Devil in the Ozarks Escapee Is Caught Near Prison

UPDATE Jun 6, 2025 5:40 PM CDT

A former police chief and convicted killer was captured Friday afternoon after a manhunt in the mountains of northern Arkansas, authorities announced—about 1.5 miles from the grounds of the prison he'd escaped. The Izard County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that Grant Hardin's identity was confirmed through fingerprints, the AP reports. State corrections officials said he was found in the woods, per KARK.

Jun 4, 2025 12:00 AM CDT

Escaped Arkansas convict Grant Hardin—murderer, rapist, and former police chief—has been on the run for almost 10 days, which means he could look different by now, police warn. "With over a week passing since Hardin escaped the North Central Unit, we are releasing a possible updated headshot which could reflect how he might look today," the Arkansas Department of Corrections says in a statement accompanying a photo illustration depicting Hardin with a beard and mustache. Hardin, subject of the HBO documentary Devil in the Ozarks, is 6'2" and about 259 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, NBC News reports. He is depicted as being somewhat slimmer in the photo illustration due to an expected shortage of food for the fugitive, CBS News reports.