The TEMA van that was used by an escaped prisoner was discovered off Sullivan Hollow Road Saturday, July 9, by Macon County Sheriff's Deputies.

The van and the inmate, David Presley, disappeared from a Tennessee Emergency Management Agency maintenance building last week. Presley was on community work duty assigned to help out TEMA headquarters.

Presley was serving a 36 year sentence for armed robbery and 2nd degree murder out of Trousdale County. He was eligible to work at TEMA because of his excellent discipline record.

According to Macon County Sheriff Joe Ferguson, at approximately 6:30 p.m. he received information that a van was in the area of Sullivan Hollow Road approximately two miles back a log road.

Sheriff Ferguson and Sgt. Bennie Hudgens went to the area and located the van. The sheriff stated that because the van was the property of the state, Tennessee Highway Patrol Lt. Vic Donoho was called. Lt. Donoho contacted TEMA and the Department of Corrections.

THP Trooper Terry Seay arrived at the scene to photograph and investigate.

Due to the condition of the logging road, the sheriff's department had to use the four wheel drive SUVs to obtain the wrecked van. However, the four wheel drive wrecker could not make it to the vehicle.

Sheriff Ferguson stated that the vehicle was secured for the night and on Sunday morning deputies used a crawler to pull the vehicle out.

The van was then processed by TEMA and then identified officially as the van stolen by the inmate.

Presley, age 33, had been in prison since 1994 and was recently moved to a minimum security living annex because of good behavior.

He was scheduled for a parole hearing in February of 2007. He could now face an additional three to five years in prison.

Presley is a white male, weighing approximately 220 pounds and is 5'10.

Sheriff Ferguson stated that the department has received information that an individual may have given Presley a ride to the Westmoreland area possibly to the truck stop.

Local authorities would like to warn all citizens to be careful and if they spot the inmate to contact the police immediately. Presley is believed to have family in the area.