Grant Hardin confessed to shooting a man in the head while the man was sitting in a pickup in 2017. This admission led to his conviction for murder and also resulted in him being accused of a two-decade-old sexual assault. Despite his history as a police officer, Hardin has maintained his innocence in the rape case. His trial for this case is set to start on February 11, preceded by a pretrial hearing.

Prosecutors allege that in November 1997, when Hardin was 28, he raped a schoolteacher in Rogers who was working on a Sunday morning. This was a period when Hardin's law enforcement career was dwindling; he had been dismissed from the Fayetteville Police Department, left the Huntsville department, and resigned from the Eureka Springs department after being accused of filing a false report.

The schoolteacher from Frank Tillery Elementary School reported arriving at the school early in the morning and going to the restroom around 11:30 a.m. She stated that a man with a gun forced her back into the teacher's lounge, where he assaulted her and then escaped. This account is supported by police reports.

The perpetrator was meticulous in his actions, wearing a stocking cap and sunglasses, but notably no shoes. He was careful to avoid touching any surfaces and at one point covered the victim's face with her own pants, taking her underwear as well. This level of caution led police to speculate that the assailant might have had training in law enforcement.

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