The former prosecutor, who helped put the former police chief who escaped from an Arkansas prison behind bars, has described Grant Hardin as "extremely dangerous.""He's a sociopath," said former prosecutor Nathan Smith. "Prison's not full of people who are all bad. It's full of a lot of people who just do bad things. Grant's different."Hardin escaped from the North Central Unit Sunday afternoon.He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2017 as part of a plea deal.The DNA evidence from that case, led to Hardin's conviction in the 1997 rape of a Rogers teacher."He's extremely dangerous. he's already proven that he has no moral core or center that would prevent him from doing anything," said Smith. He pleaded guilty to rape in 2019.Hardin worked for at least four different law enforcement agencies prior to his murder arrest. Officials told sister station KHBS Hardin was fired from the Eureka Springs Police Department for excessive force and making poor decisions on the job.Hardin was also a constable for Benton County, Arkansas, from 2008 to 2012.Hardin studied criminal justice at Missouri Southern State University in 2016 and 2017. Around that time, he worked for the Northwest Arkansas Community Correction Center."It makes it even more shocking when a person who wears the badge, would betray not only victims, but his community, sense of right and wrong, which obviously it doesn't appear he believes in," said Smith.Smith was prosecutor during both the murder and rape convictions."When you're a prosecutor and you meet with victims and their families, you see them cry. You see the pain and the suffering that brings on them. And and then when you stand in court next to someone like Mr. Hardin, when he has to pled guilty to it, and you see the inability to really say anything or do anything to demonstrate some sort of remorse or acknowledgment of what he's done, it is outrageous."
BENTON COUNTY, Ark. — The former prosecutor, who helped put the former police chief who escaped from an Arkansas prison behind bars, has described Grant Hardin as "extremely dangerous."
"He's a sociopath," said former prosecutor Nathan Smith. "Prison's not full of people who are all bad. It's full of a lot of people who just do bad things. Grant's different."
Hardin escaped from the North Central Unit Sunday afternoon.
The DNA evidence from that case, led to Hardin's conviction in the 1997 rape of a Rogers teacher.
"He's extremely dangerous. he's already proven that he has no moral core or center that would prevent him from doing anything," said Smith.
Arkansas Department of Corrections Communications Department via AP
Officials told sister station KHBS Hardin was fired from the Eureka Springs Police Department for excessive force and making poor decisions on the job.
Hardin was also a constable for Benton County, Arkansas, from 2008 to 2012.
Hardin studied criminal justice at Missouri Southern State University in 2016 and 2017. Around that time, he worked for the Northwest Arkansas Community Correction Center.
"It makes it even more shocking when a person who wears the badge, would betray not only victims, but his community, sense of right and wrong, which obviously it doesn't appear he believes in," said Smith.
Smith was prosecutor during both the murder and rape convictions.
"When you're a prosecutor and you meet with victims and their families, you see them cry. You see the pain and the suffering that brings on them. And and then when you stand in court next to someone like Mr. Hardin, when he has to pled guilty to it, and you see the inability to really say anything or do anything to demonstrate some sort of remorse or acknowledgment of what he's done, it is outrageous."
