Bloodhounds began tracking the scent immediately after the Ozark Devil escaped from a facility in northern Arkansas. The dogs didn’t have to travel far to start their search, as they are part of a specialized unit utilizing canines to help locate fugitives.
The scent trail of convicted murderer Grant Hardin was obscured by heavy rainfall, but experts assert that even days following the Sunday escape, the dog’s exceptional olfactory senses can still detect fresh trails.
This remarkable ability stems from approximately 300 million scent receptors in their noses, which amplify their smelling capabilities, as explained by Terry Heck, a bloodhound handler and trainer in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
They possess broad nostrils to capture scents and long ears that help sweep the scent towards them as they run. Their drool also aids in enhancing the scent, according to Heck.
The Bloodhound is renowned for its relentless tracking abilities, noted Brian Tierney, president of the National Police Bloodhound Association. They are currently playing a significant role in locating Hardin on the sixth day of the manhunt.
Police set up a checkpoint searching for fugitive Grant Hardin near downtown Carico Rock on Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP Photo/Nicolas Ingram)
The accuracy of a Bloodhound is so remarkable that it can differentiate between the scents of identical twins, stated Stephanie White, who facilitates a training seminar at the Florida Public Safety Institute at Tallahassee State University. Dogs undergo various training scenarios, she noted, ranging from wooded environments to urban concrete and water areas.
These dogs also play a crucial role in saving lives, as demonstrated by a young bloodhound in Maine recently. According to local police, Millie, a 10-month-old hound, successfully located a 5-year-old autistic girl who had gone missing from her home on May 16. The dog found the girl sitting in a swamp, with authorities commending Millie’s dedication and “remarkable nose” for helping to rescue her.
Bloodhounds are known for their independence—critical in search operations. “During challenging searches, they don’t seek assistance,” Tierney elaborated.
Inclement weather has posed challenges in the search for Hardin, who fled Calico Rock Prison after being sentenced to 30 years for murder.
The Hounds picked up Hardin’s scent, but heavy rainfall soon disrupted the trail, according to state prison spokesman Land Champion. The tracking effort covered less than a mile before the Bloodhounds lost the trail, leading to uncertainty about which direction Hardin may have taken after that.
Bloodhounds often raise attention when they identify a scent. However, the prison system also employs various other breeds of dogs for locating missing children and vulnerable individuals, which tend to be friendly and welcoming upon locating those they seek, Champion mentioned.
The lengths fugitives will go to confuse bloodhounds
Fugitives are known to use extreme measures to throw off tracking dogs, Tierney stated.
In 2015, two convicted murderers escaped from a maximum-security prison in upstate New York, carrying with them containers of black and cayenne pepper intended to obstruct the dogs that would likely pursue them after their escape. During the subsequent manhunt, one fugitive was shot and killed, while another was wounded but captured.
Hardin’s troubled history with law enforcement
Thirty-five years ago, Hardin faced difficulties in his initial role as a police officer in Fayetteville, located near the University of Arkansas. His supervisor reported that he was terminated from the Fayetteville Police Department but continued to work for various law enforcement agencies in northwest Arkansas.
Upon his appointment as police chief for the small town of Gateway in 2016, he was noted for chasing vehicles without cause, as recounted by Cheryl Tillman, the town’s current mayor, in the documentary “The Devil in the Ozarks.”
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Seattle Associated Press Writer Harry Golden contributed to this report.
Source: apnews.com