Night Watch: Devil in the Ozarks — Inmate Uses Costume to Escape Prison

Crime House Daily | Host: Katie Ring | October 31, 2025

Episode Overview

On this Halloween-themed episode of Crime House Daily’s Night Watch, host Katie Ring examines the shocking case of Grant Hardin—a former police chief turned convicted murderer and rapist—who engineered a Hollywood-worthy prison escape in Arkansas using a homemade police costume. The episode traces Hardin’s decades-spanning criminal history, the trauma inflicted on his victims, and the massive manhunt set off by his 2025 escape attempt.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Case Introduction and Hardin’s Background (00:48–05:32)

• Case summary: Grant Hardin, once a police chief, serving 80 years for rape and murder, shocked Arkansas when he escaped prison dressed as a cop.
• Katie Ring on the episode’s eerie timing:
  “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..." (00:48)
• Early career:
  Hardin bounced through various police jobs, developed a reputation for excessive force, and ultimately resigned amid threat of firing.

2. The 1997 Rape of Amy Harrison (03:39–09:32)

• Victim’s context: Amy Harrison, a dedicated schoolteacher and wife of a local officer, is attacked by Hardin at her workplace.
• Attack specifics:
  Hardin, careful not to leave shoeprints or evidence, sexually assaulted Amy and took her underwear as a trophy.
• Amy’s trauma and resilience:
  Emphasized by details of her careful recounting for investigators and struggles after the assault—leading eventually to her marriage ending and a move for a “fresh start.”

3. Frustrated Investigation & DNA Warrant (09:32–11:45)

• Cold case evolution:
  Police repeatedly test DNA evidence to no avail; eventually, a “John Doe DNA warrant” is filed to keep the case prosecutable.
• Amy’s ongoing fear:
  Living with the reminder that her attacker might have been “someone she knows,” given the voice comment by Hardin during the assault.

4. Hardin’s Rise (and Fall) in Law Enforcement (11:45–14:33)

• Return to law enforcement:
  By 2016, Hardin is police chief in Gateway, AR—a small town where he is the only officer.
• Abuse of power:
  Local residents experience intimidation, escalation of force, and the eventual ouster of Hardin after only four months as chief.
• Feud with James Appleton:
  Longstanding tension explodes after Appleton, a town handyman, refuses to fix Hardin’s misused police car.

5. 2017 Murder – Appleton Killing (14:33–17:05)

• Sequence of events:
  Hardin, enraged, stalks and murders James Appleton on a rural roadside. Multiple eye- and ear-witnesses quickly finger Hardin as the killer, and he’s arrested shortly after returning home.
• Conviction & Sentencing:
  Hardin pleads guilty to murder in exchange for 30 years, but his wife Linda initially maintains his innocence.

6. DNA Breakthrough & Justice for Amy (17:05–19:12)

• Hardin’s DNA, entered into CODIS after his murder conviction, matches the 1997 rape kit.
• Amy’s reaction:
  “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.” (Amy Harrison, 17:08)
• Hardin’s tactics revealed:
  Prosecutors confirm Hardin went shoeless to avoid leaving prints; officers are “furious” that he used policing knowledge to harm instead of protect.

7. The 2024–2025 Prison Escape (19:12–21:53)

• Elaborate costume-building:
  Utilizing access to supplies as a kitchen worker, Hardin creates a convincing police uniform using a sharpied shirt, a kitchen apron, a faux badge made from a soup can and Bible cover.
• Escape execution:
  On a rainy day, Hardin leaves prison disguised as an officer, pushing a cart of stolen food with a makeshift ladder as backup. A guard buzzes him out without checking his ID.
• Security lapses:
  “It is insane that he was able to just get buzzed out. Obviously, the security wasn't great here.” (Katie Ring, 21:24)

8. The Manhunt and Recapture (21:53–23:48)

• Search challenges:
  Hardin evades capture for nearly two weeks in the rugged Ozark wilderness, surviving on foraged eggs, berries, and ants.
• Capture:
  Ultimately located only 1.5 miles from the prison, his escape hampered by the same flooding that stymied his pursuers.
• Aftermath:
  Hardin is moved to a supermax facility and faces additional escape charges; trial is pending.

9. Impact and Final Reflections (23:48–end)

• Community safety and justice:
  Katie underscores the hope that “the people who he hurt will rest a little easier,” with Hardin now securely behind bars.
• Encouragement to survivors:
  Amy’s message at trial:
  “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.” (Paraphrased, 17:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It's called the Devil in the Ozarks and this guy made a costume so good it even tricked police guards.” – Katie Ring (00:48)
• “Just because someone is a police officer doesn't make them safe… cops have the highest rates of dv.” – Katie Ring (08:01)
• “I just remember jumping up and screaming and, oh, my gosh, you know, it was exhilarating. It was terrifying. It was hopeful...” – Amy Harrison, rape survivor (17:08)
• “It is insane that he was able to just get buzzed out. Obviously, the security wasn't great here.” – Katie Ring (21:24)
• “They never find any connection between the two of them, and they figure Grant was only worried since they lived in neighboring towns.” – Katie on Hardin's paranoia (17:38)
• Amy’s press conference call-to-action:
  “Know that you don't deserve it. Report it, even if you don't know who it was, why they did it.” (17:20)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:48 — Case introduction: Grant Hardin, “Devil in the Ozarks”
• 03:39 — Overview of 1997 attack on Amy Harrison
• 09:32 — The investigation and DNA warrant strategy
• 11:45 — Hardin’s roles in local police, abuse of power, and feud with Appleton
• 14:33 — Appleton’s murder and Hardin’s arrest
• 17:05 — DNA breakthrough, Amy’s reaction, and trial outcome
• 19:12 — Planning and execution of the 2025 escape
• 21:53 — Two-week manhunt, final capture, and consequences
• 23:48 — Final reflections, call for listeners

Episode Tone and Style

Katie Ring’s narration is direct and analytical, blending empathy—especially regarding survivors—with concise, suspenseful storytelling. Her language is engaging and accessible & punctuated by moments of advocacy for victims, skepticism about law enforcement’s failings, and calls for justice.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode traces Grant Hardin’s transformation from small-town cop to violent predator and distinguished escapee. It exposes the horror experienced by his victims, the pain and fear left in his wake, and how lapses in police oversight and prison security enabled his decades-long trail of harm. Through victim testimony and thorough reporting, Crime House Daily offers an in-depth, empathetic portrait of a community haunted by a “devil” in their midst—and reassures listeners that persistence and technological advances can, in time, bring restoration and justice.