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A convicted murderer known as the “Devil in the Ozarks” has likely fled the state of Arkansas after escaping from prison last month, according to a newly unsealed federal court filing.
Grant Hardin, 56, a former police chief of the small town of Gateway, broke out of Calico Rock prison on May 25 by reportedly disguising himself in a law enforcement-style uniform.
After a two-week manhunt, authorities say Hardin remains at large.
Two unconfirmed sightings of Hardin — one in central Arkansas and another in southern Missouri — have been cited as the basis for investigators’ belief that Hardin has left the state, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert J. Hammons wrote in the criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Little Rock this week.
“Based on this information, investigators believe Hardin has fled the state of Arkansas to avoid recapture,” the filing states.
The second reported sighting reportedly placed Hardin near a faded red car on May 26 in Missouri, about 35 miles north of the prison, Hammons wrote.
“No other details were given regarding the car. Deputies responded to the area shortly after receiving the information, but were unable to locate anyone in the area,” Howell County, Mo., Sheriff Matt Roberts posted on Facebook.
Hammons also noted that Hardin is considered a “violent offender and poses extreme risk” to the public.
“He has extensive knowledge of the Ozark Mountain region, where he is believed to be possibly hiding in caves or rugged terrain that he is familiar with,” Hammons wrote.
The complaint, first reported by The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, does not reference any confirmed sightings or provide concrete evidence of Hardin’s whereabouts.
Arkansas authorities have said their search remains concentrated in north-central Arkansas, though tips from other regions continue to be investigated.
Hardin was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape at the time of his escape. His case drew national attention and was the subject of the true-crime documentary Devil in the Ozarks.
Earlier this week, the Arkansas Department of Corrections this week released a new photo rendering of Hardin, depicting what he may look like now.
He was being housed in a maximum-security wing of the primarily medium-security prison, formally known as the North Central Unit.
Officials are investigating whether a job Hardin held in the kitchen aided in his escape, including whether it gave him access to materials he could have used to fashion his makeshift uniform, the Associated Press reported.
As Hardin approached the exit while pushing the cart of wood, a prison guard opened a secure gate, allowing him to leave the facility.
Hardin had been gone for about 20 minutes before an officer noticed he was missing. No other inmates escaped.
The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to Hardin’s arrest.
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