Relief for victims as 'Devil' prison escapee sent to state's toughest prison

Convicted killer and recaptured prison escapee Grant Hardin, known as the "Devil in the Ozarks," has been transferred to the Varner SuperMax prison south-east of Little Rock, Arkansas prison authorities announced overnight in the US.

After a nearly two-week search in the rugged mountains of northern Arkansas, authorities recaptured Hardin yesterday (Friday local time) 2.4km north-west of the prison from which he escaped.

Hardin briefly attempted to run from officers when he saw them approach, but he was quickly tackled to the ground, said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas prison system.

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Authorities tried to track Hardin using drones, bloodhounds and a helicopter, but high water from heavy rains during the search raised the water level in creeks and streams around the prison. That likely limited his abilities – and also those of the searchers – to move through the rugged terrain, Champion said.

"The direction he went, specifically around Moccasin Creek, saw high water due to the abundance of rain the last few weeks, which more than likely limited his options to get around the area," Champion said.

"Search teams had looked through this area before, but the high water previously limited their ability to fully investigate."

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Residents of the nearby town of Calico Rock, like Roger Simons, said they were surprised to learn that Hardin had stayed so close to the prison.

"None of us really thought he was still in the area," said Simons, a local bartender.

"We thought he was long gone – that's what I would have bet my money on."

Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in a fatal shooting. He escaped by impersonating a corrections officer "in dress and manner," according to a court document.

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A prison officer in one of the guard towers opened a secure gate, allowing him to walk out of the facility. Authorities say they are investigating why Hardin's identity was not checked before he was allowed to leave.

Benton County Prosecutor Bryan Sexton, who oversaw Hardin's convictions for murder and rape, said he had been in close contact with law enforcement officials who were "consistent" with their belief that Hardin remained in the northern Arkansas region.

Hardin is a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border whose notoriety led to a TV documentary called Devil in the Ozarks. Sexton said his escape had significantly disrupted the lives of trial witnesses and Hardin's victims, whom he kept updated on the pursuit for the fugitive.

"Every one of them to a person informed me that they had to make changes in their lives because they had had concerns for their safety," Sexton said.

After Hardin's recapture, "they could get closure in their lives and secondly go back to their normal lives, which had been disrupted the whole time he was out," Sexton said.

Cheryl Tillman, the sister of a man shot by Hardin in 2017, told The Associated Press that Hardin's capture was a "big sigh of relief" for her whole family.

"We don't have to walk around, turning around all the time, thinking somebody's on our back," Tillman said, emphasising her appreciation for the officers who helped capture Hardin.

Sexton said he was more assured now that Hardin was being sent to a more secure facility.

The Varner Unit, established in 1987, has the capacity to house 1714 inmates. It is the site where former US President Bill Clinton's gubernatorial chief of staff, a death penalty opponent, faced charges for trying to smuggle a knife and tattoo needles into death row.

Within Varner, a special "supermax" unit houses the most high-risk prisoners such as a man who fatally shot a soldier at a military recruiting station and death row inmates such as convicted child rapist and murderer Zachary Holly. Damien Wayne Echols of the West Memphis Three was also incarcerated there prior to his release.

"By reputation, Varner is the most secure prison in the Arkansas system," Sexton said. "I think that all things considering, putting him (Hardin) in the most secure facility we can is probably a wise thing to do."

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