Former Arkansas police chief pleads innocent to rape of school teacher

Grant Matthew Hardin
Grant Matthew Hardin

BENTONVILLE -- A former police chief pleaded innocent Monday to the 1997 rape of a Rogers school teacher.

Grant Hardin, 49, is charged with three counts of rape, sexual abuse and kidnapping. He entered the plea during his arraignment before Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green.

Hardin's arrest came after police said DNA linked him to the case. The state obtained Hardin's DNA after he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in October.

The sample matched DNA from the rape case, according to Rogers Police Chief Hayes Minor.

The teacher was at the school on Sunday, Nov. 9, 1997, preparing for the week's classes while a church service was being held in the cafeteria.

About 11:30 a.m., the teacher decided to use the restroom. A man wearing a knit stocking cap and sunglasses brandished a pistol, raped her and fled, according to a news release.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m. May 21.

Benton County prosecutor Nathan Smith said he has six banker boxes of material to turn over to Hardin's attorneys.

Rogers police obtained a warrant in 2003 for a "John Doe" suspect in the case. A John Doe warrant is an arrest warrant for an individual whose name isn't known. The statute of limitations for rape in Arkansas is six years, and the warrant was filed before time expired.

Hardin is serving a 30-year prison sentence for the 2017 killing of James Appleton. Hardin admitted Oct. 16, 2017, to shooting and killing Appleton, 59, while he sat in his pickup on Feb. 23, 2017.

Hardin was being held in the Benton County jail. The judge granted a request from Benton County Chief Public Defender Jay Saxton, Hardin's attorney, to allow Hardin to be transported back to the Arkansas Department of Correction.

Hardin was the Gateway police chief from January to May 2016.

He filed a motion last week seeking to withdraw his murder plea. Hardin claims in his petition he told Shane Wilkinson, his attorney, from the day of the plea through Oct. 19 he wanted to withdraw his plea. He states Wilkinson told him there are no allowances by law to withdraw the plea.

Prosecutors have not filed a response to Hardin's motion.

ADVERTISEMENT

More headlines

Metro on 04/03/2018

Upcoming Events