Escapee Looker Recaptured

Saturday, May 2, 2009

A Summertown man who escaped from the Lawrence County Temporary Jail facility earlier in the week was recaptured Friday afternoon.

Officials with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department indicate that two deputies, Willie Norwood and Jason Runnels, made their way to Looker’s 385 Railroad Bed Pike home after a tip came in from a concerned citizen, indicating that Looker was there.

Norwood and Runnels were able to take Looker back into custody without incident. He was transported to the Lawrence County Jail to await transfer to a state penitentiary.

Looker apparently walked away from the temporary jail facility sometime Wednesday night. He was being housed at the temporary facility, awaiting transfer to a Tennessee Department of Corrections prison. Authorities realized he was missing around 12:40 a.m. A head count and search turned up nothing. A “Be On the Look Out” alert was subsequently issued to area law enforcement agencies.

Looker was jailed March 24 after he allegedly assaulted his thirty-nine-year-old wife inside their home during an extended domestic situation. During the incident the wife reported that Looker had turned his rage upon her puppy, choking the small Chihuahua with his hands and punching it in the head repeatedly. He then reportedly threw the pup to the floor and kicked and stomped upon it “until blood and feces came out and it was dead.” Looker then picked up the pup and threw it into a trash can.

Following the assault Looker was jailed on charges of aggravated domestic assault and intentional killing of an animal.

Looker entered into a plea bargain agreement on April 13, pleading guilty to one count of aggravated assault. The intentional killing of an animal charge was dismissed. Under the agreement Looker was sentenced to a four-year prison sentence. The agreement specified that he serve thirty percent, or fourteen months, of his sentence before being considered for parole. Looker will now face an additional charge of felony escape.