Caves, other hideouts in mountains are part of hunt for fugitive known as ‘Devil in the Ozarks’

By JEFF MARTIN ANDREW DEMILLO and SAFIYAH RIDDLE Associated Press There are plenty of hideouts in the rugged terrain of the Ozark Mountains from abandoned cabins and campsites in vast forests where searchers are hunting for an ex-lawman known as the Devil in the Ozarks Others are not only off the grid but beneath it in the hundreds of caves that lead to vast subterranean spaces As local state and federal law enforcement entered the third day of the search they continued to scour the region around the prison Until we have credible evidence that he is not in the area we assume that he s ostensibly still in the area Rand Champion a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Corrections commented at a press conference on Wednesday This undated photo provided by the Arkansas Department of Corrections Communications Department shows inmate Grant Hardin Arkansas Department of Corrections Communications Department via AP Fugitive Grant Hardin knows where the caves are noted Darla Nix a cafe owner in Pea Ridge Arkansas whose sons grew up around him Nix who describes Hardin as a survivor remembers him as a very very smart and mostly quiet person For the searchers caves have definitely been a source of concern and a point of emphasis noted Champion That s one of the challenges of this area there are a lot of places to hide and take shelter a lot of abandoned sheds and there are a lot of caves in this area so that s been a priority for the search squad Champion explained It adds to the challenge of a search in this area for sure Impersonating an officer Hardin the former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri dividing line was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape He was the subject of the TV documentary Devil in the Ozarks He escaped Sunday from the North Central Unit a medium-security prison also known as the Calico Rock prison by tailoring an outfit to mimic a law enforcement uniform according to Champion A prison officer opened a secure gate allowing him to leave the facility Champion commented that someone should have checked Hardin s identity before he was allowed to leave the facility describing the lack of verification as a lapse that is being investigated It took functionaries approximately minutes to notice Hardin had escaped Champion announced that inmates are evaluated and given a classification when they first enter the prison system and based on what he s assessed is the reason he was sent here There are portions of the Calico Rock facility that are maximum-security While incarcerated Hardin did not have any major disciplinary issues Champion disclosed Government have been using canines drones and helicopters to search for Hardin in the rugged northern Arkansas terrain Champion declared The sheriffs of several counties across the Arkansas Ozarks had urged residents to lock their homes and vehicles and call if they notice anything suspicious Dark places to hide In several techniques the terrain is similar to the site of one of the the bulk notorious manhunts in U S history Related Articles Ticker Air traffic control system must be improved to prevent problems like Newark airport administrators say Hawaii s governor signs new hotel tax law to help cope with surroundings change Delta flight delayed because pigeons sneaked aboard a plane in Minneapolis Fed minutes Uncertainty elevated as risks of higher inflation and unemployment rise Why cats are orange and tortoiseshell and calico Bomber Eric Rudolph described by government as a skilled outdoorsman evaded law officers for years in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina It was a five-year manhunt that ultimately ended in with his capture Rudolph knew of a large number of cabins in the area owned by out-of-town people and he also knew of caves in the area former FBI executive Chris Swecker who led the agency s Charlotte North Carolina office at the time announced in the FBI s historical account of the affair I think it is very likely that he not only had campsites and caves but he was also spending selected time in those cabins Swecker noted He was anticipating a great conflict and he had clearly lined up caves and campsites where he could go he added Rudolph pleaded guilty to federal charges associated with four bombings in Georgia and Alabama including one in Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta during the Olympic Games There are about documented caves in northern Arkansas state officers say A large number of of them have entrances only a insufficient feet wide that are not obvious to passersby mentioned Michael Ray Taylor who has written multiple books on caves including Hidden Nature Wild Southern Caves The key is finding the entrance Taylor commented The entrance may look like a rabbit hole but if you wriggle through it suddenly you find enormous passageways he declared Local residents might discover specific caves as teenagers so a fugitive would want to choose one that deputies in the search didn t also discover as teens Taylor mentioned It would be quite achievable to hide out underground for an extended period but you have to go out for food and you re more likely to be discovered he stated Hardin pleaded guilty in to first-degree murder for the killing of James Appleton Appleton worked for the Gateway water department when he was shot in the head Feb near Garfield Police revealed Appleton s body inside a car Hardin was sentenced to years in prison He was also serving years for the rape of an elementary school coach in Rogers north of Fayetteville He had been held in the Calico Rock prison since