Key Takeaways
- Jacob Morley escaped Tennessee’s Northwest Correctional Complex late Sunday, and authorities later found the pickup truck he allegedly stole abandoned in Marion, Illinois.
- Officials added the 28-year-old convicted murderer to Tennessee’s Most Wanted list and offered up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest.
- Morley was serving life for killing Cody Birchfield, and his disappearance marks the second escape from Tennessee Department of Correction custody in one week.
Authorities have recovered a stolen pickup truck believed to have been used by a convicted murderer who escaped from a Tennessee prison, but the inmate remains on the run.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, a white 2008 Ford F-350 allegedly stolen by 28-year-old Jacob Morley was discovered abandoned early Tuesday (Oct. 27) in Marion, Illinois, hundreds of miles from the prison where he was serving a life sentence.
Morley escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in West Tennessee late Sunday night after apparently making his way through the facility's perimeter fence.
The Tennessee Department of Correction said prison officials realized Morley was missing around 11:30 p.m. Sunday. A review of surveillance footage showed him leaving the property while still wearing his prison uniform.
Authorities have not explained how Morley managed to get through the fence. Investigators believe Morley stole the truck around 1 a.m. Monday before fleeing the area.
The vehicle belonged to Lindamood Planting Company, a farming business in Tennessee. Co-owner John Lindamood said the truck contained tools and wasn't being used regularly, which is why employees didn't realize it had disappeared until Monday afternoon.
Surveillance cameras at the Hornbeak Fire Department, located approximately 15 miles from the prison, reportedly captured the stolen pickup passing the building around 1:18 a.m. Monday.
With the truck now recovered in Illinois, authorities have expanded their search beyond Tennessee as they attempt to locate Morley.
The 28-year-old has been added to Tennessee’s Most Wanted list, and officials are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest. Morley was serving a life sentence after being convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest, and vandalism.
His conviction stems from the killing of Cody Birchfield, who was reported missing in February 2022. According to the Carter County Sheriff's Office, investigators eventually connected Morley to Birchfield's disappearance. The victim's body was later discovered inside a box beneath Morley's home, according to the Associated Press.
Morley also led authorities on a vehicle pursuit that ended in North Carolina during the original investigation.
His escape marks the second time in a week that an inmate has managed to flee Tennessee Department of Correction custody, raising additional concerns about security at the state's correctional facilities.
The Northwest Correctional Complex has the capacity to house approximately 1,776 male inmates.
As the search continues, investigators have not publicly confirmed Morley's current whereabouts or whether he has obtained another vehicle.
