Illinois authorities locate truck stolen by escaped Tennessee inmate
The white Ford F-350, which was seen passing through West Tennessee in the early morning hours, was discovered abandoned in Marion, while Jacob Morley remains at large.
By Arjun Wojcik ·
Prison escapes from U.S. facilities often involve quick movements across state lines, but the discovery of a stolen vehicle can narrow the search radius for law enforcement agencies operating across jurisdictions.
On Tuesday, officials reported finding the truck that Jacob Morley allegedly took from a residential street in Tennessee. Morley, 28, was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder and other crimes when he slipped out of the Northwest Correctional Complex.
The vehicle in question is a white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee license plate 138BBQV. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released footage showing Morley stealing the truck at approximately 1 a.m. on Monday from the 400 block of Keystone Drive. The truck bed contained an air compressor, and the side of the vehicle bore the name Lindamood Planting Company. Authorities confirmed the truck was abandoned in Marion, Illinois, a location in downstate Illinois that sits near the border with Tennessee.
Security cameras at the prison captured Morley breaching the perimeter fence and exiting the facility in his uniform. Staff at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, realized Morley was unaccounted for at 11:30 p.m. on October 25, 2026. They immediately conducted an emergency count and search of the facility. The Hornbeak Fire Department in West Tennessee also captured Morley passing their station at 1:18 a.m. on Monday, providing another data point for the timeline of his escape.
Morley is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 240 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. He was added to the state's Most Wanted list, with a reward of up to $2,500 offered for information leading to his arrest. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation advised that Morley should be considered dangerous. He is currently serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of a man whose body was found buried under Morley's home in Carter County, Tennessee.
The Tennessee Department of Correction is coordinating with local, state, and federal law enforcement to locate the inmate. The Tennessee Highway Patrol has deployed aviation assets and state troopers to aid the search. Authorities have cleared buildings and structures in the surrounding area of the prison. Sheriff Bryan Avery of the Lake County Sheriff's Office, where the prison is located, urged the public to remain vigilant and exercise caution if they encounter the inmate.
Avery advised that anyone who spots Morley should not attempt to apprehend him and should instead dial 911 immediately to provide relevant information. The Northwest Correctional Complex has an operating capacity of 1,776 male inmates with custody levels ranging from minimum to close. Residents in the area have been asked to review home security, doorbell, and trail cameras for potential sightings of the fugitive or the stolen truck.
Source: ABC7 Chicago
