@nbcchicago: A truck stolen by an escaped Tennessee inmate on the state's 10 most wanted list has turned up in southern Illinois. Jacob Morley, who was serving a life-sentence after being convicted of murdering a co-worker four years ago, escaped the Northwest Correctional Complex in Western Tennessee late Sunday and stole a truck from a nearby farm, authorities said. The truck was found abandoned Tuesday in Marion, Illinois, about 120 miles north of the prison and roughly 90 miles southeast of St. Louis. Marion Police Chief David Fitts said the truck appeared to be left neatly parked behind a shopping center at 4 a.m. Tuesday, according to surveillance video. “He has vanished,” Fitts said. “We haven’t had any reports of stolen vehicles or anything else suspicious around here.” Authorities said Morley, 28, slipped through a fence in his prison clothes, but they haven’t released additional details, including whether they think anyone helped him. Morley is serving a life sentence for killing co-worker Cody Birchfield in 2022. Birchfield’s body was found in a box under Morley’s home after he had been missing for a few weeks. The two lived in Carter County, in eastern Tennessee. Morley is white, 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 meters) tall and weighs 240 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes. He is considered armed and dangerous. Prison officials have offered a reward of up to $2,500 for Morley’s arrest.

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Wednesday 28 October 2026 14:44:36 GMT