(NewsNation) — New details have emerged about convicted murderer and rapist Grant Hardin‘s escape from an Arkansas prison, including his use of Sharpies and a Bible cover.
The former police chief disguised himself in a make-shift uniform designed to resemble that of a corrections officer. Two corrections officers have been fired as a result of the escape, one who let Hardin onto a back dock without supervision and one who opened the gates and allowed Hardin to leave.
A hearing by the Arkansas Legislative Council for Charitable, Penal and Correctional Institutions was held on July 10, revealing new information about Hardin’s escape.
Hardin, known as the “Devil in the Ozarks,” is a former police chief who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting a man. While serving time for that crime, his DNA connected him to a rape case and he also pleaded guilty to kidnapping and rape, adding an additional 50 years to his sentence.
Authorities said Hardin was able to create his makeshift law enforcement uniform using old prison-issued clothing that he colored black over time using Sharpie markers. That included an old kitchen apron that he refashioned to look like a vest.
He also created a homemade badge out of a can lid, button and Bible cover. Hardin, who was assigned to work in the prison’s kitchen, hid the uniform in a kitchen chemical storage area.
He also used a pair of wooden pallets to make a ladder, which he reportedly planned to use to scale the prison wall if the gates had not been opened.
Hardin was seen wheeling a cart in a surveillance photo, which contained the ladder and a box of food to help him survive in the woods.
After escaping, Hardin set up a base camp near the North Central Unit. where he spent the majority of his 12 days on the run and was eventually captured.
The Arkansas State Police and the Department of Corrections both have open investigations into Hardin’s escape.
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