Teacher-assault suspect wants some charges dropped

BENTONVILLE -- Defense attorneys for a convicted killer and former Gateway police chief seek to have some of the charges he faces in connection with the 1997 rape of a Rogers schoolteacher dropped.

Grant Hardin, 49, is charged with three counts of rape, sexual abuse and kidnapping. He has pleaded innocent to the charges.

He was in court Monday for a hearing.

Kevin Lammers, one of Hardin's attorneys, filed a motion requesting the sexual abuse and kidnapping charges be dismissed. The motion claims the statute of limitations for the kidnapping and sexual abuse charges ran out Nov. 10, 2000, prohibiting prosecution for those crimes.

Circuit Judge Robin Green scheduled a hearing on the issue for Aug. 13.

Lammers also told the judge that attorneys are waiting to receive data from the state Crime Laboratory. Dobbs said her office recently received Crime Lab documents and will make sure Hardin's attorneys receive the information.

Rogers Police Chief Hayes Minor said DNA from the rape linked Hardin to the case.

The teacher was at the school 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.

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 limitation 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.

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State Desk on 07/19/2018

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