### "Devil in the Ozarks" Captured After 13-Day Manhunt

Authorities announced on Friday that Grant Hardin, a former police chief and convicted murderer and rapist known as the "Devil in the Ozarks," was apprehended 1.5 miles north-west of the prison from which he escaped. The dramatic capture concluded a 13-day manhunt spanning the rugged terrain of northern Arkansas.

Hardin's escape from the Calico Rock prison on May 25 was facilitated by his impersonation of a corrections officer. Slipping through security, he managed to walk out of the facility while dressed like a prison staff member. According to a court document, a lapse occurred when a guard in one of the prison towers opened a secured gate without verifying Hardin's identity. This failure to check his credentials is now under investigation, according to Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the state prison system.

Grant Hardin's identity was confirmed through fingerprint analysis by the Izard County Sheriff's Office. Hardin, who once served as police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving extensive sentences for murder and rape. His infamy was cemented with the release of the 2023 TV documentary, "Devil in the Ozarks."

The manhunt enlisted multiple resources including bloodhounds, equestrian units, drones, and helicopters. Recently, an elite U.S. Border Patrol tactical team known as BORTAC joined the search effort, bringing advanced search capabilities and operational support to navigate the Ozark region's challenging landscape, which is marked by rocky terrain, dense forests, and an intricate network of caves.

Hardin was originally incarcerated in 2017 after pleading guilty to the first-degree murder of James Appleton, a Gateway water department employee who was shot in the head near Garfield on February 23, 2017. Appleton’s body was discovered inside a car, leading to Hardin's 30-year prison sentence. Additionally, Hardin was sentenced to 50 years in prison after his DNA matched evidence from the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, north of Fayetteville.

The capture of Hardin marks the end of a tense period in northern Arkansas, bringing relief to the local community still haunted by his violent past.