Update May 31:
DOC Communications Director Rand Champion said late Friday night that escaped Calico Rock prison inmate Grant Hardin is still at large. Champion said the reward for information leading to Hardin’s arrest is now up to $25,000: $20,000 from the FBI and an additional $5,000 from the U.S. Marshalls.
Champion also said the focus remains the north central Arkansas region for search teams, with all tips that come in looked into and investigated. None of those have come to fruition at this time Champion said.
Update May 30:
The FBI announced Friday morning that the reward for information leading to Hardin’s arrest was increased to $20,000 from the previously announced $10,000.
Previously:
Calico Rock, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — May 29, 2025 — A $10,000 reward is being offered by the FBI, Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police, and the Department of Justice for any information leading to the arrest of escaped inmate Grant Hardin.
Hardin escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on Sunday, May 25. The Circuit Court of Izard County issued an arrest warrant on May 26 after he was charged with second-degree escape.
Anyone with information concerning Hardin is urged to contact the FBI’s toll-free tipline at 1-800-225-5324. You may also contact your local FBI office, local law enforcement, or submit tips online here.
According to law enforcement, Hardin should be considered armed and dangerous.
The FBI said Hardin has ties to Garfield, Eureka Springs, Holiday Island, and Huntsville, AR.
The Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office investigated a potential lead regarding Hardin’s whereabouts on May 28. The lead said Hardin may have been seen in the area of Highway 65 and Cardon Bridge on May 25.
“At this time, personnel have cleared the area. The credibility of that lead is still under investigation, but law enforcement across the state are actively following up on all leads that come in,” a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office said.
Additionally, Cave City law enforcement officials conducted a few operations on Tuesday, May 27, to investigate a lead related to Hardin’s escape. No operations resulted in finding him, the Cave City Police Department said.
Hardin was serving a 30-year sentence for murder and rape convictions at the medium security prison, having been incarcerated since 2017. Prior to his incarceration, Hardin served as the police chief of Gateway, AR, and had a background in law enforcement.
Authorities said Hardin was wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement when he escaped.
The Department of Corrections hosted a news conference on Wednesday, which said 72 hours had passed since Hardin’s escape with no new developments.
Authorities are still investigating how Hardin procured a fake uniform, which has not yet been found, and are assuming Hardin is still in the immediate area of north-central Arkansas.
Watch the full news conference here.