'Sociopath': Former Arkansas police chief sentenced for murder and rape escapes from prison

A former Arkansas police chief serving a 30-year sentence for murder and rape has escaped from prison and remains at large, according the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

Grant Hardin, 56, who has been in prison since 2017 for first-degree murder and rape, escaped the Calico Rock North Central Unit on Sunday at approximately 2:50 p.m., the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Hardin, who was the former police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, allegedly escaped through a sally port "wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement," according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Surveillance footage shows Hardin puling a cart, which was found abandoned outside the gates of the prison.

Hardin remains at large as of Tuesday morning, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Officials said citizens in Izard County and surrounding counties should "stay vigilant, lock your house and vehicle doors and report any suspicious activity by calling 911 immediately," according to the Izard County Sheriff's Office.

"An active search remains in effect involving a number of law enforcement agencies from across the state," according to a spokesperson with the department of corrections.

The U.S. Marshals Eastern Arkansas Fugitive Task Force is also assisting in the search efforts, a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals said on Tuesday.

The roads in the immediate area of the prison were shut down on Sunday night and into the early hours of Monday morning for officials to check vehicles and ensure Hardin had not stolen a vehicle or taken someone hostage in their vehicle, Stone County Sheriff Brandon Long told ABC News. Rugged terrain, densely wooded areas, hills and days of rain have been "hindering the ongoing search." a spokesperson with the department of corrections said.

"I am very scared that this guy is going to hurt or kill somebody before this is over with," Long told ABC News.

Long did not have any knowledge of how Hardin was able to escape from prison, but said he has "a lot of questions" on how this occurred. He said deputies are continuing to monitor the roadways near the prison and he is "hopeful" they will locate Hardin soon.

Hardin worked in the prison kitchen, according to a spokesperson from the department of corrections, but it is unclear whether this job involved in any access to the sally port he used to escape. He has had no significant disciplinary issues during his time at the prison, and there is no reason to believe anyone aided him, officials said.

Nathan Smith, the former Benton County prosecutor who helped put Hardin behind bars, told Arkansas ABC affiliate KHBS the escaped inmate is "a sociopath."

"He has no moral core or center that would prevent him from doing anything," Smith told KHBS.

Smith, who was the prosecutor for both Hardin's rape and murder convictions, said the escape reminds victims of Hardin's previous crimes.

"The real thing that bothers me about it is that by pleading guilty, those pleas brought closure for the victims and their families, so by doing what he has done, that reopens those wounds for them," Smith told KHBS.

Hardin is "considered to be extremely dangerous and should not be approached," officials said. The Arkansas Department of Corrections, state police and other local and state law enforcement offices are working together in the search for Hardin, officials said.

Officials are using helicopters, drones, K9 officers and ATVs in their search for Hardin.

He is described as 6 feet tall and weighing 259 pounds.

Hardin pleaded guilty in October 2017 to first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 59-year-old James Appleton, according to The Associated Press.

He is also serving 50 years in prison for the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, Arkansas, a crime that was highlightd in the 2023 television show "Devil in the Ozarks," the AP said.

Cheryl Tillman, the mayor of Gateway, Arkansas, and Appleton's sister, told Little Rock ABC affiliate KATV she is worried Hardin will come after her and her family.

"It's kind of scary," Tillman told KATV. "I don't think he'll be taken alive."

Authorities said anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should contact local law enforcement immediately.

ABC News' Faith Aubrey contributed to this report.