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 officials declared Saturday After a nearly two-week search in the rugged mountains of northern Arkansas bureaucrats recaptured Hardin on Friday miles kilometers northwest of the prison from which he escaped Hardin briefly attempted to run from officers when he saw them approach but he was promptly tackled to the ground revealed Rand Champion a spokesperson for the Arkansas prison system Agents 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 announced The direction he went specifically around Moccasin Creek saw high water due to the abundance of rain the last inadequate weeks which more than likely limited his options to get around the area Champion declared 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 disclosed they were surprised to learn that Hardin had stayed so close to the prison None of us really thought he was still in the area revealed Simons a local bartender We thought he was long gone that s what I would have bet my money on Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in a fatal shooting He escaped by impersonating a corrections officer in dress and manner according to a court document A prison officer in one of the guard towers opened a secure gate allowing him to walk out of the facility Administration say they are analyzing why Hardin s identity was not checked before he was allowed to leave Benton County Prosecutor Bryan Sexton who oversaw Hardin s convictions for murder and rape explained he had been in close contact with law enforcement bureaucrats who were consistent with their belief that Hardin remained in the northern Arkansas region Hardin is a former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri perimeter whose notoriety led to a TV documentary called Devil in the Ozarks Sexton announced his escape had significantly disrupted the lives of trial bystanders and Hardin s casualties whom he kept updated on the pursuit for the fugitive Every one of them to a person informed me that they had to make changes in their lives because they had had concerns for their safety Sexton mentioned After Hardin s recapture they could get closure in their lives and secondly go back to their normal lives which had been disrupted the whole time he was out Sexton declared Cheryl Tillman the sister of a man shot by Hardin in described The Associated Press that Hardin s capture was a big sigh of relief for her whole family We don t have to walk around turning around all the time thinking somebody s on our back Tillman announced emphasizing her appreciation for the officers who helped capture Hardin Sexton disclosed he was more assured now that Hardin was being sent to a more secure facility The Varner Unit established in has the limit to house inmates It is the site where former President Bill Clinton s gubernatorial chief of staff a death penalty opponent faced charges for trying to smuggle a knife and tattoo needles into death row Within Varner a special supermax unit houses the bulk high-risk prisoners such as a man who fatally shot a soldier at a military recruiting station and death row inmates such as convicted child rapist and murderer Zachary Holly Damien Wayne Echols of the West Memphis Three was also incarcerated there prior to his release By reputation Varner is the largest part secure prison in the Arkansas system Sexton announced I think that all things considering putting him Hardin in the largest part secure facility we can is apparently a wise thing to do Source