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A survival expert is warning hikers and outdoor enthusiasts in the Arkansas Ozarks to avoid the area.
Shawn Hendrix’s alert comes during a search for Grant Hardin, a 56-year-old former Gateway Police Department Chief who escaped from a medium-security prison in Calico Rock on May 25, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC).
Known as the “Devil in the Ozarks,” Hardin was serving a lengthy sentence for murder and rape.
“The main threat to him being caught or getting hurt is injury… or a foodborne illness — like drinking contaminated water,” Hendrix told Fox News Digital. “If he contracts dysentery or another severe illness, it could incapacitate him quickly. My concern is that hikers, campers, or hunters won’t see it coming.”
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ADC shared a new image of Grant Hardin, now with facial hair after being on the run for over a week. (ADC)
Hendrix mentioned that Hardin has demonstrated indifference toward human life in the past, and “everyone in the woods presents a potential resource for him.” Authorities in Arkansas have cautioned that the escapee may be armed and dangerous.
“I would definitely avoid this area,” he advised.
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Hardin made his escape through a sally port, donning a makeshift uniform resembling that of the ADC, although it was not official, according to ADC communications director Rand Champion.
Hardin escaped through a sally port, dressed in a makeshift ADC-style uniform, which was not official, as stated by ADC communications director Rand Champion. (ADC)
The former police chief pleaded guilty to murdering a man in 2017. After providing DNA samples during the murder investigation, he was linked to a cold-case rape from 1997, for which he also pleaded guilty in 2019, according to KNWA.
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“This individual is truly dangerous. I mean, he’s a sociopath,” Hendrix said. “[Hardin] is only concerned about himself. He has law enforcement training and a history of problems while being a police officer for 27 years. I wouldn’t want to be searching for him.”
Hardin is described as a White male, standing 6 feet tall and weighing about 259 pounds.
Federal officials state Hardin possesses “extensive knowledge of the Ozark Mountain region.” (Andre Seale/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Hendrix noted that at his weight, Hardin has enough energy reserves to survive for weeks in the wooded Ozarks, which have numerous caves and natural resources like food, water, berries, and other edible supplies.
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Lights shine on the ferris wheel in Branson, Missouri, located in the Ozarks. (Lainey Stelly/Getty Images)
“There are plenty of sources of food like berries, cattails, and fish, as well as native fruits like persimmons and potentially even plums in this area,” Hendrix explained. “If he has a gun, I’m not sure it’s wise to shoot an animal due to the noise it would create, but there are other ways to find food. At 260 pounds, he has a considerable amount of energy reserves.”
Authorities searching for Hardin in the wilderness will be looking for signs of someone living in the woods, such as a burned-out fire or covered materials, or even evidence of underground fires.
Officials with the Arkansas Department of Corrections are looking for an escaped inmate, a former police chief, from its North Central Unit. (Arkansas Department of Corrections)
The FBI and U.S. Marshals are offering a total of $25,000 for any information that leads to Hardin’s capture. They urge anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
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Champion stated in a recent news conference that authorities feel confident about the route Hardin took when he escaped and believe he remains in the Ozarks. However, a federal complaint filed against him on May 30 suggests he may have left the state.
There were unconfirmed sightings, including one in Missouri on May 26, just a day after his escape, which has led federal officials to suspect he might no longer be in Arkansas, as reported by The Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
“He knows the Ozark Mountains well, and he may be hiding in caves or rocky areas that are familiar to him,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert J. Hammons mentioned in the criminal complaint reported by the Gazette.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
