Manhunt for Tennessee Killer Who Escaped Prison, Stole Farm Truck
A convicted murderer serving a life sentence slipped through the perimeter fence at a West Tennessee prison late Sunday night, stole a pickup truck from a nearby farming operation and drove more than 100 miles before abandoning the vehicle across state lines, authorities say.
Jacob Morley, 28, has now been added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's "Most Wanted" list. The agency is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information that leads to his arrest.
How the Escape Unfolded
Staff at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville realized Morley was missing around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. Security camera footage later showed that he had "breached the perimeter fence" and walked away from the facility still wearing his prison uniform.
Exactly how he got through the fence has not been explained. State officials have not said whether he cut it, climbed it or exploited a gap, and that gap in the public record is one of the central unanswered questions of the case.
Roughly 90 minutes later, Morley was behind the wheel of a white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee plates, the TBI said, citing video it obtained. The truck belonged to the Lindamood Planting Company. Co-owner John Lindamood said the vehicle was not in service at the time, so employees had no idea it was gone until midday Monday. It was carrying tools.
The Hornbeak Fire Department, about 15 miles from the prison, captured footage of the truck rolling past its building around 1:18 a.m. That timestamp gave investigators a direction of travel — and a head start on mapping where he might be going.
By early Tuesday, the F-350 had been found abandoned in Marion, Illinois, according to the TBI. Marion sits along Interstate 57 in southern Illinois, a corridor that connects to St. Louis, Chicago and points west. Investigators have not said whether Morley had help, whether he switched vehicles or whether he remained in the area after ditching the truck.
The Case That Put Him in Prison
Morley was sentenced to life after being convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest and vandalism.
The murder conviction stems from the killing of Cody Birchfield, who was reported missing in February 2022, according to the Carter County Sheriff's Office. Birchfield's body was later found in a box beneath Morley's house, weeks after he disappeared.
Morley also has a documented history of fleeing from law enforcement. In 2022, after finding deputies at his home, he led police on a chase that ended in North Carolina. That record is part of why investigators have treated this escape as a multi-state search rather than a local one.
Second Escape in a Week
Morley is the second inmate to get out of Tennessee Department of Correction custody in the span of a week — a detail that raises uncomfortable questions for a system that rarely sees escapes from secure facilities.
The Northwest Correctional Complex is a sizable operation, with capacity for up to 1,776 male inmates. Facilities that house people serving life sentences typically rely on layered security: housing-unit counts conducted several times a day, fixed and roving perimeter patrols, razor-wire fencing, and camera systems monitored from a central control point.
In most escape investigations, corrections officials review three things: whether counts were performed correctly and on time, whether cameras were being actively watched or only reviewed after the fact, and whether the physical perimeter had a known weakness. Here, the footage of the breach was reportedly reviewed after staff already knew Morley was gone — a sequence that suggests the alarm came from a count, not from the cameras.
What Happens Next
Escape cases like this usually unfold along predictable lines. Investigators work outward from the last confirmed sighting, canvass gas stations and businesses along likely routes, and lean on license plate readers and private surveillance video. Family members, former associates and anyone who might provide shelter or a vehicle come under scrutiny.
The abandoned truck in Illinois complicates the picture. It confirms Morley traveled a significant distance quickly, but it also means the trail went cold at a highway interchange with multiple directions of escape.
Anyone who sees Morley is urged not to approach him and to call 1-800-TBI-FIND or local law enforcement. He was last known to be wearing a prison uniform, though officials have acknowledged he has likely changed clothes.
As of now, state and federal authorities have not announced an arrest, and the search remains active across multiple states.