A #TNMostWanted Alert has been issued for 59-year-old Gerald Thomas “Pete” Samples, who is wanted by the Crockett County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) for Escape and Vehicle Theft. Samples is 6’2″, 220 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
The TBI has issued an updated photo o Samples.
Samples was being held in the Crockett County Jail awaiting extradition to Virginia on 13 charges related to the sexual exploitation of children. He also has active warrants in Crockett County for escape and felony theft and has a prior escape on record from 2020.
Residents in the Gibson Wells community of West Tennessee are urged to check their trail cameras for any sign of Samples. Please also check your property for missing items and examine outdoor refrigerators and freezers for missing food. If you have a storm shelter or outbuilding, contact law enforcement so they can safely check those areas for you.
A TBI reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to his arrest. The USMS is offering an additional $1,000 bringing the total possible reward to $3,500.
Have information? Call the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.