A convicted murderer and rapist known as the “Devil in the Ozarks” who escaped an Arkansas prison last year pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his flight and was sentenced to 13 years in prison Tuesday, February 18, 2026 after accepting a deal with prosecutors.
Grant Hardin’s escape captivated Americans after the former police chief walked out last May of the Arkansas Department of Corrections’ North Central Unit, now known as the Benny Magness Unit.
The guard who controlled the gates from a tower didn’t check for identification before allowing Hardin, who wore clothes he’d dyed using markers to look like a prison guard uniform, to leave…