TBI: License plate reader technology helped capture escaped Tennessee inmate

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

TENNESSEE (KBSI) – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says automated license plate reader technology played a key role in locating an escaped inmate who was spotted in Southern Illinois during a multistate search.

Jacob Morley, who escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tennessee on Oct. 25, was taken back into custody near Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

In an update Tuesday evening, the TBI said automated license plate readers provided investigators with information about Morley’s movements, helping law enforcement coordinate a response.

The agency said the technology allowed officers to make informed decisions and respond quickly during the search.

Morley had previously been spotted at a Pilot Travel Center in Marion, Illinois, on Oct. 30. Authorities also reported finding a stolen truck abandoned in Marion during the investigation.

“We are happy and relieved to share that Jacob Morley is back in custody, and we are grateful this search has come to a safe conclusion,” the TBI said in a statement.

The agency thanked its law enforcement partners and members of the public for their assistance.

The TBI also credited the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which provided photographs following Morley’s capture.

Additional details about the circumstances of his arrest were not provided in the agency’s latest update.