An escaped Tennessee inmate convicted of murdering a co-worker stole a truck from a nearby farm and apparently made it to southern Illinois before abandoning it, authorities said Tuesday.
Jacob Morley, who was serving a life sentence for killing a co-worker four years ago, was found to be missing from the Northwest Correctional Complex late on Sunday.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released surveillance video from the farm, which is near Tiptonville and about a 2-mile (3-kilometer) walk through fields from the prison, showing Morley open the truck’s unlocked driver’s side door and drive off at about 1 a.m. Monday.
Firefighters in Hornbeak, about 12 miles (19 kilometers) east of the farm, said on social media that investigators confirmed their cameras captured footage of the truck driving by their station about 15 minutes later.
The truck was found abandoned Tuesday in Marion, Illinois, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) north of the prison and roughly 90 miles (145 kilometers) southeast of St. Louis.
Marion Police Chief David Fitts said the truck appeared to be left neatly parked behind a shopping center at 4 a.m. Tuesday, according to surveillance video. Someone reported it to police at about 11 a.m. Tennessee investigators said Morley still hasn’t been found.
