An escaped Tennessee prison inmate who had been the focus of an extensive manhunt across Southern Illinois has been captured in Missouri.
28-year-old Jacob Allen Morley was taken into custody late Tuesday morning near Norborne, Missouri, (Kansas City area) ending a search that began following his escape from a Tennessee correctional facility on October 25th.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Morley was arrested at approximately 11:34 a.m. in Carroll County, Missouri, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies.
The arrest came just hours after Williamson County Sheriff’s Deputies investigated the theft of a farm truck southwest of Marion, Illinois.
Deputies responded to the stolen vehicle report at approximately 7:34 Tuesday morning. Investigators determined that Morley had stolen a white 2005 Ford pickup truck used for farming operations.
Evidence gathered during the investigation indicated Morley had left Southern Illinois. Authorities immediately shared information about his movements with state and federal law enforcement agencies.
Missouri authorities say Tennessee investigators contacted the Missouri Information Analysis Center earlier Tuesday after information obtained through Flock license plate recognition technology suggested Morley might be traveling through Missouri.
Morley had escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, where he was serving a life sentence for murdering a coworker.
Following his escape, Morley reportedly stole a vehicle in Tennessee and traveled into Southern Illinois.
Surveillance footage showed that vehicle being abandoned in Marion at approximately 4:40 a.m. on October 26th. Marion Police discovered the truck the following morning, October 27th, and investigators determined Morley had left the area on foot.
Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich says law enforcement officers throughout the county and surrounding communities spent thousands of hours investigating leads, searching properties and conducting additional patrols while Morley remained missing.
Diederich said that although authorities could not confirm Morley was still in the area, they were unwilling to take chances with public safety.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the Kansas City Police Department, Independence Police Department, Career Criminal Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Investigations assisted in the arrest.
Additional details surrounding Morley’s capture have not yet been released.
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office confirms that the active search for Morley in Southern Illinois has ended, and there is no longer an ongoing manhunt.