Jacob Morley Update: Truck stolen by Tennessee prison escapee remained in Illinois for more than a day before being found, police say

MARION, Ill. The truck that a convicted murderer stole after escaping from a Tennessee prison appears to have been in southern Illinois for more than a day before police found it, authorities said, as searches for it continue in several states.

The white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee license plates was found abandoned Tuesday in Marion, Illinois, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.

Surveillance video shows the truck appeared to have been left in Marion around 4:40 a.m. Monday, nearly 30 hours before police found it around 10 a.m. Tuesday, Marion police Lt. Justin Dwyer told CNN.

Police are piecing together the movements of Jacob Morley, 28, from video evidence, and so far it indicates he headed toward the highway, Dwyer said.

Marion police investigators have reviewed a handful of grainy surveillance videos that match Morley’s description, but have not been able to confirm whether he is still in Marion, according to Dwyer.

“At this point, we have continually searched neighborhoods, knocked on doors and followed up on every lead and tip we receive. While there is no indication that he is still in Marion, we will continue to assume that he is and will be on the prowl,” Dwyer said.

“All of our officers and detectives are familiar with Morley’s descriptors, photographs, etc., and will diligently scour the area until we are sure he is not there or has been captured,” he said.

“Morley’s whereabouts are unknown and his location continues to be an urgent priority for law enforcement,” the TBI said Tuesday.

“Our law enforcement partners in neighboring states have been notified to be on the lookout,” the TBI said in a statement to CNN on Wednesday, adding that its agents “continue to assist our local, state and federal partners in locating Jacob Morley.”

Illinois State Police have offered assistance to the TBI and the Marion Police Department, but are not leading the investigation, said Sgt. Melissa Albert-Lopez, a spokesperson for the agency, told CNN.

Authorities are investigating whether an armed robbery at a bank in Deerfield, Wisconsin, on Tuesday is possibly linked to the ongoing search, according to authorities in both states.

“Two bank employees were restrained and forced to hand over an undisclosed amount of money” during Tuesday’s robbery, according to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office in a news release. “The suspect fled in a Lincoln MKZ that he stole from the parking lot. The vehicle was found a short time later abandoned on State Farm Road. K9 and drone searches were conducted in the area without success.”

In response to questions that surfaced about the possible connection between the theft and Morley, the sheriff’s office told ABC that their “investigation continues to evolve.”

“At this time, the Tennessee inmate has not been eliminated as a suspect,” according to the sheriff’s office.

TBI states the following: “We are aware of the Wisconsin report and continue to assist our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in pursuing all potential leads. We have no confirmation, at this time, that Morley is the suspect in this bank robbery.”

Morley escaped through a fence at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, Sunday evening. Staff realized he was missing around 11:30 p.m., according to the corrections department.

Security camera footage later revealed that Morley “crossed the perimeter fence” and left the facility wearing his prison uniform, the department said. He then stole the truck early Monday in Lake County, according to the TBI.

He was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest and vandalism.

In Marion, Illinois, a small town of about 17,600, one resident told CNN, “It’s a scary time.”

“Everyone locks their car doors now,” Bridget Lawler, a local attorney, said Wednesday morning. “I know my husband checked all of our doors before he went to bed.”

Another resident said she had not received an alert from local authorities. “No one I spoke to mentioned seeing him either. We only got information through Facebook,” Lachelle Hartline told CNN.

The Marion Police Department said it notified the public through local media.

Morley is the second inmate to escape in October from the custody of the Tennessee Department of Corrections, whose commissioner resigned following the botched execution and hospitalization last month of Christa Pike, who is now back in a maximum security prison.

Morley was convicted of the murder of Cody Birchfield, who was initially reported missing in February 2022, according to the Carter County Sheriff’s Office.

Birchfield’s body was found a few weeks after her disappearance, in a box under Morley’s house, the Associated Press reported.

Birchfield’s older sister said her brother was always there for her family. “It didn’t matter when, where or what you needed,” Carrie Norman told CNN affiliate WCYB.

Finding out that her brother’s killer had escaped was heartbreaking, she added.

“You feel sick to your stomach… it’s all those feelings coming back,” she said.

A cousin of Birchfield, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, told CNN that Morley’s life sentence gave the family “a little sense of closure and reassurance that justice had been served.” But learning of his escape reopened their “deepest wounds”.

The cousin said the family’s main concerns are public safety and keeping attention on Morley’s escape, urging anyone with information that could help authorities to come forward.

But the family also wants to keep the focus on Birchfield.

“Above all, we want Cody to be remembered not for the tragedy of his death, but for the warmth, kindness and decency of his life,” the cousin said.

Another cousin of Birchfield, who also asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, told CNN he was worried about the safety of his father and sister, who still live in the same area.

“If this man can do this to my cousin, what will he do to the next person?” said the cousin.

Morley is now on the TBI’s “Most Wanted” list, with a combined $15,000 reward offered by the Tennessee Governor’s Office, the TBI and the U.S. Marshals Service for information leading to his arrest.

ABC News contributed to this report.

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