Murders disrupt the fabric of small communities: Gateway, Arkansas, was one such community. This 2017 murder of the ever-genial James Lee Appleton sent shockwaves through the town; imagine their horror at discovering that the local police officer was…
Grant Hardin, 48, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. He was arrested after killing James Appleton, 59. Appleton was well-known locally as a volunteer firefighter. Investigators say Appleton was sitting in his car on the side of th road when Hardin pulled up next to him and shot him in the head. “Officers later conducted a search of the defendant’s home, his vehicle and found physical evidence of the murder on his vehicle,” said Benton County Prosecutor Nathan Smith. Originally facing a capital murder charge, Hardin agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a reduced charge of first-degree murder. As part of the plea deal, Hardin was given 30 years plus 10 suspended. “There is no plea agreement that is ever enough for a person murdering someone in cold blood, which is what happened in this case so what you try to do is structure an outcome that will be justice and that will help the victim’s family heal,” Smith said. After the deal was accepted by a judge, Hardin said, “I just want to say I’m sorry.” His attorney said Hardin is aware he ruined two families. The judge ordered Hardin to have no contact with the Appleton family. Appleton’s murder came as a shock to the community. “We were heartbroken, I mean we used to see him check our water, he would say hi to everybody, you know, he was a good guy,” said Melissa Townsend, who works in nearby Garfield. Smith believes Hardin and Appleton knew each other prior to the murder but says the motive remains a mystery. “I think the why it happened, only Grant knows that and he lacked the courage to say it,” Smith explained. For more information on the shooting, click here. Report courtesy of KNWA.
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS- Rain pitter-patters on the roof of a pawn and bait shop in Gateway, Arkansas where the population barely rises above 400. “Maybe five businesses here,” Sharon Barnett says, peering out the window of her shop. From the front porch, she keeps an eye on the small town she’s grown to love. “Small town, small people, you know?” Barnett says with a laugh. Gateway sits in the northeast corner of Benton County. It’s winding, two-lane roads creep near the Missouri border. Neighboring communities get even more desolate. Cows seem to outnumber people. It was along one of those rural roads in early 2017, Sharon’s comfortable corner of the world was shattered. Her brother, James Appleton, was found shot dead in his Gateway town work truck. The water employee had been shot in the face. He was an awesome brother,” Barnett says. “I mean he’s just that type of a brother that would bend over to help anybody.” Moments after the deadly shot, deputies at the scene needed help finding a suspect. A name surfaced at the scene: Grant Hardin. The name carried weight in the town. After all, he was the town’s former police chief with a polka-dotted career in law enforcement all across northwest Arkansas. Hours after the first call went out, Grant Hardin was later seen being placed in handcuffs on dash camera footage. “He’s certainly a very manipulative person,” Nathan Smith says. Smith is the prosecuting attorney for Benton County who worked the case. As evidence piled up, Hardin pleaded guilty to the murder of James Appleton in exchange for a 30-year prison sentence. As Hardin was booked into a state prison, the Arkansas Department of Correction submitted his DNA sample into a database, which then unlocked a key to a cold case: a teacher’s rape in Rogers in 1997. It sent shockwaves through the community. “It was proven to be Mr. Hardin beyond all scientific certainty,” Smith says. Hardin’s DNA matched the DNA linked to the rape suspect who sexually assaulted Amy Harrison at Frank Tillery Elementary as she prepared a lesson plan for the week on a Sunday while a church service was held in the cafeteria. The case had been cold for the better part of two decades. Hardin ended up pleading guilty to the rape in 2019. The man who worked as a police officer, a police chief, a county constable and a corrections officer had found himself on the wrong side of the law. “Grant Hardin, in my view and in my personal experience, is one of the most dangerous people that I ever seen for the reason that he does not at first appear that way,” Smith says. “He is a man capable of a seemingly random, horrific murder as well as a random horrific rape.” The teacher from 1997, Amy Harrison spoke to a crowd of media members the day it was announced Hardin’s DNA was a match. “I’m not sure that forgiveness is the word that I could use,” Harrison said at a podium. “I guess just…settled. He’s where he needs to be. I’m where I need to be, and I will move on.” But, just 15 miles away, rain falls outside that familiar pawn and bait shop in Gateway. “The first thought that came to my mind, I thought: It took a dead man to get a DNA.” Sharon Barnett says of her murdered brother, James Appleton. Like the rain, tears still fall across the street from the Gateway city park where Appleton’s face is seen smiling on a plaque. The park has been named in his honor. “You’ve got to move on because life goes on,” Barnett says. “And, you know, the Lord is going to get us through it. He will. He’s done a good job so far.” Watch Part 1 and 2 on KARK 4 News at 10 April 30 and May 1.
BENTONVILLE -- A former Gateway police chief admitted he killed a man, but his motive remains a mystery. "I don't know how to say it, but I do want to say I'm sorry," Grant Hardin of Garfield said moments after he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder Monday. Hardin, 48, was sentenced to 30 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. He was charged with capital murder and agreed to plead to the lesser murder charge. Shane Wilkinson, Hardin's attorney, reached the agreement with Benton County prosecutor Nathan Smith. Circuit Judge Robin Green questioned Hardin about his rights, and Hardin said he was not coerced into accepting the plea agreement. Hardin shot James Appleton, 59, of Gateway in the head while he sat in his parked pickup Feb. 23, according to court documents. A witness told police he saw Hardin, whom he has known his whole life, in a white car behind Appleton's pickup. The man said he heard a loud bang as he drove past the two vehicles, then looked back and saw Appleton's body, according to documents. Appleton's family and friends filled at least four rows in the courtroom. Some of them wiped away tears during the plea hearing. Appleton's son, Brian, described the impact the murder has had on his family. He said his father was a loving and caring friend, father and grandfather. Green told Hardin that many of Appleton's family members were in court, and she wanted to know if Hardin had anything to say to them. Hardin did not want to say anything, but Wilkinson said Hardin was remorseful for the killing and understood his actions had destroyed two families: His and Appleton's. Green told Hardin that she was going to issue a no-contact order to prevent Hardin from having any contact with Appleton's family members, so Monday's hearing would be Hardin's last chance to address the family. Hardin apologized to the family, but he gave no explanation or reason for killing Appleton. Green said, "Many of us, including myself, are puzzled by this senseless killing." "I wish I knew the motive," Smith said after the hearing. "Grant Hardin is the only one that knows. He did not have the courage to tell it." Smith said Hardin and Appleton knew each other. "I'm glad for the sake of both families that his case is over," Wilkinson said. Hardin must serve at least 21 years in prison before he will be eligible for parole. He must abide by a suspended sentence agreement for 10 years after his release from prison. Hardin received 236 days of credit for the time he's spent in the Benton County jail since his arrest. He must pay $420 in associated court costs.
 County records show Hardin served two terms, from 2009-10 and 2013-14, as constable for Benton County District 1. He also has worked at the Northwest Arkansas Community Correction Center in Fayetteville, according to court documents. Metro on 10/17/2017
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Shattered: Do You Know My Voice?’ delves into a true-crime case so baffling that not even the people close to the matter believed it until the piling evidence just got too much to ignore. From how a cruel offender managed to lead a double life for decades to his ultimate downfall, this episode highlights it all by exploring the brutal 2017 murder of James Appleton. So now, if you’re curious to know all the details about his death and its spiraling aftermath, we’ve got you covered. How Did James Appleton Die?Born on November 14, 1957, in Merriam, Kansas, James Lee Appleton was the kind, bright, and caring son of Jack and Gwen (Gunnels) Appleton. After finishing his education at Southwest High School in 1975, he spent over 27 years at Emerson Electric as a Supervisor before serving another 12 years as a carpenter. However, in the 2010s, James managed to get a position in the Gateway Rural Water Authority and served the Arkansas city that’d become his home. That’s when he lost his life in the blink of an eye. On February 23, 2017, the 59-year-old city worker was sitting in his truck, speaking to his brother-in-law on the phone, when a car pulled up beside him. According to witnesses, a sole man then pulled the trigger on James through the windows of their vehicles and immediately sped away. By the time the first responders arrived at the scene, though, it was already too late. James had passed from the single gunshot wound straight to his face. Thus, began the investigations into his cold-blooded homicide. Who Killed James Appleton?Thanks to the witnesses, a name quickly came to light, but it raised some eyebrows because of how prominent he was in society. Grant Hardin was identified as the assailant, with his professional trajectory making it seem almost impossible. After all, he was once a constable in Benton County, a police officer in Fayetteville, Huntsville, and Eureka Springs, and was also the former Police Chief of Gateway. Moreover, at the time of his arrest, Grant worked at the Northwest Arkansas Community Correction Center. Apart from the testimonies, the other significant aspect against Grant was the fact that his wife admitted that she thought he was out, working in the yard, at the time of the crime. In simpler words, he had no solid alibi. With that, on October 16, 2017, the then-48-year-old former law enforcement officer pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. He refused to reveal his motive, yet some speculate that he had come across James due to their jobs at some point in time, eventually leading to the seemingly senseless crime. Where is Grant Hardin Now?When Grant Hardin was standing in court to face the consequences of his actions, a judge repeatedly asked him if he wished to make a statement to his victim’s family to help ease their pain. However, he only responded, “I don’t know how to say it, but I’m sorry.” Thus, owing to his confession, he received a comparatively mild 30-year sentence in prison. It subsequently came to light that Grant had also sexually assaulted an elementary school teacher in November 1997, when he was 28 and in the police force. As per the teacher’s initial complaint, her attacker held a gun as he forced himself on her in the school’s teacher’s lounge on that ominous day. He wore a stocking cap and sunglasses with no shoes and was extremely careful about not touching any surface. He also ensured to cover her face during the act. This particular move made authorities suspect the possible involvement of someone who knew how the police worked such cases. Yet, Grant had ejaculated, so DNA did link him to the crime. In February 2019, Grant Matthew Hardin pleaded guilty to two counts of rape as well. He was sentenced to 25 years on each of the rape counts, meaning that his total penalty went from 30 years behind bars to 30 plus an additional 50 years. As per his plea deal, he’ll have to serve 21 years (out of the 30 years) for murder and 14 years (7 each) for assault before he can even be eligible for parole. Therefore, today, in his 50s, he’s incarcerated at the minimum to medium-security North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas. Read More: Where is Grant Hardin’s Wife Now? |
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