12/20/21 Fairbury, NE – Man Steals Grundy County Sheriff’s Patrol Car In Nebraska – Drives All The Way To Missouri In Jefferson County – Patrol Car Found On Side Of Road In Trenton, Missouri – In Custody In Missouri

An Oklahoma man is in police custody after authorities say he stole a patrol vehicle in Nebraska, drove to Missouri and turned himself in.

Jefferson County Sheriff Nick Georgi says the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri contacted his office on Saturday morning after finding a patrol vehicle abandoned on the side of road near Trenton, Missouri. Jefferson County authorities then realized a spare patrol vehicle that was not actively driven by a deputy was missing from the Law Enforcement Center. Jefferson County IT staff retrieved clear footage of a man attempting to break into vehicles at the LEC building around 9:30 Friday night. Georgi says the footage shows the man gaining access to the spare vehicle and driving it away.

The two agencies collaborated to identify the man as 39-year-old Byrd Nightwalker of Oklahoma. Authorities believe the patrol vehicle ran out of gas after driving about 220 miles to Trenton. Then, Nightwalker met up with a friend and eventually turned himself in to the Grundy County Sheriff.

Nightwalker is in custody in Missouri on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle. Once a local warrant is issued, he could be extradited to Jefferson County and face a felony theft charge.

The investigation into the case is ongoing.