Jacob Morley recaptured in Missouri after Tennessee prison escape
The 28-year-old murderer was found in a field in Carroll County following a tip that he was hiding on an Illinois property.
By Chinedu Schneider ·
Jacob Allen Morley, 28, was taken into custody in Carroll County, Missouri, on Tuesday morning after spending more than a week on the run from a Tennessee prison. The Missouri State Highway Patrol apprehended him at 11:34 a.m. local time without incident, ending a search that involved local, state, and federal agencies.
Morley escaped the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville on October 25. Security footage released by the Tennessee Department of Correction showed him breaching the prison fence at 11:30 p.m. while still in his uniform. He subsequently stole a vehicle from a nearby farm to begin his flight.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced his capture on Wednesday. Officials stated they received a tip that Morley was hiding on a property in Illinois, where a truck had also been stolen. Authorities tracked the truck’s license plate using automatic plate-reader technology. The vehicle was followed as it traveled through Missouri, leading to its discovery and Morley's arrest.
Investigators recovered three firearms from the vehicle that had been previously reported stolen. Photos released by authorities show Morley handcuffed and being led out of a field by officers. The TBI noted that the public provided information during the investigation, though they did not confirm if a reward had been paid.
The manhunt involved the Kansas City Police Department, Independence Police Department, the FBI, US Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. After his escape, Morley was added to the TBI's most wanted list. The TDOC initially offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to his arrest, which was increased by $15,000 on Wednesday.
Morley is serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of his colleague, Cody Birchfield. Birchfield’s body was found in a metal box under Morley’s home. A pathology report cited in court records stated that Birchfield died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Bullet casings matched a gun found in Morley's house. Morley was also convicted of vandalism, tampering with evidence, aggravated burglary, and evading arrest.
This is not the first time Morley has led police on a cross-border chase. His 2022 arrest followed a pursuit into North Carolina. The Northwest Correctional Complex holds up to 1,776 inmates. In July, a grand jury returned dozens of indictments for assaults on staff and the murders of five inmates at the facility.
