KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is still searching for Sean Williams, around a month after he escaped from a prisoner transport van. Williams was in federal custody on child rape charges.
The bureau said on Nov. 17 agents believed he was in the Sylva, North Carolina area. The town is about halfway between Tennessee and Georgia, located around 100 miles from Knoxville.
Later, on Nov. 21, the Federal Bureau of Investigation near Tampa said they were asking for help finding Williams in Pinellas County. The county is located along Florida's western shore near Tampa and includes areas like St. Petersburg and Clearwater. The FBI said he has a tattoo of a Chinese symbol on his left middle finger, a cross within a cross on his left arm and a lightning bolt on his upper left arm.
He escaped on Oct. 18 as he was being transported from a Laurel County prison to the Greeneville courthouse. Authorities previously said the camera in the transport van wasn't working and he had left through a broken back window.
David Jolley, a U.S. Marshal, previously said Williams was being kept in Kentucky after a previous escape attempt in Washington County. He says the transport van had a camera, but it wasn't working.
The U.S. Marshals Service said it was running electronic billboard notifications in several states near Tennessee asking for information about Williams' location. Jolley also previously said Williams is believed to be dangerous.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Charlotta said agents confirmed a spotting reported by an eyewitness at around 11:30 a.m. Friday afternoon, in the Jackson Plaza shopping area. The FBI said his hair was grown out as well.
There is a combined reward of up to $7,500 from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Jolley said anyone helping Williams evade capture will face serious consequences.
Anyone who sees Wiliams should call 911 or 1-800-TBI-FIND to report it. They can also submit a tip online for the FBI in Tampa.