A truck investigators say Jacob Allen Morley stole from Obion County was found abandoned in Marion, Illinois on Tuesday, widening the search after his escape from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Lake County early Monday morning. Morley’s whereabouts remain unknown.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the abandoned truck is now one of the clearest clues in the manhunt, and law enforcement is urging residents in Marion and nearby counties to stay vigilant. Police are asking people to lock vehicles and homes, remove keys from cars and equipment, secure barns, sheds and other outbuildings, and bring tools, supplies and clothing inside.
The discovery matters because the search that began in Tennessee has now reached Illinois, and officials say locating Morley remains an urgent priority. Illinois State Police told Action News 5 that they are aware of the situation and have offered assistance to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The escape also reopened the pain for Cody Birchfield’s friends and family, four years after he was killed and after Morley had already been convicted. Daniel Russell said Birchfield was his brother in everything but name, adding that his son’s middle name is Daniel and that the loss has come rushing back now that Morley is out. Diana Reid said the family had felt some justice when Morley was behind bars, but that sense of peace has been ripped away by his escape.
That is the hard edge of this case: Morley was already serving time for a killing that tore apart one family, and now he is back on the street with no confirmed location. The search is no longer just about recapturing an escaped prisoner; it is about doing it before someone else pays the price.
