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Arkansas mayor, murder victim’s sister reacts to Grant Hardin’s escape

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6 months ago

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Arkansas mayor, murder victim’s sister reacts to Grant Hardin’s escape


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The town where Arkansas prison escapee and convicted murderer Grant Hardin once served as police chief remains on edge, according to its mayor who is also the sister of Hardin’s victim.

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“Anxiety is still high,” Cheryl Tillman, the mayor of Gateway, Arkansas, told USA TODAY in an interview May 28. “I think everybody’s still on alert, being vigilant, doing every precaution that they can.”

Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25, wearing a “makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement,” according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

Hardin had been serving time for the 2017 murder of James Appleton, Tillman’s brother, in Gateway and the 1997 rape of a school teacher in nearby Rogers. He was sentenced to 80 years on the combined convictions, according to court records.

Tillman described Hardin, who served as Gateway’s police chief while Tillman was on the city council in 2016, as “very arrogant” and “angry.”

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“He’s an evil person,” Tillman said.

Hardin remains at large as of Wednesday night, with the FBI, Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police and local police were working to find Hardin, officials said earlier in the day.

Sister remembers brother slain at hands of ‘Devil in the Ozarks’

Hardin pleaded guilty to in 2017 to murder in the first degree for shooting and killing Appleton in February of the same year, according to court records.

Appleton’s brother-in-law and Cheryl’s husband, Andrew Tillman, told Benton County Sheriff’s investigators that he was on the phone with Appleton when he was shot, according to a probable cause affidavit. Andrew was the Gateway’s mayor at the time of the shooting.

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Cheryl described Appleton as a “very good brother” with a strong civic sense who obtained a license to work for the Gateway Rural Water Authority when asked by his brother-in-law.

“Everybody in this town knew James. They knew that they could call James if they needed help on anything,” Tillman said.

Tillman said that learning of Hardin’s escape brought back memories of the murder.

“Everything was happening all over again. From the time he shot my brother and the time we had to go to court with him,” Tillman said.

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The 1997 rape was the focus of a 2023 documentary titled “Devil in the Ozarks,” for which Tillman was interviewed. She said that the interview was “tough to do.”

“We’ve since been in touch with the subjects of that film and law enforcement and are praying for Hardin’s immediate capture in the name of justice and the victims and their families’ peace of mind,” Ari Mark, one of the executive producers of the documentary, told USA TODAY in a statement May 28.

Tillman emphasized the need for residents of Gateway, a place she described as “a very quiet town” where “everybody knows everybody,” to remain vigilant while Hardin remained at-large.

“Lock their doors. If they need to, load their guns,” Tillman said. “Whatever they need to do, just stay vigilant and watch your backs.”

Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, Michael Loria, Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY.

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Arkansas

How Texas Longhorns Position Groups Graded Out vs. Arkansas

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8 hours ago

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November 23, 2025

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How Texas Longhorns Position Groups Graded Out vs. Arkansas


The Texas Longhorns desperately needed a much better performance this week than they put together a week ago in their loss against Georgia. And the Longhorns got exactly what they needed after a dominant blowout 52-37 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks, which was the first time Texas scored 50 points in a game since 2019.

Texas won’t have the chance to linger and wait around when it comes to its opponent next weekend, with a battle against bitter rival the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies. The Lone Star Showdown returns to Austin for the first time since the rivalries’ renewal, with the undefeated Aggies looking to punch their ticket to the SEC championship game and the Longhorns trying to salvage any chance at the postseason.

Taking a closer look at the Longhorns after their comfortable win against the Razorbacks, here are this week’s position group grades.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws a pass during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Anytime you can be the first player ever to do something in Texas program history, you know it was a good day, as Arch Manning had a career day against the Razorbacks.

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Manning finished the game 18 of 30 passing for a career high 389 yards, four touchdowns, an impressive 91.7 quarterback rating, a rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown, becoming the first player in Longhorns history to ever pass, run, and catch a touchdown in a single game.

Manning looked comfortable in the pocket and confident under duress finding deep shots throughout the day, the quarterback is finally playing the way people expected and at the perfect time.

It’s been a constant struggle to find any sort of rhythm and reliable running game that the Longhorns could depend on.

While the Longhorns did get a push on a few carries with leading running back Quintrevion Wisner finishing the game with 67 yards on 15 carries, the Razorbacks running defense had been one of the worst in the SEC, and the Longhorns were not able to take advantage of that fact.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr

Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr (0) reacts after making a reception for a touchdown during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

After last week’s drop fest in Athens, the Longhorns’ pass catchers shone against the Arkansas secondary, with all of their main receivers having big days. Wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. had his best game as a Longhorn with his three catches for 74 yards, all of which were for touchdowns. Wide receiver Parker Livingstone was a deep threat, averaging 52 yards per reception with two receptions for 104 yards and a passing touchdown on the trick play.

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Receivers Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley also made themselves present, both totaling 81 receiving yards, with Wingo having six receptions and Mosley recording four. Even tight end Jack Endries got involved with two receptions for 49 yards.

The Longhorns’ offensive line has been finding a rhythm throughout the back half of the season, even while giving up three sacks last week in Athens. The protection held up, and on Saturday against the Razorbacks, the unit did more than enough to help out the offense.

For just the third time this season, the Longhorns’ offensive line kept Manning clean by not allowing a single sack throughout the matchup, and in terms of run blocking, the unit cleaned up better than it has, allowing just two tackles-for-loss.

Saturday was not the best performance out of the Longhorns’ defense, giving up a total of 512 yards of offense to the Razorbacks, 324 of the yards through the air and 188 on the ground.

While the Texas defense was able to slow down the Razorbacks’ offense in the second half before running up the score and the Longhorns brought in the backups, the first half was rough. The game started with a long 40-yard rip by the Arkansas running back on the first play from scrimmage. The Texas defense allowed 105 rushing yards just in the first quarter, the first time that happened all season. The first half ended with Arkansas totaling 253 yards of total offense, 157 of those on the ground.

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However, there were bright spots; the Longhorns were able to continue creating turnovers, with an interception by Jelani McDonald that was cashed into points by the offense, and then a sack-fumble from Colin Simmons turned into a fumble return for a touchdown by Liona Lefau.

After what was a disastrous showing of special teams play a week ago, it was back to normal for the Longhorns’ special teams unit.

Kicker Mason Shipley was perfect, converting all of his kicks: one 44-yard field goal and then all seven of his extra points. Punter Jack Bouwmeester continued being a weapon with his three punts netting 109 yards and two of which were downed inside the opposing team’s 20-yard line. And return man Ryan Niblett had just one opportunity, returning a kickoff for 19 yards.

While no game-changing plays came on the third phase of the game, an outing with no mistakes on special teams will be very much welcomed after last week’s game.



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No. 10 Texas looks to rebound against Arkansas after tough loss to Georgia

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1 day ago

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November 22, 2025

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No. 10 Texas looks to rebound against Arkansas after tough loss to Georgia


Arkansas (2-8) at No. 10 Texas (7-3), Nov. 22 at 3:30 p.m. EST.

How to watch: ABC

Key stats

Texas Offense

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Overall: 370.7 yards per game (80th in FBS)

Passing: 246.6 yards per game (50th)

Rushing: 124.1 yards per game (103rd)

Scoring: 27.6 points per game (68th)

Texas Defense

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Overall: 318.3 yards per game (23rd in FBS)

Passing: 235.1 yards per game (92nd)

Rushing: 83.2 yards per game (6th)

Scoring: 18.3 points per game (15th)

Arkansas Offense

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Overall: 470.0 yards per game (13th in FBS)

Passing: 264.6 yards per game (33rd)

Rushing: 205.4 yards per game (18th)

Scoring: 34.1 points per game (25th)

Arkansas Defense

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Overall: 426.5 yards per game (123rd in FBS)

Passing: 245.3 yards per game (108th)

Rushing: 181.2 yards per game (115th)

Scoring: 32.3 points per game (121st)

Texas ranks 25th in FBS in defensive third down percentage, allowing opponents to convert on 33.8% of third downs.

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Arkansas is 129th in the FBS with a -10 turnover margin, compared to Texas’ 12th-ranked +8 margin.

Texas ranks 119th in the FBS with 65.3 penalty yards per game.

Arkansas ranks 114th in FBS in red zone defense, allowing opponents to score on % of trips.

Team leaders

Texas

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Passing: Arch Manning, 2,374 yards, 19 TDs, 7 INTs, 62.7 completion percentage

Rushing: Quintrevion Wisner, 375 yards on 97 carries, 3 TDs

Receiving: Ryan Wingo, 655 yards on 40 catches, 6 TDs

Arkansas

Passing: Taylen Green, 2,537 yards, 19 TDs, 10 INTs, 62.1 completion percentage

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Rushing: Mike Washington, 913 yards on 140 carries, 7 TDs

Receiving: O’Mega Blake, 678 yards on 51 catches, 4 TDs

Last game

Texas fell to Georgia 35-10 on Saturday, Nov. 15. Manning led Texas with 251 yards on 27-of-43 passing (62.8%) for one touchdown and one interception. Wisner had 37 rushing yards on nine carries, adding two receptions for 10 yards. DeAndre Moore Jr. recorded 75 yards on five catches.

Arkansas lost 23-22 to LSU on Saturday, Nov. 15. Green passed for 165 yards on 11-of-19 attempts (57.9%) with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He also carried the ball 17 times for 70 yards and one rushing touchdown. Washington had 85 rushing yards on 13 carries and one touchdown, adding one reception for six yards. Raylen Sharpe put up 65 yards on four catches.

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Next game

Texas hosts No. 3 Texas A&M on Nov. 28. Arkansas hosts Missouri on Nov. 29.



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#21 Arkansas Cruises Past Jackson State

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2 days ago

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November 22, 2025

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#21 Arkansas Cruises Past Jackson State


FAYETTEVILLE – Malique Ewin scored 21 points, making 8-of-9 from the field – including his first career 3-pointer – and 4-of-4 from the line, while Karter Knox posted his second double-double of the season, with 17 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the 21st-ranked Razorbacks to a 115-61 victory over Jackson State Friday night at Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas also got outstanding performances from D.J. Wagner (16 points on 6-of-6 shooting with seven assists) and Billy Richmond III (14 points with three highlight-reel dunks in the first half. Meleek Thomas added 13 points while Darius Acuff Jr. and Isaia Sealy each scored 10 points.

Arkansas put the game out of reach with a 24-0 run that spanned the end of the first half into the start of the second. The Hogs also had a 22-6 run midway through the second half to lead 89-33 with 9:50 left.

The Razorbacks shot 63.9% from the field for the game – 74.2% in the second half – thanks to a season-high 16 dunks. (Arkansas entered the game with 24 dunks in the first five games combined.)

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Ewin had five of the 16 dunks and the senior made his first career 3-pointer. (He is now 1-of-2 from deep for his career.) Richmond and Knox each added three dunks.

Tamarion Hoover led Jackson State with 19 points, making 4-of-9 from 3-point range.

Up next, Arkansas will travel to Chicago to face #5 Duke for the CBS Thanksgiving Classic on Thursday (Nov. 27). Tipoff at the United Center is set for 7 pm (CT), and the game will be televised on CBS.

FIRST HALF: ARK: 47 – JSU: 19

  • Arkansas went on a 14-2 run to race out to a 22-9 lead. Jackson State was 1-of-9 from the field over the stretch.
  • After Jackson State made a 3-pointer to cut their deficit to 12 (31-19), Arkansas closed the half on a 16-0 run to lead 47-19. The run started before the Tigers’ triple and was a 20-3 run over the final 6:43.
  • Arkansas shot 53% from the field while holding Jackson State to 21% shooting.
  • Jackson State had nine turnovers thanks to seven Arkansas steals.
  • Billy Richmond III led Arkansas with 10 points, including three dunks.
  • The last time Arkansas held an opponent to fewer than 20 points in the first half was UMES last season (11/26/24) with 15.

SECOND HALF: ARK: 68 – JSU: 42

  • Arkansas opened the second half on an 18-4 run, including an 8-0 spurt at the start of the frame.
  • From the 15-minute mark to the 9:29 mark, Arkansas out-scored the Tigers 22-6.
  • Arkansas had zero turnovers in the second half with 14 assists. Arkansas forced 11 second-half turnovers.
  • Ewin scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half. He was 7-of-8 from the field.
  • Arkansas scored 68 points in the second half. The last time it scored at least 60 in a half was getting 60 in the first half versus Maryland-Eastern Shore last season (11/26/24).

NOTES:

  • Arkansas’ starting lineup was Darius Acuff Jr., D.J. Wagner, Karter Knox, Trevon Brazile and Nick Pringle. It was the first time for this starting lineup and the fourth starting lineup overall.
  • JSU’s Dorian McMillian scored the game’s first points, a layup at 18:23. Nick Pringle scored Arkansas’s first points with two free throws at 18:05.
  • Arkansas’s first subs were Meleek Thomas and Billy Richmond III.
  • Arkansas is 13-0 all-time versus Jackson State.
  • Arkansas improves to 142-6 all-time when scoring at least 100 points. Coach Calipari is 48-0 all-time when scoring at least 100 points.
  • Coach Cal is now 18 wins shy of 900 as head coach of a Division I program.
  • Arkansas entered the game 8th in the NCAA in fastbreak points (23.6 ppg). The Hogs had 34 fastbreak points, compared to four by the Tigers. The 34 fastbreak points is the most in a game since the stat has been tracked (2011-12) with the previous high being 32 vs Southern this year and UCA in 2021. (HogStats.com)

For more­­ information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.

 

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