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- [00:01]
Katie Ring
Hi Crime House Community. It's Katie Ring and if you love digging into the most gripping true crime stories, then you need to listen to another Crime House original Crimes of with Sabrina Deanna Roga and Corinne Vian. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season from Crimes of the Paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances, and more. Sabrina and Corinne have been covering the true stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains and and this month they'll dive into the paranormal. Listen to Crimes of every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
- [00:49]
This is Crime House. Happy Halloween. Tonight. I'm talking about a case that is as spooky as it comes. It's called the Devil in the Ozarks and this guy made a costume so good it even tricked police guards. It's the case of Grant Hardin, a former police chief who was sent to prison after being convicted of murder and rape. This summer, he made headlines when he made a daring escape from an Arkansas prison. Let's get into it.
- [01:20]
Narrator
The cold case that stunned northwest Arkansas is said to be back in front of a judge tomorrow. Grant Hardin is expected in Benton County Court in Connecticut with a rape case from 1997. Hardin already serving 30 years for a 2017 murder, a DNA match from that case leading to an arrest and now conviction in this one.
- [01:40]
The manhunt continues for Grant Hardin. He's a former northwest Arkansas police chief who's been on the run now for more than a day after escaping from the North Central Unit near Calico Rock in North Arkansas.
- [01:57]
Katie Ring
Hi, I'm Katie Ring, a true crime analyst, self defense instructor and fierce advocate for victims. And this is Crime House Daily, your essential true crime companion. Every weekday morning and night here at Crime House Daily, we dig into the true crime stories making headlines right now, where justice is unfolding, arrests are happening, and new evidence is emerging. Every morning, First Watch gets you up to speed on today's biggest cases. Every night, Night Watch takes you deeper. If you want to follow a case from the first 911 call to the final verdict, this is the place for you. Follow Crime House Daily. Wherever you get your podcasts, leave a review and for ad free listening, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. For video, check out our YouTube channel Rimehouse Daily. This episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking news. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
- [03:12]
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- [03:40]
Katie Ring
Experian Tonight we're discussing the case of Grant Hardin, a former police chief who is serving an 80 year sentence for two separate offenses, one for murder and one for rape. Hardin made headlines this past summer after an elaborate prison escape left him on the run for nearly two weeks before he was caught. He's facing criminal charges for the escape attempt and is scheduled to go on trial early next month. And this is just the latest incident in decades of dangerous behavior. So let's start at the beginning. In 1997, a woman named Amy Harrison and her husband, Andrew, are getting settled in the town of Rogers, Arkansas. The two are still finding their footing out of college and planning their lives together. Andrew is a police officer for the Rogers Police Department, and Amy is a schoolteacher at Frank Tillery Elementary School. Amy isn't originally from the area, and being in northwest Arkansas is a bit of a culture shock. It's a quieter way of life where everything shuts down on Sundays while everyone in town goes to church. And in the fall of that year, the elementary school where Amy works is also serving as a temporary church while one nearby is being renovated. Amy absolutely loves her job. She's passionate about teaching, and she cares deeply about her students. On the Morning of Sunday, November 9, Amy goes to school to work on lesson plans for the upcoming week. At the Same time, about 250 people are attending a service at the school's cafeteria. Amy doesn't want to be disturbed, so she keeps her classroom doors locked. But then at around 10:30, she hears someone rattling the doorknob. She probably figures one of the churchgoers is lost and decides to just ignore it. A little while later, Amy gets up to go to the bathroom, and when she opens the door, a man is waiting outside with a gun. So who is this man and what led him there? Grant Hardin was born in 1969 and raised in Gateway, Arkansas, a small town in the Ozark Mountains just south of the Missouri border. As he grows up. Grant dreams of working in law enforcement. However, his career gets off to a rocky start. In August of 1990, when Grant's 21, he lands a job at the Fayetteville Police Department in Arkansas. But in May of 1991, he's let go for unsatisfactory performance. Grant gets another policing job in nearby Huntsville, but he only lasts six months before resigning, but records don't indicate why. Then, in 1993, Grant joins Eureka Springs PD and it seems like he's finally found his footing. Soon, his personal life is thriving, too. In 1995, Grant meets a woman named Linda, who's immediately smitten with him. Linda loves that Grant is a police officer because it makes her feel safe. As a side note, if you're listening, just because someone is a police officer doesn't make them safe, especially considering the fact that cops have the highest rates of dv. But about after a year of dating, they get married. They seem happy, but pretty soon, it becomes clear that Grant isn't actually that safe to be around. He's reprimanded multiple times for using excessive force against civilians. Finally, in 1996, Grant's superiors threaten him with termination, and he resigns to avoid being fired. He job hops more after that, working as a prison guard for a time. But he struggles to find steady work as a police officer after that. Soon he finds other, more sinister ways to put his police training to use. And he attacks Amy Harrison while she's at work. For Amy, the reality of the situation quickly sets in. She doesn't know who this man is, but underneath his sunglasses, she can make out some of his facial features, including his strawberry blonde stubble. She also notices that he's only wearing socks and no shoes. Since Amy's husband is a police officer, she knows how important it is to remember certain details. She wants to be able to help police catch this man later. After that, her only goal is to survive. Grant drags her into the bathroom, where he sexually assaults her. Then he moves her into a nearby empty classroom and rapes her. At one point, he asks if she recognizes his voice, but she doesn't. She does notice, however, how aware her attacker is of leaving behind potential evidence. For example, at one point, she wipes some of his semen onto her shirt to get it off of herself, and he is immediately upset about it. With how careful he's being, Amy finds herself wondering if he might be in law enforcement. She doesn't know it at the time, but she's right. After the assault, Grant takes Amy's underwear as a trophy and flees the scene, and Amy goes to find help. The first person she finds is the school's janitor, and he quickly calls the police. For her, it's a heartbreaking phone call. In documentaries done over the years, the recordings of that phone call still make not only Amy, but the police officers involved tear up. The chief of police, Hayes Minor, knows who Amy is right away because he works with her husband. Everyone on the force takes the incident extremely seriously. Fortunately, Amy collected some useful information. She quickly tells him about the bodily fluid on her shirt. Even though Grant was mad that it ended up there, he didn't try and make her wash it off. The sample ends up being viable, but unfortunately, there are no matches for it in the database. From there, police investigate. A few leads, but none pan out. But they aren't ready to throw in the towel just yet. Over the years, they continue to test the DNA against hundreds of possible matches. Luckily, DNA technology is evolving quickly, and they think it's extremely likely the attacker will strike again at the same time. The more time that passes, the more police start to worry about the statute of limitations expiring. So they apply for something called a John Doe DNA warrant, which is a warrant for someone's arrest based on their DNA, and it can be used past the traditional statute of limitations. The warrant is granted, and police know that it would at least allow them to prosecute down the line if they ever find a match. Meanwhile, as she waits for justice, Amy is traumatized. She is constantly in a state of fear, and every facet of her life is affected by the attack. She keeps replaying one specific moment of the attack in her mind, and that's when the attacker asked if she recognized his voice. She's constantly worried that the man is someone she knows, which leads to fear and paranoia that he might try to find her again. The fallout from the assault also affects her marriage, which unfortunately ends. Amy ends up moving to Oklahoma for a fresh start. There, she's eventually able to find a sense of peace, but she still holds on to hope that justice will one day be served. But when that time finally comes, it happens in the wake of another violent attack. By 2016, authorities still haven't zeroed in on Amy Harrison's attacker. Little do they know the man they're looking for, Grant Hardin, is a former police officer in a nearby town. Grant and his wife Linda, continue to live a peaceful life in Gateway, Arkansas. They have a daughter named Madison, and he's actually elected twice to serve as a police constable for their district first in 2009 and again in 2013. Then in early 2016, Grant takes another step up when he becomes the chief of police in Gateway. Although this isn't necessarily the honor it might sound like, at the time, the town only has a population of around 400, and the chief of police is the only officer, which means Grant doesn't have other officers breathing down his neck. And as predators do, he starts abusing his authority right away. Grant uses force on anyone who so much as looks at him the wrong way. Even when he's off duty, he uses his power to intimidate others. As one example, he carries his gun with him all of the time. And whenever he gets road rage, he pulls up next to the other driver and flashes his weapon. One local who tries to stand up to Grant during this time is named James Appleton. James works for the city's water department and is also a handyman and mechanic around town. James and Grant have never gotten along. They've had several arguments over the years, and things only get worse. With Grant now in charge of terrorizing the town. Things come to a head in the spring of 2016. One day, Grant drives his police vehicle off road even though he's not supposed to. The car ends up severely damaged, and Grant brings it to James shop to be repaired. However, James refuses. He says it isn't his job to fix something that got messed up by, quote, foolishness. Grant is livid. But when word of their argument spreads, everyone is on James's side. They're all sick of Grant's drama and fear mongering. Shortly after the latest incident with James, they decide Grant isn't cut out for the job. He's only been chief for about four months. When the city council gives him an resign or be fired. Grant resigns and he blames the whole situation on James. This might also be because James sister Cheryl is married to the town mayor, Andrew Tillman. And James and Andrew are also good friends. So nine months later, after he steps down, Grant decides to take his feud with James to the next level. On the morning of February 23, 2017, Grant is unemployed and spending his day doing yard work. That afternoon, he tells his wife and daughter that he wants them to go out to dinner that night, but to take their time getting ready. Then, all of a sudden, Grant gets into his car and drives off. His family has no idea where he's headed. Meanwhile, James is stopped on the side of the road speaking to Andrew on the phone. He's about a half mile down the road from Grant's house. Reception is spotty in the area, so it's not unusual for people to do this. Suddenly, Grant pulls his car up behind James. Another local, a man named John Bray, who's good friends with James, is driving home from work at this time. He spots James and Grant on the side of the road and slows down to make sure everything is okay. Grant simply waves for John to go around them while James gestures that he's on the phone. After John drives off, Grant drives up next to James, car, pulls out a shotgun and fires. Andrew hears the shot from the other end. John, who's also about 100 yards away, hears it too. John doubles back to check in on James, and that's when he discovers his friend's dead body. He waits with him until the police arrive. When they get there, John immediately tells the police who killed James. Grant returns home about 10 minutes after leaving. In a panic, he tells his family they're leaving for dinner right now. When they sit down at the restaurant, Grant is acting on edge. He tells Linda and Madison that they, quote, might not see each other again. And he keeps telling them he loves him, but he won't explain what's wrong. However, they start to piece things together on the way home when they're stopped at a roadblock and police arrest Grant at the station. Grant won't admit to anything. He remains completely silent. However, based on witness accounts as well as Grant's shotgun, he he's soon charged with James murder. Prosecutors pose the theory that Grant likely rushed out of his house that day because he saw James driving by and he wanted to go after him. But Grant never gives a motive for why he shot James that day. However, he eventually agrees to plead guilty to his murder charge in order to avoid a life sentence. In October of 2017, Grant Hardin is sentenced to 30 years in prison. Despite his guilty plea, Linda still believes Grant is innocent. She thinks he was cornered into taking responsibility. But it's not long before Grant finds himself in court once again. After his murder conviction, his DNA was entered into CODIS, which is a national DNA database. And authorities soon get a hit for the 1997 rape of Amy Harrison. When Amy hears the news, she at first is in disbelief. Then she's overjoyed.
- [17:09]
Amy Harrison
I just remember jumping up and screaming and, oh, my gosh, you know, it was exhilarating. It was terrifying. It was hopeful. I don't know how else to describe it.
- [17:20]
Katie Ring
It was just great. Finally coming to a close, she later speaks at a press conference, hoping her story will inspire others not to be afraid to seek justice, she says, quote, know that you don't deserve it. Report it, even if you don't know who it was, why they did it. It's important authorities know all the details of the incident, including how Grant asked Amy if she recognized his voice. They never find any connection between the two of them, and they figure Grant was only worried since they lived in neighboring towns. At the same time, authorities were able to confirm why Grant didn't wear shoes during the attack. He claims it was so he wouldn't leave behind shoe prints. Other officers are furious that the attacker was one of their own and that he used his training to do harm. At Grant's rape trial, Amy takes the stand and delivers a heart wrenching testimony. When Grant is asked to make a statement, he apologizes to Amy and asks for her forgiveness. This is when Linda finally sees the truth about her husband and so does the court. In February of 2018, Grant is found guilty on two counts of rape and given 25 years for each offense. This brings his total sentence up to 80 years. Since Grant is almost 50 years old at this point, it's effectively a life term, which Grant is not okay with. Years later, Grant is serving time in Arkansas's North Central Unit prison, about a three hour drive from Gateway. It's a medium security facility and the inmates are granted a lot of freedoms like unsupervised time and extra time outside. Grant takes full advantage of these freedoms and at the end of 2024, he starts making plans to escape. In 2024, 55 year old Grant Harden is serving time at a medium security prison in Arkansas and he's planning to make a run for it. Grant works kitchen duty, which gives him access to markers, aprons, and various cutting tools. He uses all of these to make a fake police uniform. He sharpies a white shirt, entirely black except for a white area that reads police. He then gets some black pants and cuts a kitchen apron to look like a protective vest. To top it all off, he makes a fake police badge out of a soup can lid and a Bible cover. Grant also makes a ladder out of old wooden pallets and somehow no one catches on. After six months of planning, Grant finally has everything he needs. Now he just needs to wait for the right opportunity. However, on May 25, 2025, Grant overhears two guards talking about how the prison is about to become more strict about inmate supervision. Grant realizes he has to make an escape that day or else he might not ever be able to. So he sets things in motion. First, he heads out to the exterior Kitchen dock guards often let inmates hang out there. But this time, Grant is alone. And while he's outside, he changes out of his prison uniform and into his makeshift police uniform. Then he grabs a wooden cart and fills it with food and water that he stole from the kitchen. He also places his makeshift ladder on top. Finally, Grant makes his way to the prison gates. The ladder is his backup plan if he can't get the guard to open the gate. But that doesn't end up being an issue. The guard simply buzzes him out without checking any identification. Once he's out, Grant takes off into the woods. It is insane that he was able to just get buzzed out. Obviously, the security wasn't great here. Just 15 minutes later, he's discovered missing during a routine inmate count. The search for him immediately ensues. However, it's raining heavily that day, which makes it harder for both people and dogs to track him. Soon, hundreds of police officers are brought in to help, as well as drones. Hours turn to days, and Grant is nowhere to be found. The prison is located in the Ozark Mountains, where there's rugged terrain. It's mostly wooded, and there's also a lot of caves. Plus, the creeks and rivers are flooding due to the heavy rain. Authorities tell residents in all nearby towns to lock their doors and be ready to call 911 at a moment's notice. Police also conduct safety checks on everyone who testified against Grant. As more and more days pass, people worry more about how far he could have gotten. Finally, on June 6th, about two weeks since Grant's escape, police finally catch him just one and a half miles away from the prison. Apparently, the same heavy rains and flooded creeks that hampered the search also slowed him down. He'd been living off the land, eating birds, eggs, berries, and ants. But now Grant's luck had run out, and his plan backfires even more when he's sent to a supermax prison near Little Rock, Arkansas, instead of the medium security facility he was in before. On June 17, 2025, Grant pleads not guilty to second degree escape charges with the trial set to begin the week of November 5th. But no matter what happens, it doesn't seem likely Grant will be able to do something like this again. And hopefully the people who he hurt will rest a little easier. Knowing that, as always, we'll bring you any major updates as they come in. What did you think of tonight's case? Drop your thoughts and theories in the comments. Happy Halloween and see you next time. If you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel, Rimehouse Daily and follow us on social media Rimehouse247 for real time updates. Because the pursuit of justice never stops.