Arkansas

A former police chief serving time for murder and rape escaped from an Arkansas prison. Here is what we know | CNN

Published

1 year ago

May 27, 2025

A former police chief serving time for murder and rape escaped from an Arkansas prison. Here is what we know | CNN

A former small-town police chief in Arkansas escaped from prison Sunday while serving decades-long prison sentences for murder and rape and is still on the loose, officials said.

Grant Hardin, 56, escaped from a state prison in northern Arkansas on Sunday afternoon, after he appears to have tried to imitate law enforcement to break out, the state’s Department of Corrections said.

Multiple agencies across the state, including state police and several sheriff’s offices, are coordinating to try to find Hardin.

The escape comes after 10 inmates escaped from a New Orleans jail a little over a week ago. While seven people have been charged in relation to that escape, it is not immediately clear how Hardin orchestrated his.

Here is what we know about the former police chief:

Hardin escaped the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock around 3:40 p.m. Sunday, a news release from the state’s Department of Corrections said.

It appears at the time of his escape, Hardin was “wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement,” but was not wearing a Department of Corrections uniform, a Sunday night update from the department said. It did not share any other information on how he is thought to have escaped.

A surveillance image appears to show Hardin wearing black pants, a black T-shirt and a black baseball cap, as well as an additional item that looks like a bulletproof vest. He appears to be wheeling a cart holding a box and several pieces of wood. Authorities believe he exited through a sally port, a controlled and secure entry point found in places such as prisons, the Stone County Sheriff’s office said.

Hardin, who’s been in prison since 2017, was previously the police chief for the small town of Gateway near the Missouri border, with additional background in law enforcement.

He served as a police officer, a police chief and a county constable throughout his career, according to an Investigation Discovery documentary on the case. (Investigation Discovery, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.)

Hardin has been serving a 30-year sentence for first-degree murder, as well as two 25-year sentences for two counts of rape, according to Arkansas prison records and court documents.

He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the death of James Appleton, who worked for the City of Gateway’s water department, in February 2017, according to court documents. Hardin was accused of stopping and shooting Appleton in the head while driving down a road approximately half a mile from his home, documents show. He pleaded down from a capital murder charge.

At the time of his sentencing, Hardin addressed the family of the victim while entering his guilty plea, saying he didn’t know how to express it, but that he was sorry, CNN affiliate KHBS reported.

Two years later, he also pleaded guilty to two counts of rape after his DNA, which was entered into the Arkansas DNA database following his murder plea, was connected to the 1997 rape of schoolteacher Amy Harrison, court documents show.

Harrison was at the school on a Sunday preparing for the week while a church service was being held in the cafeteria, an affidavit said. She used the bathroom in the teacher’s lounge, and when she came out, she was attacked by a man pointing a gun at her, the document said.

Documents show Hardin was frustrated with his court-appointed attorney following his guilty plea in the murder case, saying he had wanted to withdraw his plea and had a difficult time accessing resources to submit for post-conviction relief, court documents show.

The attorney, Shane Wilkinson, told CNN he has been in contact with local law enforcement and hasn’t heard from Hardin since his escape. Police have been conducting safety checks on his home and business since the escape, he added.

While in prison in 2019, Hardin completed a program on anger management, prison records show.

As of 11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, Hardin still hasn’t been located, the Arkansas Department of Corrections said in an updated news release. CNN has reached out to the department and Arkansas State Police for a status on the search.

“Officials continue to utilize a variety of means to track Hardin, as well as investigating the events that led up to his escape,” the Department of Corrections said Sunday night. “Further updates will be provided as they become available.”

No updates have been provided since Sunday night.

Hardin is 6 feet tall and approximately 259 pounds, prison records show. Authorities have asked anyone who has information on his location to contact local law enforcement immediately.

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Arkansas

DeGray Lake Resort State Park offers a week’s worth of summer fun in Arkansas

Published

4 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

DeGray Lake Resort State Park offers a week’s worth of summer fun in Arkansas

Bismarck, Ark. (KATV) — If your idea of a perfect summer getaway includes a clear lake, plenty of elbow room and enough activities to keep the whole family busy for days, DeGray Lake might be calling your name.

In the run-up to America’s 250th birthday, DeGray Lake is being highlighted as Arkansas’ only resort state park — a place designed to be a one-stop vacation spot where guests can settle in and stay put.

“We are Arkansas’s only resort state park, and with that, we have enough to keep a guest and their family busy for really a whole week,” a park representative said.

The park’s setup is meant to keep everything in one place, from the lodge and pool to the restaurant and swim beach. Visitors can also find trails, four stables, golf, disc golf, fling golf and interpretive programs held every day during the summertime.

“So really, the whole package is designed so that people, they would never leave, never need to leave the park while they’re here on vacation, they can be here all week,” the representative said. “We’ve got your food, we’ve got your lodging, we’ve got plenty to keep you busy and having a good time. That’s what makes us Arkansas’s only resort state park.”

Water sports are a big summertime draw, and the park also offers a range of ways to stay overnight — whether you want comfort, something in-between, or a more traditional camping experience.

“If you like getting in the outdoors, but you don’t like staying in the outdoors, you can come stay in our comfy lot,” the representative said, noting the lodge has 96 rooms. For a “step up from camping,” the park also has three yurts available, described as a more glamorous option with bunk beds, a sky dome and a door that locks. Campsites are also available, ranging from RV hookups to simple tent sites.

For anglers and lake lovers, the park representative said the fishing is great and the water is clear, with options that include line fishing, spear fishing and scuba diving.

“It’s a beautiful lake,” the representative said. “We’re nestled right here in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains.”

The park is described as a little off the beaten path — but that’s part of the charm.

“I tell people all the time it’s kind of like the best kept secret, because you look out there at that lake, not too busy,” the representative said.

For more information on planning a visit, click here.

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Arkansas

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

Published

15 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

LITTLE ROCK, AR (KATV) — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has joined a new national artificial intelligence initiative that launched Thursday, June 25.

RAISE US, started by former Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana and Gina Raimondo, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce is a nonpartisan national organization that will partner with governors, employers, workers and training organizations to help the workforce transition to an AI economy.

“As artificial intelligence transforms America’s economy, we have one clear message: technology should empower people, not replace them. By leveraging our Arkansas LAUNCH initiative, and with the resources and expertise provided by RAISE US, Arkansas will turn that mission into reality. We want the Natural State to be a leader on education, workforce training, and up-skilling, and this new partnership gives us the tools we need to build a model for the entire nation.”

The organization will design and pilot incentives to retrain workers, new approaches to support job transitions, and training models tied to employer demand.

RAISE US launches with more than two dozen American companies and philanthropies and initial state partnerships in Connecticut, Maryland and Utah.

“America has a technology strategy for leading the global AI competition. It does not yet have a people strategy — and we cannot lead without one,” Raimondo, who will serve as CEO of RAISE US, said.

“If we build the best AI systems in the world and leave millions of Americans behind, we won’t have won anything; we’ll have automated our own decline. I believe AI will create new jobs and industries over time, but the transition could be disruptive, and it’s already underway. We shouldn’t fearmonger, but we can’t pretend our training and worker support systems are ready either. It’s time for innovative and practical solutions. This moment demands ambition, urgency, and creativity. We’ve assembled the country’s top companies, best economists, and bipartisan governors at a scale rarely seen — all to advance new ideas and incentives, pilot them with governors and business, and scale what works.”

Governor Sanders is partnering with RAISE US to support Arkansas LAUNCH, an AI-powered career navigation platform that connects students and jobseekers to personalized learning and employer-linked career pathways.

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