Arkansas is in full-blown crisis mode after a prison escape so outrageous, so brazen, and so terrifying that residents across the Ozarks are locking their doors and praying for safety. Grant Harden, the former police chief once trusted to protect the community he now terrorizes, has broken out of the North Central Unit in Calico Rock — and the manhunt has officially reached fever pitch.
Harden, now 56, was serving 80 years for a portfolio of crimes so monstrous that locals nicknamed him the “Devil in the Ozarks.” But on May 25, 2025, Harden did the unthinkable: using his law enforcement background, he crafted a convincing fake police uniform, strolled up to a security gate, and talked his way out of the prison as if he still ran the place.
He didn’t sneak out.
He didn’t hide.
He walked out the front — and nobody realized until it was too late.
This chilling escape has sparked intense backlash toward the Arkansas Department of Corrections. How could a man convicted of cold-blooded murder and brutal sexual assault — a man with police training, investigative skills, and knowledge of security protocols — be placed in a medium-security facility? Experts are calling it “one of the most catastrophic misclassifications in state history.”
Harden’s dark past reads like a horror film. Once the respected police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, he masked his violent tendencies behind a badge and a smile. His downfall began with the murder of James Appleton, a water department employee who became embroiled in a bitter feud with Harden. The conflict ended with Appleton shot to death in his truck — execution-style.
But the revelations didn’t stop there. DNA testing connected Harden to a 1997 sexual assault, adding another 50-year sentence to his already damning record. The community was shocked. The badge that was supposed to stand for safety had been hiding a predator all along.
And now, he’s free again.
The rugged Ozark terrain is crawling with officers, drones, dogs, and tactical teams as authorities scramble to locate Harden before he strikes again. Residents have been warned that Harden is highly dangerous, highly intelligent, and uniquely equipped to evade capture. As a former police chief, he knows how manhunts work — and exactly how to avoid them.
Fear is spreading.
Tension is rising.
And the question everyone is asking is chilling:
Where is the Devil in the Ozarks hiding… and who might be his next target?
The race is on — and for the people of Arkansas, every passing minute feels like an eternity.
