NORBORNE, Missouri – Escaped inmate Jacob Allen Morley, who was on the Tennessee Most Wanted list, is back in custody. Authorities arrested him without incident at about 11:34 a.m. Tuesday near Norborne, Missouri, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.
The capture ended a multi-state search that involved local, state and federal agencies in Tennessee, Illinois and Missouri.
Tip Led Investigators to Illinois Hunting Camp
Earlier Tuesday, investigators received a tip that Morley was hiding in a shed at a hunting camp near Marion, Illinois. They also learned that someone had stolen a truck from the property.
Investigators ran the truck’s license plate through Automatic License Plate Reader databases. The hits showed the truck heading west on Interstate 70 between St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, about 340 miles from Marion.
The TBI said those repeated hits were critical. They let investigators quickly pinpoint Morley’s recent movements and coordinate a response.
Missouri Authorities Track the Truck
Missouri authorities found the vehicle and followed it into a less populated area. They took Morley into custody near Norborne.
After the arrest, authorities recovered three firearms from inside the vehicle. The guns had been reported stolen.
The TBI said information-sharing among its Criminal Intelligence Unit, which sits inside the Tennessee Fusion Center, the Missouri Information Analysis Center and the Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center played a crucial role in tracking him. The agency said that work brought the search to a safe end.
The arrest follows the manhunt for the escaped inmate that stretched across state lines.
Agencies That Helped
The TBI thanked the agencies that assisted in the search and arrest.
- Federal: U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, FBI Kansas City Career Criminal Task Force and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- Tennessee state: Department of Correction, Highway Patrol, Wildlife Resources Agency and Tennessee Advanced Communications Network.
- Tennessee local: Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Tiptonville Police Department, Dyer County Sheriff’s Office, K-9 teams from the Henry, Benton, Weakley and Obion county sheriff’s offices, Madison County Fire Department and Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department.
- Illinois: Marion Police Department, Illinois State Police and the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center.
- Missouri: State Highway Patrol, Kansas City Police Department, Independence Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Ray County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri Information Analysis Center.
The TBI also thanked the public for staying vigilant and passing along information during the investigation.
