Former Police Chief Grant Hardin Was Convicted of Murder and Rape. Then He Escaped From Prison.

 

Former Police Chief Grant Hardin Was Convicted of Murder and Rape. Then He Escaped From Prison.

Grant Hardin was once the police chief of Gateway, Arkansas.

He later became a convicted murderer and rapist.

In 2017, Hardin pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the shooting death of 59-year-old James Appleton. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Then DNA evidence connected Hardin to a 1997 rape cold case. In 2019, he was convicted of rape and sentenced to an additional 50 years.

But the story didn't end there.

In May 2025, Hardin escaped from prison, allegedly disguising himself in a makeshift law-enforcement uniform and walking through a secured gate.

The escape triggered a massive manhunt involving local, state, and federal authorities.

Thirteen days later, officers captured Hardin near Moccasin Creek, roughly 1.5 miles from the prison.

In 2026, he pleaded guilty to escaping and received another 13 years in prison.

A former police chief became a convicted murderer and rapist, then put on a fake uniform and walked out of prison.

The badge was gone. The violence wasn't.