A former Arkansas police chief served in prison for murder and rape in the first degree escaped from the prison on Sunday with a uniform of application of the law “improvised”, said officials of the Department of Corrections (DOC) of Arkansas.
Grant Hardin, the former 56 -year -old Gateway police chief, escaped at approximately 3:40 pm of the Central North Central Unit in Calico Rock, authorities said. Until Sunday night, Hardin’s search was still ongoing.
While officials did not provide details on how Hardin escaped, the statement says that “he had an impromptu outfit designed to imitate the police when he escaped from the facilities.”
“He did not carry a uniform of the corrections department, and all the teams issued by DOC have been counted,” the statement added.
Hardin has completed a 30 -year sentence for first -degree murder positions at North Central Unit since 2017, as well as a 50 -year sentence in a separate violation case.
“It should be considered extremely dangerous and should not be addressed,” said Stone County Sheriff’s office in a publication on social networks.
Hardin declared himself guilty of the murder of Gateway City Water employee, 59, James Appleton in October 2017. Appleton was talking to his brother -in -law, then the mayor of Gateway, Andrew Tillman, when he was shot in his car on February 23, 2017, according to an affidavit presented in the case.
Hardin was the police chief of the small city near the Missouri border for about four months in early 2016. According to NBC Knwa affiliate, he also previously worked as a police officer, a county agent and correction officer.
In February 2018, a DNA sample linked Hardin with a rape of cold cases of 1997 by teacher Amy Harrison at Frank Tilly Elementary School. Hardin also declared himself guilty of rape and was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
The corrections division and the division of community corrections are working with the Local, State and Federal Police to follow the Hardin whereabouts. The ongoing search is a joint effort between the DOC and the Police of the State of Arkansas.
“Officials continue to use a variety of means to track hardin, as well as investigating the events that led to their escape,” said the statement. “More updates will be provided as they are available.”
The authorities ask any person with information about the whereabouts of the inmate to communicate with the police.
