Attorneys seek to have some charges dismissed against Hardin in Rogers rape case

 Grant Matthew Hardin
Grant Matthew Hardin

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

Grant Hardin, 49, is charged with three counts of rape, sexual abuse and kidnapping. He previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was in court Monday for a hearing in his case.

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.

Carrie Dobbs, deputy prosecutor, told the judge they plan to file a response to Lammers' motion.

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

Lammers also told the judge they're still waiting to receive data from the Arkansas 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 state obtained Hardin's DNA after he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in October.

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.

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. Hardin admitted Oct. 16 to shooting and killing Appleton, 59, while he sat in his pickup on Feb. 23, 2017.

Hardin was the Gateway police chief from January to May 2016. He also was once an elected constable in Benton County, and he worked as a police officer for at least three departments.

NW News on 07/17/2018

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