Morley manhunt: prison waited hours to alert police, report finds
Tennessee prison staff waited more than five hours to call local police after Jacob Morley went missing, NewsChannel 5 Investigates found. A prosecutor says Morley was already in Illinois by the time police heard. He is still at large, and officials now want dash camera video from drivers.
Tennessee prison staff waited hours to raise the alarm after Jacob Morley escaped, new reports say. Morley, 28, broke out of the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville late Sunday. He is still at large, with no confirmed sightings, NewsChannel 5 reported.
The Department of Correction did not alert the public on X for more than seven hours after staff found him missing, NewsChannel 5 Investigates found. No one from the prison called local police for more than five hours. Tiptonville Police Chief Joe England said the prison first called early Monday. Official word came nearly two hours later, he said.
State law says local police, the sheriff, the TBI and others must be contacted "immediately," NewsChannel 5 reported. The TBI said it was not notified until more than six and a half hours after Morley was found missing, the station reported. The prison system confirmed its escape plan did not start until early Monday. A spokesperson said staff searched the grounds for hours before confirming he was gone, NewsChannel 5 reported.
Morley was in Marion, Illinois, by early Monday, District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr. said, CNN reported in a story carried by WGAL. Local law enforcement was not notified until later that morning, he said. "If they had known as quickly as the department of corrections knew … that would have given two hours for local police to be patrolling," Goodman said.
The Department of Correction asked drivers who were in Marion on Monday morning to check dash camera video, CNN reported. WPSD Local 6 reported the TBI wants footage from the Pilot Travel Center area there.
Governor Bill Lee named Christopher Hansen interim commissioner of the department on Friday, CNN and WSMV reported. A combined reward of $17,500 is offered for information leading to his arrest, CNN reported.
What we know: Morley is still at large, and outside police did not learn of the escape for hours after he went missing.
What we don't: Where Morley is now, what tool he used to cut the fence, and how he got that tool.
Where outlets agree NewsChannel 5 and CNN agree outside police learned of the escape hours after prison staff found Morley missing.
Where they differ The cited reports agree on the key facts so far.