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Escapee Grant Hardin, a convicted murderer and rapist who sparked a multi-agency manhunt after fleeing custody last month, has been captured.
Nicknamed the “Devil in the Ozarks,” Hardin was apprehended this afternoon approximately 1.5 miles north-northwest of the North Central Unit prison facility from which he escaped on May 25, the Izard County Sheriff’s Office said.
Hardin’s identity was confirmed through fingerprint analysis prior to the department’s announcement of his long-awaited capture.
Officials said that he was taken into custody without incident, ending a weeks-long manhunt that had drawn in local law enforcement, state police, federal agencies, and elite tactical units. The capture of the fugitive came after authorities focused their search in the rugged, remote terrain surrounding the prison grounds.
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Hardin, 56, was serving an 80-year sentence for the 2017 murder of James Appleton and a previously unsolved 1997 rape case.
Hardin escaped prison through a sally port, wearing a makeshift ADC-style uniform, ADC communications director Rand Champion said last week, noting the uniform he was wearing was not official.
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In a statement, the Izard County Sheriff’s Office thanked the public and the law enforcement community for their ongoing support and vigilance during the manhunt.
“We sincerely appreciate the continued support of the community for all law enforcement personnel involved in this operation,” the department said.
Officials have not yet released further details regarding how Hardin was located or whether he received any outside assistance during his escape. Investigations into the security breach remain ongoing.
Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
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