Izard County Sheriff releases more details on capture of escaped prisoner

Photo credit: Arkansas Dept. of Corrections

The man who escaped from the from the Arkansas Department of Corrections North Central Unit at Calico Rock nearly two weeks ago, Grant Matthew Hardin, was captured Friday afternoon around
3:45 by agents from the United State Border Patrol. He was found along Moccasin Creek about 1 1/2 miles west of the prison in a wooded area according to Izard County Sheriff Charley Melton.

Melton says Hardin had tried to camouflage his clothing.

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Melton says it looks like Hardin had been in the same general area for a while.

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The Izard County Sheriff says there were no signs of a campfire, but everything Hardin took with him during the escape was with him in a confined area when he was captured.

He is in the custody of the Department of Corrections, but Melton says he is not sure which unit they are holding him at. He says the Arkansas State Police will be conducting an interview with him in the coming days.

Melton says to the best of his knowledge, since the prison was built at Calico Rock, a prisoner has never escaped outside of the fenced area.

Melton says the last 12 days have been grueling for all of those involved in the search for Hardin.

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Hardin escaped the afternoon of May 25 when he was dressed as a law enforcement officer, walked to an exit gate, the gate was remotely opened from the control tower and he left on foot.

Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2017 for first degree murder.   In 2019, he received a 30 year sentence for rape.

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