Eric Brown, a 24-year U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and CEO of Imperio Consulting, told Fox News Digital that the man nicknamed the “Devil of the Ozarks,” 56-year-old Grant Hardin, a former police chief, may have an “edge” on police given his past experience.
Hardin, who escaped from the medium-security prison in Calico Rock, Arkansas, last Sunday, “has a working knowledge of law enforcement procedures, patrol routines and how search operations are typically structured,” Brown told Fox News. “That gives him an initial edge. He knows how law enforcement thinks.”
Law enforcement “will likely lean on geo-fencing, license plate readers, and known associate surveillance,” he continued. “If he’s on foot, dogs, drones, and thermal imaging tighten the noose.
“Establishing a perimeter means thinking like the fugitive, assessing terrain, choke points and logical escape routes. Officials are watching for movement: stolen vehicles, property break-ins, supply thefts, even unusual local chatter. The key is pattern disruption.”
Prison officials were made aware of Hardin’s disappearance from the prison in roughly 30 minutes. Photos from the Stone County Sheriff’s Office showed Hardin exiting the facility wearing garb similar to that of correction officers. But ADC communications director Rand Champion said the uniform was not official.
Champion went on to note that Hardin is assumed to be “a very dangerous individual” to the public and there is a risk he could commit more crimes while on the run.
Hardin was sentenced to 30 years for murder plus additional time for rape.
The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and is asking anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Hardin is a white male weighing 259 pounds, bald head, and is 6-feet tall.
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