Investigators found a truck they say Jacob Allen Morley stole from Obion County abandoned in Marion, Illinois on Tuesday. The discovery pushed the search beyond Tennessee and gave law enforcement a new place to trace in the manhunt after his early Monday morning escape.
Residents in Marion and nearby counties were told to lock vehicles and homes, remove keys from cars and equipment, and secure barns, sheds and other outbuildings. They were also told to bring tools, supplies and clothing inside.
Northwest Correctional Complex escape
Morley escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Lake County early Monday morning. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said locating him remains an urgent priority.
Illinois State Police told Action News 5 they are aware of the situation and have offered assistance to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Their involvement shows how the search now runs across state lines after the truck turned up in Illinois.
Daniel Russell on Birchfield
Four years before Morley’s escape, Cody Birchfield was murdered. Daniel Russell, Birchfield’s childhood best friend, said, "He’s way more than friend. He’s my brother" and added, "Me and him were close enough that his son’s middle name is Daniel."
Russell also said, "I was never going to have to see his face again, and then wake up yesterday morning, and it’s everywhere for all of us to see again and knowing he’s out on the street and he may do it to somebody else’s family." He warned, "If he will kill somebody the way he killed Cody, he’s a monster. He will do it again when the first opportunity comes."
Diana Reid on justice
Diana Reid said, "We felt like justice, to a certain degree, was in place with him being incarcerated. It doesn’t bring Cody back, but at least justice was served in that aspect." She added, "But now he’s out. So where’s Cody’s justice? Where’s the peace that his family had just knowing that he wasn’t roaming the streets?"
Morley was previously behind bars, but his escape has reopened fears that he could harm another family. For residents in Marion and nearby counties, the practical response is simple: secure what can be taken, keep property locked, and treat any unfamiliar vehicle or movement as something to report.
