Police have confirmed that on-the-run murderer James Casey has been found in the Birmingham area.
Casey battered to death father-of-two Ian MacBeth during a botched robbery in Invergordon in 1990.
The 50-year-old failed to return to Castle Huntly Prison at Longforgan at 8pm on December 10 after unescorted day release.
It is now known he absconded after attending an official appointment in the Inverness area.
Police Scotland’s north divisional commander Chief Superintendent Julian Innes had previously urged the 50-year-old to hand himself in.
Although Casey is considered dangerous, Mr Innes said that based on his recent behaviour he was surprised he had absconded.
He added: “He is a convicted murderer. He is at the stage of being reintegrated into the community, so it was a surprise to us locally that he chose not to return to prison.
“That wasn’t consistent with his previous pattern of behaviour which has been very positive.
“We are working closely with our colleagues in the Tayside area to make sure that we find him as quickly as possible and put him back in prison.
“I suggest he hands himself in because the longer he stays away the more harm it’s going to do his case.”
Casey, who speaks with a Highland accent, was jailed for battering Mr MacBeth with a hammer and leaving him to die in a wood in Easter Ross in 1990.