeshift uniform designed to look like a law enforcement officer. Using markers to dye his clothes and assembling a fake badge, he impersonated a corrections official so convincingly that a guard actually opened the secure gate for him at the North Central Unit in Calico Rock.
By the time the prison realized he was missing—which took less than 30 minutes—the "Devil in the Ozarks" was already gone.
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The Manhunt: 13 Days of Pure Panic
For nearly two weeks, the Ozarks were on high alert. You had the FBI, U.S. Marshals, State Police, and even teams from the U.S. Border Patrol swarming the area. They used everything:
- Bloodhounds (though heavy rains unfortunately washed away his scent early on).
- Infrared drones.
- Helicopters with heat-seeking tech.
- Ground teams scouring the caves and thick brush Hardin knew so well.
There were sightings reported all over the place. People thought they saw him in southern Missouri; others claimed he was in central Arkansas. The reward for information climbed to $25,000. It felt like he might actually get away with it, especially with his knowledge of the "rugged terrain" and survival tactics.
Has Grant Hardin Been Found? The Capture
The search ended on Friday, June 6, 2025. Despite all the theories that he had fled the state or was living in a complex cave system miles away, he was actually found incredibly close to "home."
Law enforcement and a specialized Border Patrol team cornered him near Moccasin Creek in Izard County. He was only about a mile and a half away from the prison he had escaped from. When they finally spotted him, he tried to make a break for it, but he was exhausted. He’d been living in the mud and the rain for 13 days with limited food. They tackled him, cuffed him, and that was that.
He was shirtless, covered in mud, and looking significantly thinner than his original mugshot. Fingerprint scans confirmed it was him, and the state breathed a massive sigh of relief. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders even publicly thanked the federal teams for their help in getting a "violent criminal" back behind bars.
Why the Case Still Matters in 2026
You might be wondering why we're still talking about this. Well, the legal fallout is still happening right now. Even though he’s back in custody, the wheels of justice are turning slowly.
Hardin was already serving a 30-year sentence for the 2017 murder of James Appleton and a 50-year sentence for a 1997 rape case that was solved decades later via DNA. Now, he’s facing new charges for the escape itself. His jury trial for the escape charge was originally supposed to happen in late 2025, but it got pushed back.
As of early 2026, Hardin is scheduled to appear before a jury in February to answer for his two-week run.
What to Watch for Next
If you are following this case, keep an eye on the following developments:
- The Trial: The February 2026 trial will likely reveal more about whether Hardin had help from the inside.
- Prison Reforms: The North Central Unit has already fired several employees who were "deemed critical" to the security lapse that allowed him to walk out.
- Security Upgrades: Expect to see new protocols regarding "visual verification" at Arkansas prison gates to ensure no one else can just "dress up" and leave.
Hardin is currently being held at the Varner Supermax Unit, which is a much higher-security facility than the one he escaped from. It’s safe to say the "Devil in the Ozarks" won't be walking out of this one anytime soon.
Actionable Insight: If you live in or near the Ozark region, stay updated on local court dockets for Izard County. The upcoming 2026 trial will likely be public and will provide the final closure on one of the most embarrassing security failures in Arkansas history. You can also monitor the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) website for official statements regarding inmate status and facility security updates.