Former police chief known as the ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ pleads not guilty to prison escape

Key points from the Left

• A former police chief known as the 'Devil in the Ozarks' pleaded not guilty to a second-degree escape charge during a hearing held via video on Tuesday.
• Grant Hardin was captured on June 6, approximately 1.5 miles northwest of the Calico Rock prison after escaping on May 25.
• Hardin escaped by wearing an outfit that resembled a law enforcement uniform, according to authorities.
• A jury trial is scheduled for the week of Nov. 5, with a pretrial hearing on Oct. 21.

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Key points from the Center

• Former police chief Grant Matthew Hardin, serving 50 years for murder and rape, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to escaping prison in Calico Rock, Arkansas.
• Hardin escaped the North Central Unit prison on May 25 by impersonating a jailer in a makeshift Arkansas Department of Corrections uniform and tricking an officer to open a gate.
• Authorities including the Benton County Sheriff's Office and Arkansas State Police conducted a nearly two-week manhunt around north-central Arkansas, recapturing Hardin near Moccasin Creek on June 6.
• In 2017, Hardin accepted a plea deal for the murder of James Appleton, and in 2019, he admitted guilt on two rape charges, with DNA evidence linking him to a 1997 assault of an elementary school teacher; authorities stated that the newly filed escape charge may result in an additional 5 to 20 years in prison.
• An internal review is underway regarding how Hardin managed to leave the prison, while local officials voiced their disbelief at the security lapse and highlighted Hardin’s deep connections to Benton County.

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Key points from the Right

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