On Friday, October 30, 2026, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office responded to a suspicious vehicle that had been located in a field on Lampton Lane. The vehicle had been involved in a collision, however no operator could be located. Simultaneous to this, authorities were notified of an escaped inmate from the Adair County Regional Jail Class D Facility.

During the investigation, it was determined that 22-year-old Marcus Lawrence of Bowling Green had escaped custody and stolen a vehicle, before ultimately crashing it. A short time later, Mr. Lawrence was located and taken into custody without incident. He was charged with Escape 2nd Degree, Theft by Unlawful Taking (Auto - over $10,000), and Criminal Mischief 1st Degree. He had been lodged in the Adair County Jail since May 12th, 2026 on Burglary & Theft charges.

Deputy Ricky Shirley made the arrest and was assisted by Deputy Tweedy, Deputy Wall, Sheriff Roy, and members of the Columbia Police Dept.