1 00:00:05,639 --> 00:00:23,719 Speaker 1: H a wall Street line, shackle change, Oh weesome, gird, 2 00:00:25,879 --> 00:00:32,240 it's calling my name. There is no mercy and it's 3 00:00:32,359 --> 00:00:41,200 been a tentery juice as the hill Stream game Wrangle three. 4 00:00:42,679 --> 00:00:50,759 Speaker 2: I'm here by me to die inside these. 5 00:00:50,759 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: Walls, inside the wild. 6 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 3: Han't went more girls. 7 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:00,159 Speaker 4: As I'm. 8 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,719 Speaker 2: Hey, Welcome back to Bloody and Gola. I'm going to 9 00:01:34,879 --> 00:01:39,760 continue the fifty Shades of Evil series today and I'm 10 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,719 going to be taking you to Arkansas to tell you 11 00:01:42,799 --> 00:01:46,680 the story of a man who, in February of twenty 12 00:01:46,879 --> 00:01:51,560 seventeen was arrested for murder. Now that in turn also 13 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,200 led to a separate conviction for rape, where a former 14 00:01:56,359 --> 00:02:00,920 police officer would be forever known as the Devil in 15 00:02:00,959 --> 00:02:05,040 the Ozarks. His real name is Grant Harden, and today 16 00:02:05,159 --> 00:02:10,599 I'm discussing his crime, his conviction, and an escape years 17 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,639 later that would put the entire country in fear. So 18 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:17,400 let's get into it. And first we're going to go 19 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:22,360 to Bentonville, Arkansas, where Grant Harden was born in nineteen 20 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:26,919 sixty nine. In Bentonville. Of course that may sound familiar 21 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,000 to you. It is the home of Walmart. 22 00:02:30,039 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 3: It was where. 23 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 2: Walmart was born in bred and Walmart actually brought a 24 00:02:35,439 --> 00:02:39,840 lot of industry to that area of Arkansas. Very well 25 00:02:39,879 --> 00:02:44,319 known now, but in those days a very sleepy town 26 00:02:44,319 --> 00:02:48,879 in the late nineteen sixties. So Grant never really leaves 27 00:02:49,199 --> 00:02:53,039 the Bentonville area. He graduates high school and he's a 28 00:02:53,159 --> 00:02:56,080 very involved student. He's a member of the Student Council. 29 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,960 He's part of the National Honor Society. He actually participated 30 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,719 in Air Force RTC and that kept him very busy 31 00:03:06,039 --> 00:03:09,560 during this time in his life. Now, after high school, 32 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:13,759 he attends college at the University of Arkansas, but he 33 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:17,560 doesn't graduate, and from everything I could find, he didn't 34 00:03:17,599 --> 00:03:21,639 stay there very long. He then starts working more labor 35 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:26,599 intensive jobs. From nineteen eighty seven to nineteen ninety he 36 00:03:26,719 --> 00:03:27,439 works at. 37 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:28,360 Speaker 3: A feed store. 38 00:03:28,599 --> 00:03:34,199 Speaker 2: He works at the Walmart distribution center in Bentonville, a 39 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,319 big time employee in that area. And he also worked 40 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,520 as a driver's helper for UPS. And it was in 41 00:03:42,639 --> 00:03:47,080 nineteen ninety that he applies and he gets hired at 42 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,560 the Fayetteville Police Department, but that does not last long. 43 00:03:52,719 --> 00:03:57,719 He was fired after just nine months of working there. See, 44 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,000 Grant Harden. 45 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,039 Speaker 3: Was well, he was kind of an asshole to people. 46 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 2: He worked around, very cocky thought he knew much more 47 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,759 than he did about policing, even though the guys that 48 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:12,879 were training him had, you know, twenty years on brand Harden. 49 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,800 As a matter of fact, in his termination letter, the 50 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:21,199 chief wrote, quote, since your employment, your training officers and 51 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,600 I have noticed your performance and determined your efforts fall 52 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:31,160 short of an officer. Your tendency to not accept constructive criticism, 53 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:37,040 along with your indecisiveness in stressful situations, played a major 54 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:42,120 role in my decision. Then his direct training officer actually 55 00:04:42,199 --> 00:04:47,920 expanded on that, saying, quote, Harden seems intimidated under stress. 56 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,920 Even minimal stress causes him to get flustered. His voice 57 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:56,519 commands are bad, and he speaks so low. I can 58 00:04:56,519 --> 00:05:01,480 barely hear him when he is speaking commands to suspect, which, y'all, 59 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:07,600 this is surprising because physically he's an imposing man. He's 60 00:05:07,639 --> 00:05:12,079 six feet tall, two hundred and sixty pounds, not someone 61 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:16,800 you would expect would be soft spoken until he opens 62 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:21,639 his mouth, and we'll talk about that later. Also, the 63 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:25,480 fact that this commanding officer was saying that he fell 64 00:05:25,519 --> 00:05:30,040 apart under stress another thing. Just looking at Grand Harden, 65 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,800 you wouldn't think would occur. Nonetheless, he gets fired, and 66 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:39,079 at this point it's nineteen ninety one. Rather than get 67 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:44,000 out of policing altogether, he just switches departments, really and 68 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:48,680 he gets hired on at the Huntsville, Arkansas Police Department. Now, 69 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,639 you would think this job would sit him better, smaller department. 70 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:53,959 Speaker 3: Heck, at that point. 71 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,519 Speaker 2: In time, there were less than three thousand people in 72 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:01,519 the whole town. But in less than a year, he 73 00:06:01,639 --> 00:06:06,439 resigns from that department for what he listed as personal reasons, 74 00:06:06,879 --> 00:06:10,319 and he's out of work for nearly a year before 75 00:06:10,319 --> 00:06:13,759 he takes a job as a patrol officer with the 76 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:20,040 Eureka Springs Police Department, and again major issues. Harden learns 77 00:06:20,079 --> 00:06:23,920 somehow that he's going to get fired for several issues. 78 00:06:24,079 --> 00:06:29,000 Now he was doing things like using excessive force during arrest, 79 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:33,519 poor decision making. He had even been caught lying on 80 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:38,879 a police report. So Harden resigns before Eureka Springs Police 81 00:06:38,879 --> 00:06:41,519 Department can fire him. Now he had been at this 82 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,160 job a little bit longer than in the past. He 83 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,800 actually made it three years in this department, but in 84 00:06:47,879 --> 00:06:52,959 October of nineteen ninety six, according to some reports, he 85 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,920 was fired. Now there are other reports that conflict that 86 00:06:57,519 --> 00:07:00,879 and say that he actually worked for Eureka Springs Police 87 00:07:00,879 --> 00:07:06,800 Department through December of nineteen ninety seven. Look, sometimes these 88 00:07:06,879 --> 00:07:10,079 reports conflict, and I'm not one hundred percent sure on 89 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,000 which is right. It doesn't play a major role in 90 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:16,920 this story, So go with whichever date you choose on that. 91 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,800 But I am going to bring you to nineteen ninety seven, 92 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:25,439 November of nineteen ninety seven, and I'm going to tell 93 00:07:25,439 --> 00:07:28,319 you about an elementary school teacher by the name of 94 00:07:28,439 --> 00:07:32,759 Amy Harrison. Now, Amy was twenty seven years old in 95 00:07:32,839 --> 00:07:35,639 November of ninety seven, and she was a married mother. 96 00:07:35,839 --> 00:07:38,800 As a matter of fact, she was married to a 97 00:07:38,839 --> 00:07:43,879 police officer. On November ninth of that year, she had 98 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,439 to do like most teachers do. They use the weekend 99 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,360 to catch up on things like lesson plans, et cetera. 100 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,680 So she heads into school to her classroom on a 101 00:07:55,759 --> 00:07:57,439 Sunday to do just that. 102 00:07:57,879 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 3: And the reason she chose. 103 00:07:59,439 --> 00:08:02,759 Speaker 2: A Sunday is she knew the school was unlocked because 104 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,079 they had a church service for a local church that 105 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,720 would meet actually in that school every Sunday. So she 106 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,639 goes to her classroom and she locks the door. Now 107 00:08:14,839 --> 00:08:18,160 she didn't do this out of fear. She primarily did 108 00:08:18,199 --> 00:08:21,879 this because they were having church service in the school 109 00:08:22,439 --> 00:08:26,040 and she wanted to avoid getting interrupted while she was 110 00:08:26,079 --> 00:08:29,600 in the middle of working. And look, Arkansas, this part 111 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,960 of Arkansas, everybody's pretty friendly, and if they see a 112 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,879 teacher sitting in their classroom as they're going to church service, 113 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:38,519 they're going to stop and talk to her. And she 114 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,200 loved to do that, but she was really behind on 115 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:44,799 some work and didn't want to get it interrupted. So 116 00:08:44,879 --> 00:08:48,080 this teacher's in her classroom, she's working hard. She's in 117 00:08:48,159 --> 00:08:51,559 there for about thirty minutes or so when someone pulls 118 00:08:51,639 --> 00:08:53,360 on the door and. 119 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:54,919 Speaker 3: Then knocks on it. 120 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 2: Now she assumes this is someone from the church service, 121 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,279 and being in the middle of work, she just kind 122 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:04,960 of kept as quiet as possible, I kind of hoping 123 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,919 they would go away. And after a few minutes she 124 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,759 didn't hear anything, so she opened the door because she 125 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,080 had to head down the hallway and go to the bathroom, 126 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:19,960 and the bathroom was twenty feet or so from her classroom, 127 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:24,639 not very far. She goes into the restroom, she frushens up, 128 00:09:24,799 --> 00:09:29,440 takes care of her business, and upon exiting the bathroom, horror. 129 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:34,960 She's confronted by a man standing right there in the 130 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:39,799 bathroom door with a gun pointed directly at her head. 131 00:09:39,919 --> 00:09:43,279 He has on a neck cap and he has on sunglasses, 132 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,720 so she can see everything from his nose down but 133 00:09:46,919 --> 00:09:51,879 nothing above that. And he forces her back into the 134 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,679 bathroom and it's apparent what he's about to do because 135 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:57,399 the first thing he says to her. 136 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 3: Is get on your knees. Now. 137 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 2: She is obviously very scared, and she complied whatever she 138 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,519 had to do to go home alive, she was willing 139 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:11,320 to do. As she gets down on her knees, she 140 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,240 notices that this guy only had socks on and that 141 00:10:14,399 --> 00:10:15,320 stuck out to her. 142 00:10:15,519 --> 00:10:17,159 Speaker 3: No shoes, just socks. 143 00:10:17,639 --> 00:10:20,639 Speaker 2: And then he makes a strange comment, and he asked 144 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:24,480 her if she recognized his voice. Remember he told her, 145 00:10:25,039 --> 00:10:27,759 you know, get back into the bathroom whenever he pulled 146 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:29,759 the gun on her, or whenever she walked out, and 147 00:10:29,799 --> 00:10:32,559 he had it in her face, and this would be 148 00:10:32,639 --> 00:10:36,519 important later, so keep that in your back pocket. But 149 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,720 warning here, it's going to get a little graphic what 150 00:10:39,799 --> 00:10:42,879 I'm about to tell you. But as she's on her knees, 151 00:10:43,519 --> 00:10:46,480 the assailant ejaculates and. 152 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:47,639 Speaker 3: The poor woman. 153 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 2: Obviously mortified, she takes some of the scenmen and almost 154 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,279 out of not even thinking, just a reaction, she wipes 155 00:10:56,879 --> 00:10:59,200 a little bit on her shirt and he noticed this, 156 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:02,159 and this assailant says to her, what are you doing? 157 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,440 And by that time it's too late. She's already done it. 158 00:11:06,039 --> 00:11:10,679 But it's in another important key later on. So they 159 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:13,919 both leave the bathroom, but he's not done yet. The 160 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,320 assailant then tells her to go in the teacher's lounge, 161 00:11:17,759 --> 00:11:21,840 where he rapes her a second time. So after all this, 162 00:11:22,399 --> 00:11:26,519 the attacker flees the scene and Harrison the teacher. She 163 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:30,840 runs out of the room. She sees a janitor and 164 00:11:30,879 --> 00:11:35,120 she tells him what had just happened, and he calls police. 165 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,519 And keep in mind this is in the middle of 166 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,919 church service that all this occurred. But here is that 167 00:11:42,039 --> 00:11:42,919 nine one one call. 168 00:11:44,879 --> 00:11:46,879 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's Schory School in Rochester. 169 00:11:47,159 --> 00:11:49,559 Speaker 6: Have never had a teacher molected in the bathroom there? 170 00:11:50,279 --> 00:11:52,279 Speaker 1: Teacher who did it? 171 00:11:52,919 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 7: We don't know. 172 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,279 Speaker 5: She went in the bathroom and somewhere granded her Okay 173 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:59,000 at the prisons there there she should I don't know 174 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:11,120 that room pictured here, Okay, Thoson Andrew Harrison's life has 175 00:12:11,279 --> 00:12:12,879 just listen in my soul. 176 00:12:14,879 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: As far as I know, he left her having shirt here. 177 00:12:17,759 --> 00:12:21,919 Speaker 2: In our Kevinaria. So this teacher really provided some great 178 00:12:22,039 --> 00:12:25,840 details to the police once they got there. She mentioned 179 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,879 the assailant asking if she recognized his voice, and that 180 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,480 was a key piece of evidence because it's a big 181 00:12:33,519 --> 00:12:38,759 time clue that this person was probably local. Otherwise why 182 00:12:38,799 --> 00:12:43,200 would he be concerned about her recognizing his voice. It 183 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,039 was also key that she noticed he didn't have shoes on, 184 00:12:46,639 --> 00:12:50,200 because police were able to kind of ascertain this is 185 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:53,240 probably someone who knew what they were doing and didn't 186 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:54,639 want to leave shoe prints. 187 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 3: So whoever this was, either. 188 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,159 Speaker 2: They took off their shoes to sneak up on her, 189 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:02,440 or they took off their shoes so as not to 190 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:07,120 leave shoe print. And to the assailant's credit, the assailant 191 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:11,279 was very careful. They were able to lift no fingerprint. 192 00:13:11,519 --> 00:13:16,039 They looked everywhere for him. He didn't touch anything. When 193 00:13:16,519 --> 00:13:19,639 the bathroom door opened, it was opened by the teachers, 194 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:21,919 so there were no doors. 195 00:13:21,519 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 3: That he touched. She opened and closed doors, etc. 196 00:13:25,159 --> 00:13:30,039 Speaker 2: But the police did manage to get DNA off of 197 00:13:30,039 --> 00:13:34,799 that shirt. However, in addition to what was collected via 198 00:13:34,879 --> 00:13:38,240 a rape kit that this lady had to take, it 199 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,200 would be a while before that DNA would come back. 200 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:46,000 And remember this this teacher is the wife of a cop, 201 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:51,919 so there's obviously a ton of investigative support on this one. 202 00:13:52,159 --> 00:13:56,440 Law enforcement from all over the area would assist. But 203 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:01,159 the days turned into weeks, the weeks into moss in 204 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:04,240 the year, and the DNA that was pulled off of 205 00:14:04,279 --> 00:14:07,440 that shirt and out of that rate kit was uploaded 206 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:10,320 to what's none as Courtis, which is a database that 207 00:14:10,399 --> 00:14:13,600 I'm sure you're all familiar with. But remember this is 208 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:18,960 nineteen ninety seven. Advancements in DNA were not there. DNA 209 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:22,159 was in its infancy. It's not like it is now 210 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,960 where you can actually get DNA and then be able 211 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:27,480 to match it to family members. 212 00:14:27,519 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 3: That's called familiar DNA. 213 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 2: There was no one, two, three and meters out there 214 00:14:33,159 --> 00:14:36,120 at that point where there was a database where just 215 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:38,639 a rampant amount of people had their DNA. 216 00:14:38,679 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 3: Curtis was it. 217 00:14:39,919 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 2: And if you weren't arrested already in given your DNA 218 00:14:43,759 --> 00:14:46,240 to where it could be uploaded to cotis, Yeah, they 219 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,480 may have had a DNA profile, but they had no 220 00:14:48,639 --> 00:14:51,519 idea who it matched you. So we're going to fast 221 00:14:51,519 --> 00:14:54,960 forward a little bit all the way from nineteen ninety 222 00:14:55,039 --> 00:14:58,200 seven to two thousand and eight. Now Grant Harden. At 223 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:03,919 this time he decided to run for constable in Benton County, 224 00:15:04,159 --> 00:15:08,679 and shockingly, he wins, and he wins big. He actually 225 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:12,559 got over sixty five percent of the vote. Then in 226 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:18,159 twenty twelve, he's reelected as constable. Four years later, in 227 00:15:18,279 --> 00:15:22,440 twenty sixteen, believe it or not, he is elected police 228 00:15:22,559 --> 00:15:27,879 chief of Gateway, Arkansas. This is the same guy who 229 00:15:28,039 --> 00:15:32,799 lost three plus jobs in law enforcement and now he 230 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:37,200 is the chief of police, albeit for a town of 231 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:42,440 only four hundred and fifty residents. However, the old Grant Harden, 232 00:15:42,879 --> 00:15:48,000 of course would surface, and only four months into his 233 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:54,279 tenure as chief, he resigns after the city council tells him, look, 234 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,519 either resign or we're going to have to fire you. 235 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,919 And this was due to a massive amount of complaints 236 00:16:02,039 --> 00:16:06,120 from residents. After only four months of being in office, 237 00:16:06,639 --> 00:16:10,200 the constituents would voice to the council that Harden was 238 00:16:10,279 --> 00:16:13,759 basically a dick, very hard to get along with. He 239 00:16:13,799 --> 00:16:17,759 would follow people for seemingly no reason, and kind of 240 00:16:17,799 --> 00:16:21,840 harass them. And he would even have several run ends 241 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,399 with a city water company employee who was also a 242 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:30,840 firefighter for that city, and his name was James Appleton. 243 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:35,399 So he resigns in April of twenty sixteen, and in 244 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:38,879 the fall of that year he actually enrolls in a 245 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:44,279 criminal justice program, but that didn't last long and by 246 00:16:44,759 --> 00:16:48,879 November of twenty sixteen, he is hired on at the 247 00:16:48,919 --> 00:16:54,399 Northwest Correctional Center, which is a woman's prison in Arkansas. 248 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:55,559 Speaker 3: So let's go to. 249 00:16:55,600 --> 00:17:01,559 Speaker 2: February twenty third of twenty seventeen. Remember that water company 250 00:17:01,799 --> 00:17:07,519 employee and firefighter James Appleton, Well, he shot on an 251 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:13,160 old country road in Benton County, Arkansas. He's shot in 252 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,640 the head at close range by a car as it 253 00:17:16,759 --> 00:17:19,440 passed him, and he was pulled off on the side 254 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:21,759 of the road. He was actually on the phone with 255 00:17:21,799 --> 00:17:25,400 his brother in law, who was the mayor at the 256 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:26,880 point that he was shot. 257 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 3: He died almost instantly. Now, a witness reported. 258 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 2: Seeing Appleton pulled over to the side of the road 259 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:41,519 as he passed Appleton. He gets in front of Appleton's 260 00:17:41,559 --> 00:17:44,359 truck heads on down the highway and he mentioned he 261 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:50,079 also noted a white sedan was pulled over behind Appleton 262 00:17:50,559 --> 00:17:52,079 on that same side of the road. 263 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 3: So this is a hilly part of the road. 264 00:17:55,079 --> 00:17:57,680 Speaker 2: And he goes up that hill and he goes to 265 00:17:58,039 --> 00:17:59,839 come down the other side of that hill, and he 266 00:18:00,079 --> 00:18:05,319 hears a shot indistinguishable from anything else. 267 00:18:05,519 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 3: It was a loud boom. 268 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 2: It concerned him so much that he actually turned his 269 00:18:11,599 --> 00:18:15,920 vehicle around and he headed back the way he was coming, 270 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:22,279 and he finds Appleton slumped over the driver's seat of 271 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:28,599 that truck, dead from a gunshot. Wing Now, he calls police. 272 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,799 Police arrive and they talked to this witness, and they 273 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,920 ask if he recognized the driver of the sedan or 274 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:41,359 the sedan itself that was behind Appleton's vehicle. And the 275 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,599 witness who had lived in the area his entire life, 276 00:18:44,759 --> 00:18:50,000 and do everyone there, he basically says, hell, yeah, that 277 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:54,359 was Grand Harden and he was one hundred percent sure 278 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:54,640 of it. 279 00:19:00,039 --> 00:19:01,599 Speaker 3: Did you see what happened in Texas today? 280 00:19:01,799 --> 00:19:04,279 Speaker 2: Wait before you tell me that, let me tell you 281 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:06,759 what happened in New York. It cannot be as crazy 282 00:19:06,759 --> 00:19:09,079 as the case I told you about yesterday in Louisiana. 283 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,039 Speaker 3: You know what we should do a podcast about it, 284 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:13,640 and with that we did. 285 00:19:13,839 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 2: Crime War Weekly covers the crime news headlines that have 286 00:19:16,519 --> 00:19:20,359 dominated the week. We cover trending crimes from all over 287 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:24,119 the country and even sprinkle in a few globally. Crime 288 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,400 War Weekly is available now wherever you listen to your podcasts, 289 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:31,279 simply by searching Crime War Weekly or clicking the link 290 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:42,000 in the description of this podcast. So police they immediately 291 00:19:42,519 --> 00:19:46,799 haul Harden in for questioning. And look, he's got a wife, 292 00:19:46,839 --> 00:19:50,720 he's got a young child, she's probably about twelve. 293 00:19:50,599 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 3: At this point, a young child. 294 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,599 Speaker 2: And he gets hauled into the police station and they 295 00:19:57,279 --> 00:19:59,279 were going to question him. And it had to be 296 00:19:59,319 --> 00:20:02,200 awkward because because they knew Harden. As a matter of fact, 297 00:20:02,279 --> 00:20:05,240 some of them have worked with Harden even though he 298 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:10,440 was policing in a different agency. They would back him 299 00:20:10,519 --> 00:20:13,319 up in the past, and he would back them up 300 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:18,480 in the past. So at the police station, almost immediately 301 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,559 Harden refuses to talk. 302 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 3: Listen to this. 303 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 8: Club, I mean, or would you be willing to talk 304 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,440 to me about your day knowing that I need to 305 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,079 rule you out of something, or like, I'm just I'm 306 00:20:30,079 --> 00:20:31,799 at a loss here and I need to I need 307 00:20:31,839 --> 00:20:34,839 to I need to clear you from something and if 308 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:36,559 you didn't do anything wrong today, you have nothing to 309 00:20:36,599 --> 00:20:39,200 worry about. And that's kind of where we're that's kind 310 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,599 of where we're at is I. 311 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:48,680 Speaker 4: Would have liked you before. Yeah, the right, So okay, 312 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:50,359 knowing what's going on. 313 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:53,559 Speaker 8: Yeah, yeah, And you understand as a detective we have 314 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:55,839 we read those rights to everybody who comes in here. 315 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,079 It's not just you, but when we interview you know, kids, 316 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:03,240 and it's everybody. Once you come into our facility, we 317 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:05,599 we that's something we have to do. It's not something 318 00:21:07,319 --> 00:21:09,680 it's not just something we're doing for you. It happens 319 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,079 to everybody that walks through this room and talks to us, 320 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:15,799 because I mean, you know, it's just like anything else 321 00:21:15,799 --> 00:21:17,359 that we do. We have to we have to cover 322 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,160 all of our bases. And that's what we did by 323 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,960 it by reading you those rights. So we need to know. 324 00:21:25,519 --> 00:21:26,359 I mean, does that make sense? 325 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 4: Like I don't. 326 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 8: I know, you've been a police officer for a while now, 327 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,559 so you've got you understand you know how how how 328 00:21:32,599 --> 00:21:36,599 everything works. And so I've got to rule you out 329 00:21:36,599 --> 00:21:38,920 as a suspect. And if I can't, you know, if 330 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:42,240 I can't do that, then where it stands. Still does 331 00:21:42,279 --> 00:21:42,880 that make sense? 332 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 3: Okay? 333 00:21:44,319 --> 00:21:46,640 Speaker 8: So where what happened to day? Where like, can you 334 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:48,400 walk me through your day about what happened today? 335 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:50,359 Speaker 6: I have to remain sidled. 336 00:21:50,599 --> 00:21:51,440 Speaker 3: Okay on that. 337 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 8: Okay, So your tell it right, Okay. So you're telling 338 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:56,400 me that you did do something today that was so 339 00:21:56,559 --> 00:21:56,880 was wrong? 340 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 3: Man? 341 00:21:58,400 --> 00:21:59,880 Speaker 8: Is that what I mean? Is that what I'm in that? 342 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:04,440 I mean, I'm just okay, So you're you just don't 343 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:05,720 want to talk to me because. 344 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:11,519 Speaker 6: I don't understand what. No, they snatched me up out 345 00:22:11,559 --> 00:22:15,079 there and didn't nobody told me anything. I don't understand. Okay, 346 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,599 what why I can't be told something? What's going on? 347 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:22,400 Speaker 8: And and uh okay, So virgin I guess my question 348 00:22:22,519 --> 00:22:25,279 is this knowing what I just told you? 349 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 4: Okay? 350 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 8: I guess if it was me and I was you know, 351 00:22:29,599 --> 00:22:31,400 if I was in your position, I'd be like, hey, James, 352 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,400 I didn't this. I was at or Grant, I did this. 353 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:35,319 I was at you know, here, here, here, and here, 354 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,359 and I would just be done with it and that 355 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:43,200 way you can get out of here. But at this point, 356 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:48,000 like I can't clear you from this because you could 357 00:22:48,039 --> 00:22:51,839 still be potentially be a suspect. Does that make sense? Like, 358 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:53,559 am I I don't know if I'm not explaining a 359 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:54,200 writer or. 360 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:54,880 Speaker 3: What was going on. 361 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 6: I just you once, once the rights have been granted, 362 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,519 I have to add it since I have the right 363 00:23:00,559 --> 00:23:05,960 to be silent. Yes, okay, I don't understand why I'm 364 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:06,599 a suspect. 365 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:11,680 Speaker 8: Felt Well, that's for me to know and for you 366 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,160 to tell me why you're not a suspect. We can 367 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,519 do this online. I mean, it doesn't bother me. You're 368 00:23:16,519 --> 00:23:18,440 going to continue to be a suspect until I find 369 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:19,640 out otherwhile. 370 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:25,039 Speaker 2: So as you can probably tell the male detective that 371 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:30,480 you hear speaking and questioning Harden. He did not geaw 372 00:23:30,799 --> 00:23:34,319 with Harden, to say the least, and after thirty to 373 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:38,400 forty five minutes or so, it was clear this male 374 00:23:38,559 --> 00:23:43,400 detective was getting nowhere with Grand Harden. But there was 375 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:46,720 another detective in that room that you didn't hear, a 376 00:23:46,759 --> 00:23:52,599 young female detective and her name was Nikana Cordero. She 377 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,240 was amazing and as a matter of fact, she had 378 00:23:56,319 --> 00:23:58,839 worked in the past with Harden. He had backed her 379 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:02,880 up as part of another department on some sort of 380 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:04,880 you know, calls that you would get in the middle 381 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:07,359 of the night that someone's breaking in the house or something. 382 00:24:07,759 --> 00:24:10,400 So they they have worked with each other in the past, 383 00:24:11,039 --> 00:24:15,599 and she provides one of the best interrogations that I 384 00:24:15,759 --> 00:24:19,759 have ever seen. I want you to listen to this club, 385 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:22,920 but I think then. 386 00:24:22,759 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 7: You could have You've dealt with a bad situation. 387 00:24:26,279 --> 00:24:27,640 Speaker 4: I just want to know what happened. 388 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 7: Sure, a lot of people are gonna want to know. 389 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:41,440 You know my answers socially, your family, I would. 390 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,279 Speaker 4: I do. I want to help you, that's the bad part. 391 00:24:48,039 --> 00:24:49,640 I want to help you figure it out. 392 00:24:52,519 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 7: All I can do is sit here and say, well, listen, 393 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,960 work it out with you, figure it out together. 394 00:24:59,519 --> 00:25:02,319 Speaker 4: But you have to be willing to talk to me 395 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:08,079 about it. I'm a pretty rare person. MM, pretty straight 396 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,400 your step. I know it's uncomfortable. 397 00:25:14,079 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 7: I know it's uncomfortable, and they're breaking and sitting in 398 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:20,319 a room by yourself with people that you worked with 399 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:29,680 in the past, knowing the situation. But like I said, 400 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,880 I wasn't there. You're the only one who can kind 401 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:34,279 of fill in the blanks at this point. 402 00:25:35,279 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 4: M alright, No, you don't have to talk to me, 403 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,640 but I'm willing to listen. 404 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 9: Right, we all make mistakes. We all get it put 405 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:59,440 in positions. We're all human, we all react a certain way. 406 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:08,839 Speaker 7: We all have emotions. Sometimes we over react. Sometimes we're 407 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:10,640 put in situations that we don't want to get putting 408 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:18,839 like I'd rather, you know, have met you again outside 409 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,680 having coffee so to see if you you. 410 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:22,880 Speaker 4: For the second time in year. 411 00:26:24,319 --> 00:26:31,039 Speaker 7: But I went off. I think you just made a 412 00:26:31,079 --> 00:26:35,480 mistake today, or somebody made a mistake today, And I think, do. 413 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:36,839 Speaker 10: You know what happened? 414 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:45,319 Speaker 4: I just want you to help you understand that, cause 415 00:26:45,359 --> 00:27:02,440 I really do. I wanna understand why I helpen HM. 416 00:26:56,119 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 11: And I think you know what I'm talking about. And 417 00:27:06,079 --> 00:27:08,400 I think you know that some things are gonna come out. 418 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,160 Speaker 7: And don't wanna be able to stand on your side 419 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,839 and say, hey, this is what happened. And he was 420 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:25,799 up front, he was honest, and he explained it and 421 00:27:25,839 --> 00:27:26,759 he cooperated. 422 00:27:27,119 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 4: Does he need a lawyer? HM? 423 00:27:30,759 --> 00:27:37,880 Speaker 12: So guy, you're talking about me, I think, honestly, I 424 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,640 think you're the only one who can make that call that. 425 00:27:41,759 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 4: I think you're an honest man. 426 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:50,920 Speaker 10: I think you've been an honest man. I think that's 427 00:27:51,039 --> 00:27:51,480 the best. 428 00:27:53,319 --> 00:27:55,799 Speaker 4: Well, not just gonna be quiet, man, be quiet. I 429 00:27:55,799 --> 00:27:58,759 don't keep talking. No, I'm serious. 430 00:27:58,839 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 10: So I think you're an honest man. 431 00:28:01,519 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 7: I think you've done a lot of good in your life. 432 00:28:10,599 --> 00:28:13,359 I'm done to spent your life helping others just like 433 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:19,839 I have. Now you've had something happen and you're trying 434 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:20,640 to figure it out. 435 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:22,319 Speaker 4: But how are you supposed to figure it out on 436 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:22,759 your own? 437 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 7: Like, why not? Let me help you figure it out. 438 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,759 Help me understand what happened today, so I can help 439 00:28:35,799 --> 00:28:42,680 you before everything else comes out, So there's an explanation 440 00:28:44,559 --> 00:28:48,359 instead of it just looking bad, cause I don't want 441 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:50,640 you to be You've portrayed like this horrible monster. 442 00:28:52,359 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 4: If you made a mistake, you made a mistake. You're 443 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:02,200 no different than anybody else. Everybody's humor. Trust me, I 444 00:29:02,359 --> 00:29:04,480 made plenty of mistake smiling. 445 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,839 Speaker 3: So she continued for well over an hour. 446 00:29:09,359 --> 00:29:13,119 Speaker 2: And this young detective, as you can probably tell, is good, 447 00:29:13,839 --> 00:29:19,319 soft voice, She doesn't appear threatening. She's there to help him. 448 00:29:19,839 --> 00:29:23,000 As a matter of fact, in this interrogation, she refers 449 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:28,079 to Harden's daughter several times, which is a tactic. And 450 00:29:28,279 --> 00:29:30,599 I mean, she was so good. I was almost ready 451 00:29:30,799 --> 00:29:34,160 to confess to that crime. And she got close to 452 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:38,400 getting Grant Harden to talk about the crime itself, but 453 00:29:38,519 --> 00:29:42,880 he never cracked, and toward the end he asked for 454 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:47,440 a lawyer, which is kind of the trump card for 455 00:29:48,599 --> 00:29:51,920 interrogators because once you ask for a lawyer, as a 456 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,599 police officer is over with, you gotta do what they 457 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:56,160 asked for. 458 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:01,039 Speaker 4: Do you want to talk to me? Can get a lawyer? 459 00:30:03,319 --> 00:30:03,519 Speaker 8: Yeah? 460 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:07,960 Speaker 10: I don't feel like I need to you. 461 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 4: Let's talk to you, but you can. 462 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 6: Obviously something's going on in an unique one. 463 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:20,839 Speaker 4: It's talk to you. I just wanna hear your side, 464 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:23,400 but I like to get a lawyer. 465 00:30:27,279 --> 00:30:27,559 Speaker 10: Okay. 466 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:32,279 Speaker 4: I can't give your advice on that. 467 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:40,119 Speaker 7: Okay, I can't talk to you anymore cause you ask 468 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:40,680 for eadware. 469 00:30:46,799 --> 00:30:51,119 Speaker 4: What I do want you to know is if you 470 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:56,240 change your mind, do you know my name? You can 471 00:30:56,279 --> 00:30:57,160 always ask for me. 472 00:30:58,359 --> 00:30:59,119 Speaker 10: Okay? 473 00:30:59,279 --> 00:31:01,839 Speaker 4: Do you have to be one too? Three? 474 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:07,839 Speaker 10: Re established that? Okay? All right, key stand up for me, 475 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:16,440 go ahead, turn off. 476 00:31:16,519 --> 00:31:17,359 Speaker 7: Jack is out. 477 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 10: He murders. 478 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 2: So as you heard grand Harden, lawyers up and he's arrested. 479 00:31:27,519 --> 00:31:29,960 In the voice, let's go back to the voice. I 480 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:32,279 haven't talked about that yet, but did you hear it? 481 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:40,079 Very distinctive, almost childlike his voice. Remember that rape from 482 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:45,519 years earlier, when the assailant was concerned about his voice. Well, 483 00:31:46,599 --> 00:31:49,039 if you haven't figured it out yet, Grant Harden has 484 00:31:49,079 --> 00:31:53,759 a very unique voice, especially for his size. This is 485 00:31:53,799 --> 00:31:59,480 a big man and he talks like a child, and 486 00:31:59,559 --> 00:32:02,559 so that stand out to anybody that knew him. And 487 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:06,160 I guess that's why the assailant was so concerned. And 488 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,240 we'll get into that later. But he does get arrested 489 00:32:09,359 --> 00:32:12,960 for this murder. He is arraigned, This is in late 490 00:32:13,039 --> 00:32:16,799 February of twenty seventeen, and he pleads not guilty. 491 00:32:17,039 --> 00:32:20,559 Speaker 3: Nothing to lose. You always plead not guilty. 492 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 2: In an arraignment, and then they assigned bond. But in 493 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:28,839 the case of Grand Harden, they denied bond. He was 494 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:32,000 going to have to stay in jail till his trial. 495 00:32:32,599 --> 00:32:35,559 And it wasn't long after that that Harden and his 496 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:37,960 defense team they had time to look over all the 497 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:43,880 evidence that prosecutors had and they realized prosecutors had a 498 00:32:44,119 --> 00:32:48,079 massive amount of evidence related to this shooting. So on 499 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:54,880 October sixteenth of twenty seventeen in Benton County, Harden enters 500 00:32:55,119 --> 00:32:59,079 a guilty Police Now that doesn't come without an agreement 501 00:32:59,319 --> 00:33:03,759 of some sored, and that agreement included a recommended sentence 502 00:33:03,839 --> 00:33:07,240 of thirty years in prison with all of his appeal 503 00:33:07,319 --> 00:33:13,200 rights waived. During this plea hearing, Harden actually addressed the 504 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:17,799 Appleton family directly stating, quote, I don't know how to 505 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:22,960 express it, but I'm sorry, unquote. He is then sentenced 506 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:27,119 to thirty years in prison, to be served at the 507 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:31,799 North Central Unit Prison. This is in Calico Rock, Arkansas. 508 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:36,119 So while grand Harden is acclimating to life behind bars, 509 00:33:36,519 --> 00:33:41,079 on February twelfth of twenty eighteen, the Arkansas Crime Lab 510 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:45,759 has collected his DNA and they're now going to enter 511 00:33:45,799 --> 00:33:50,440 it into cutis that database which this is done in 512 00:33:50,559 --> 00:33:55,400 Arkansas and most other states with every new inmate that 513 00:33:55,559 --> 00:34:01,400 gets put into prison. But guess what it hits as 514 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:05,640 a match to the seamen that that elementary school teacher 515 00:34:06,079 --> 00:34:10,000 wiped on her shirt way back in nineteen ninety seven. 516 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:16,519 Grant Harden was indeed the ripest of teacher Amy Harrison. 517 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:21,679 So the police they announce this DNA link publicly and 518 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:25,480 he is charged with two counts of rape while already 519 00:34:25,519 --> 00:34:27,079 in prison for murder. 520 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:28,840 Speaker 3: And he's really dead. 521 00:34:28,639 --> 00:34:33,400 Speaker 2: To rights right this DNA evidence it's ninety nine point 522 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:38,039 nine nine percent positive, and rather than go to trial, 523 00:34:38,519 --> 00:34:43,800 Harden pleads guilty this is on February eighth of twenty nineteen, 524 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:46,960 to those two counts of rape, and he sentenced to 525 00:34:47,039 --> 00:34:51,800 an additional twenty five years per count to run consecutive. 526 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,119 Speaker 3: So it's a total of fifty years. Now. 527 00:34:55,159 --> 00:35:00,960 Speaker 2: All told, Grant Harden now has to spend eighty years 528 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:02,679 in prison, and that's. 529 00:35:02,519 --> 00:35:03,880 Speaker 3: A long time. 530 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:07,760 Speaker 2: That's a lifetime in fact, for Grant Harden to never 531 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:11,440 see life outside of prison again. He would spend the 532 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:15,760 rest of his life behind bars, or would he so? 533 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:19,719 By May of twenty twenty five, Harden was still in 534 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:24,440 that North Central unit. It's a medium security prison. But Harden, 535 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:28,119 at this point fifty six years old, he wasn't just 536 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:33,400 going to ride behind bars. Drawing on his law enforcement background, 537 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:38,679 he began plotting an escape that would honestly expose some 538 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:43,639 glaring flaws in the prison system and trigger a twelve 539 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:48,039 day man hunt. So Harden's scheme takes root in the 540 00:35:48,079 --> 00:35:51,920 prison's kitchen, where he had been assigned a work detail. 541 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,920 And everybody wants to work in the kitchen, that's the 542 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:55,800 place to work. 543 00:35:56,159 --> 00:35:59,039 Speaker 3: In prisons. He somehow managed to get that. 544 00:35:59,159 --> 00:36:03,679 Speaker 2: Job, and for six long months he observed the routines 545 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:07,400 of guards and inmates a light and he would note 546 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:09,639 in his mind there was kind of a lack of 547 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:16,719 security around lunchtimes and kitchen times in general that were 548 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:20,000 unique to that area of the prison. So the kitchen 549 00:36:20,079 --> 00:36:23,480 kind of became his learning ground, and he would actually 550 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:31,000 steal black sharpies from all around the facility. And the 551 00:36:31,039 --> 00:36:35,840 reason that he did this was he would painstakingly die 552 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:42,840 an inmate uniform and a kitchen apron in deep black 553 00:36:43,079 --> 00:36:49,000 from that sharpie marker to mimic a correctional officer's uniform, 554 00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:53,679 which were all black. He then fashioned a makeshift badge 555 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:57,880 from a soup can lead in the cover of a bible, 556 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:01,639 and he would polish it to give it a certain 557 00:37:01,679 --> 00:37:04,440 detail where at a slight glance. 558 00:37:04,119 --> 00:37:05,800 Speaker 3: It would look like a real badge. 559 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:09,840 Speaker 2: Then he would put on his newly dyed black pants, 560 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:14,239 a black T shirt, and a black baseball cap. 561 00:37:14,119 --> 00:37:17,519 Speaker 3: That he managed to get his hands on. To complete his. 562 00:37:17,559 --> 00:37:22,239 Speaker 2: Disguise, Harden even smuggled out small amounts of food and 563 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:26,880 distilled water from his seapat machine, and he would stash 564 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:30,159 them for his escape, and he chose May twenty fifth 565 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:34,239 of twenty twenty five, which was a rainy Sunday, because 566 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:37,239 he had ever heard staff discussing a new policy that 567 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:42,119 made Titan kitchen access soon he knew it's time to 568 00:37:42,159 --> 00:37:45,719 make my escape. The weather was perfect that day because 569 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:50,760 it would muffle sounds and it would reduce outdoor activity 570 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:54,559 from the staff from the correctional officers, and he felt 571 00:37:54,599 --> 00:37:57,920 like that would give him an edge. And that afternoon, 572 00:37:58,199 --> 00:38:01,400 at one point fifty eight pm, he felt like that 573 00:38:01,559 --> 00:38:05,639 was the time to jet. He was allowed some unsupervised 574 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,960 access to the kitchen's back loading dock by one of 575 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:14,679 the prison employees, which incidentally was a major violation of protocol. 576 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:19,679 An hour would tick by as he prepared for his escape. 577 00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:23,199 At two point fifty three pm, he was disguised in 578 00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:27,199 that homemade uniform and he's pushing a cart loaded with 579 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:30,519 a box in wooden pilots and that was kind of 580 00:38:30,559 --> 00:38:33,880 to obscure the stuff he was bringing with him, and 581 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,639 he approached the Sallyport gate. He signals up to the 582 00:38:37,639 --> 00:38:41,760 control tower to open the gate in another employee, failing 583 00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:47,199 to verify the identity of Harden. He opens the gate 584 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:51,800 he assumed this was a legitimate officer. First glance, it 585 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:57,039 looked like a legitimate officer in Harden. He just strolled 586 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:00,760 right out of the freaking gate, very casually, and he 587 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:05,920 vanishes into the dent woods that surrounded that prison. 588 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,360 Speaker 3: It was a brazen walk to freedom, y'all. 589 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:12,719 Speaker 2: And you could tell by the way he did it 590 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:16,800 he was someone that knew how to walk like a 591 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:21,840 police officer because he used to be one. Now back inside, 592 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:26,440 at about three h eight pm, they noticed this is 593 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:29,239 only this is a little over ten minutes later, but 594 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:34,519 correctional officers noticed Grant Harden's missing. But it wasn't until 595 00:39:34,599 --> 00:39:39,119 three forty pm that they initiated a full lockdown. And 596 00:39:39,119 --> 00:39:43,199 that's basically these correctional officers realizing this guy's dounehauled ass 597 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:45,000 and we want to find him before we have to 598 00:39:45,039 --> 00:39:48,079 report this to a lieutenant because we're going to get 599 00:39:48,079 --> 00:39:50,880 fired over it. But at three forty they realize we 600 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:51,639 can't find. 601 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:55,480 Speaker 3: This sucker anywhere. By then, he had a pretty good 602 00:39:55,599 --> 00:39:59,159 head start. And this is the Ozarks, y'all. This is some. 603 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:03,639 Speaker 2: Unforgive being terrain, and he had about an hour head start. 604 00:40:04,199 --> 00:40:09,199 Authorities launch an immediate man hunt and imagine the press 605 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:12,679 this is going to generate. This is a murderer and 606 00:40:12,719 --> 00:40:16,239 a rapist that just walked out of your prison. They 607 00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:20,239 got tracking dogs, local sheriffs showed up, state police, the 608 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:25,719 Border patrol, even and the search spanned a huge mountainous 609 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:29,880 region full of caves, full of hiding spots, There's a 610 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:33,360 lot of water, creeks, etc. That he could get the 611 00:40:33,519 --> 00:40:39,679 scent off of himself. Helicopters were buzzing overhead. They were 612 00:40:39,679 --> 00:40:44,840 looking everywhere for Grand Harden and for twelve grueling days, 613 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:50,679 hardened somehow manages to evade capture. Now he survived on 614 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:55,800 the bare minimum that's available in the wilderness, berries, raw 615 00:40:55,840 --> 00:41:00,360 eggs taken from birds nests, and he even ate amps 616 00:41:00,519 --> 00:41:04,400 for protein. And he did have some rations that he 617 00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:07,679 had smuggled out of the prison as well. And this 618 00:41:08,159 --> 00:41:12,079 wilderness was also rain soaked, so it was hard for 619 00:41:12,119 --> 00:41:15,440 the dogs to track him, and he managed to stay 620 00:41:15,599 --> 00:41:19,719 one step ahead. However, on June sixth of twenty twenty five, 621 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:23,920 around four o'clock pm, tracking dogs pick up a cent 622 00:41:24,679 --> 00:41:28,440 near Moccason Creek, which is only about one and. 623 00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:31,039 Speaker 3: A half miles northwest of the prison. 624 00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 2: Law enforcement closes in hardened attempts to run. He bolts 625 00:41:36,119 --> 00:41:40,320 through an underbrush, but officers see him and tackle him 626 00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:45,159 to the ground, and the man hunt was over. Harden 627 00:41:45,599 --> 00:41:50,440 was backing handcuffs and headed back to prison. Now, of course, 628 00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:56,440 in the aftermath, investigators found some pretty big systematic failures 629 00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:59,920 that shouldn't have occurred, and two prison employees were fired, 630 00:42:00,519 --> 00:42:05,280 one for allowing the unsupervised doc access and the other 631 00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:09,000 for opening the gate that he walked out of without 632 00:42:09,079 --> 00:42:13,360 identifying him first. And Harden himself would face some pretty 633 00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:18,079 swift justice for his escape. On February seventeenth of twenty 634 00:42:18,119 --> 00:42:21,719 twenty six, only a couple of weeks from this recording, 635 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:27,320 he pleaded guilty to second degree escape in Izard County 636 00:42:27,639 --> 00:42:33,280 Circuit Court, and he received an additional thirteen years to 637 00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:38,679 be served consecutive with his other sentence, and then he 638 00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:44,800 was transferred to what's known as Varner Supermax Prison in Gould, Arkansas, 639 00:42:45,320 --> 00:42:50,159 where he now resides in maximum security. So all told, 640 00:42:50,719 --> 00:42:55,719 he now has ninety three years in prison, increasing from 641 00:42:55,840 --> 00:42:58,199 eighty years that he originally had. 642 00:42:58,039 --> 00:43:00,079 Speaker 3: Prior to his escape. 643 00:43:00,239 --> 00:43:05,440 Speaker 2: But now that is all in a supermax facility, and 644 00:43:05,519 --> 00:43:09,239 I'm comfortable saying he will never taste the free world 645 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:12,440 again because you ain't escaping from a supermax no way. 646 00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:15,599 So there you have it, the story of what is 647 00:43:15,679 --> 00:43:19,719 widely considered the most dangerous inmate in Arkansas, and that 648 00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:25,760 is Grant Harden, the devil in the Ozarks. Thank you 649 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:29,719 so much for listening. I'll be back next week with 650 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:33,320 another episode of fifty Shades of Evil. Not sure what 651 00:43:33,519 --> 00:43:35,679 state I'm going to go to. I'll decide that in 652 00:43:35,719 --> 00:43:39,559 the next couple of days, but until then, check out 653 00:43:39,559 --> 00:43:44,440 the Patreon Patreon dot com slash Bloody Andngola podcast, And 654 00:43:44,559 --> 00:43:48,000 until next time for Bloody and Gola, I'm Jim Chapman. 655 00:43:48,599 --> 00:44:00,360 Speaker 3: Much love, h. 656 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:15,519 Speaker 1: A Wall Street line, shackle change, Oh gluesome gird, it's 657 00:44:15,599 --> 00:44:22,000 calling my name. There is no mercy and it's been 658 00:44:22,199 --> 00:44:29,960 a tentery juice as the hill Stream game Rango three. 659 00:44:32,159 --> 00:44:37,239 Speaker 7: I'm here behind by mere or die. 660 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:43,719 Speaker 1: Inside these walls, inside the wild. 661 00:44:45,679 --> 00:44:50,320 Speaker 3: Han't went more girls, I know it's so. 662 00:44:55,679 --> 00:44:57,119 Speaker 1: Bloody angle 663 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:04,119 Speaker 7: Body had tol