Recaptured Arkansas Prison Escapee Known As The 'Devil In The Ozarks' Sent To SuperMax Prison

Convicted killer and recaptured prison escapee Grant Hardin, known as the “Devil in the Ozarks,” has been transferred to the Varner SuperMax prison southeast of Little Rock, Arkansas prison authorities announced Saturday.

Convicted killer and recaptured prison escapee Grant Hardin, known as the “Devil in the Ozarks,” has been transferred to the Varner SuperMax prison southeast of Little Rock, Arkansas prison authorities announced Saturday.

After a nearly two-week search in the rugged mountains of northern Arkansas, authorities recaptured Hardin on Friday 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the prison from which he escaped. Hardin briefly attempted to run from officers when he saw them approach, but he was quickly tackled to the ground, said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas prison system.

Authorities tried to track Hardin using drones, bloodhounds and a helicopter, but high water from heavy rains during the search raised the water level in creeks and streams around the prison. That likely limited his abilities — and also those of the searchers ― to move through the rugged terrain, Champion said.

“The direction he went, specifically around Moccasin Creek, saw high water due to the abundance of rain the last few weeks, which more than likely limited his options to get around the area,” Champion said. “Search teams had looked through this area before, but the high water previously limited their ability to fully investigate.”

Residents of the nearby town of Calico Rock, like Roger Simons, said they were surprised to learn that Hardin had stayed so close to the prison.