Work Center Inmate Walks Away From Work Crew

Morganstern was serving a 182 day sentence on a Burglary II charge out of Marion County.

21-year old inmate Derik Morganstern is missing from a county jail work crew. Photo: Marion County Sheriff's Office

(SALEM, Ore.) - A Marion County Work Center inmate walked away from a work crew at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Monday at approximately 10:20 a.m. At 10:00 am, the work crew leader directed 21-year old inmate Derik Morganstern and another inmate to pick up trash in the 4-H barn, according to Lt. Sheila Lorance with the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

"The crew leader checked in on them as they were finishing that job and both inmates were still there working. He gave them instructions for the next job and left to check on another crew. However, a few minutes later, the second inmate approached the crew leader and said right after he left, Morganstern put on a black sweatshirt he found and left the area."

Lorance says he was last seen walking west on Silverton Road. The crew leader immediately notified dispatch and asked that an ‘attempt to locate' notice be sent to all law enforcement agencies in the area.

Morganstern was serving a 182 day sentence on a Burglary II charge out of Marion County. He was moved to the work center from the jail on 12-27-09 with a release date of 5-4-2010. Monday was Morganstern's first day on the work crew.

Morganstern is 6'1, 156 pounds, with short black hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing tan cargo pants with "inmate" stenciled in white on the sides, an orange T-shirt and black hooded sweatshirt. Morganstern has a tattoo of a bar code on his back, flames on his right wrist, banana on his left shoulder, a zero on his right leg and JCS on his right shoulder.

If you have any information on Morganstern's whereabouts you are asked to call the Marion County Sheriff's Office immediately at (503) 588-5032.