WARREN COUNTY, Mo. — A manhunt is underway after a prisoner escaped custody Monday night at a rest stop in Warren County, Missouri.

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The escape occurred while the prisoner was being transported to a jail in North Carolina.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) reported that the prisoner was being moved by a private transport service from Dallas County, Nebraska, to the Orange County Jail in Hillsboro, North Carolina.

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The transport vehicle stopped at the Wright City Rest Area, located off eastbound Interstate 70, sometime before 8:40 p.m. Monday, July 8, 2024. During the stop, the prisoner managed to escape, jumping a fence and fleeing eastbound on Veterans Memorial Parkway.

Law enforcement agencies quickly mobilized in response. MSHP troopers, Warren County sheriff's deputies, and firefighters began canvassing the area. The local fire department deployed a drone, and Wright City police utilized K-9 units to assist in the search.

MSHP describes the escaped prisoner as a white man in his mid-30s. At the time of his escape, he wore a white T-shirt and black pants and had a colostomy bag. He is also noted to have multiple tattoos covering his face, arms, and back.

Authorities are urging anyone with information on the escaped prisoner's whereabouts to contact their local law enforcement agency or the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

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