‘Devil in the Ozarks’ investigators uncover how murderer escaped prison before manhunt
Arkansas lawmakers questioned officers with the state's Department of Corrections on Thursday about the escape of a dangerous inmate nicknamed the Devil in the Ozarks in late May Grant Hardin a -year-old murderer and rapist was captured on June approximately miles north-northwest of the North Central Unit prison facility from which he escaped on May the Izard County Sheriff s Office commented DOC Chairman Benny Magness narrated Arkansas State Sen Fredrick Love during a Thursday hearing that while no authorities actively had helped Hardin escape a kitchen supervisor had allowed the inmate who worked in the kitchen to work on the back dock without supervision which Magness noted is against strategy Then the guy in the tower that let him through the gate you don't open that gate for anybody or anything when there's not a ground person there to verify who it is who is wanting to exit the prison Magness announced adding that those two employees were terminated for workplace violations NOTORIOUS DEVIL IN THE OZARKS COMPLETELY CAUGHT WEEKS AFTER LONG MANHUNT THAT DREW MULTIPLE AGENCIESThe DOC chairman also declared the stars had to line up for Hardin to successfully escape He fled the prison around p m that Sunday through a sally port in the detention facility wearing a makeshift ADC-style uniform ADC communications director Rand Champion declared previously noting the uniform he had been wearing was not official Magness also explained Hardin apparently used a black magic marker to dye his clothing as part of his disguise DANGEROUS 'DEVIL IN THE OZARKS' FORMER POLICE CHIEF ON THE RUN AS EXPERT WARNS OUTDOORSMEN TO STAY AWAY I did in fact see the little badge that he made out of a soup can top Magness announced Hardin was serving an -year sentence for the murder of James Appleton and a previously unsolved rape matter ARKANSAS FUNCTIONARIES RELEASE NEW PHOTO OF ESCAPED 'DEVIL IN THE OZARKS' ON RUN FOR WEEKSMultiple federal state and local agencies were involved in the search for Hardin in the weeks following his escape I m incredibly appreciative to all of our dedicated law enforcement agencies that spent countless hours both day and night sacrificing their time utilizing their information and lending their invaluable expertise to this search Arkansas Secretary of Corrections Lindsay Wallace revealed after Hardin was captured on June To every one of our Department staff that assisted in this manhunt over the last days I give my heartfelt thank you for your immeasurable contributions to bring this search to a peaceful conclusion Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this review
