Tennessee murderer captured over a week after escaping prison

Authorities have captured a convicted murderer who evaded law enforcement for more than a week after escaping from a Tennessee prison. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced Tuesday that Jacob Morley was back in custody. He was arrested near Kansas City, Missouri, investigators said.

"Thank you to the public for your assistance, vigilance, and the tips provided during this investigation," the bureau said in a statement. "We also thank all of our law enforcement partners for their continued efforts to safely bring this search to a successful conclusion."

Little information about the inmate's escape, and the multi-state search for him, have been made available since Morley broke out of prison. But investigators said more will be released as it becomes available.  

Morley, 28, was serving a life sentence at the Northwest Correctional Complex in an isolated part of Tiptonville, a town roughly 90 miles from Memphis in northwestern Tennessee. He had been convicted of killing a coworker four years ago, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.

Correctional officers discovered Morley was missing from the prison at around 11:30 p.m. local time on Oct. 25, the department said. While parsing security cameras later on, investigators said they saw footage of Morley escaping the complex, while wearing his prison uniform, by slipping through a fence on the property. 

Authorities released additional security footage two days later that showed the inmate stealing a white 2008 Ford F-350, with Tennessee plates and a logo for Lindamood Planting Company on the side door, in the early hours of Oct. 27. It was stolen from Lake County, which includes Tiptonville, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.

The truck was located later the same day in Marion, Illinois, which is about 150 miles north of Tiptonville, the investigative bureau said. Morley's whereabouts were unknown at the time.

The bureau had said earlier in the week that Morley was on its "most wanted" list, as various agencies, including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the governor's office and U.S. Marshals, offered combined rewards of up to $17,500 for information leading to his arrest. 

Investigators haven't shared details about how exactly the inmate escaped, beyond the fact that he breached a fence at the prison.

Morley received a lifetime prison sentence for murdering Cody Birchfield, his former coworker, in 2022. Authorities said Birchfield's body was found in a box under Morley's home in Tennessee's Carter County after he had been missing for several weeks. 

In addition to first-degree murder, Morley was convicted of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism and evading arrest, as he fled when deputies arrived at his home in 2022. Authorities said the manhunt for him at the time ended in North Carolina.

Northwest Correctional Complex is a men's prison with the capacity to hold 1,776 inmates under varying degrees of security, from the lowest level up to maximum, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. It also houses minors who have been convicted of crimes as adults.

Multiple violent incidents have taken place inside the prison in recent years, some of which involved attacks between inmates and prison staff. In July, a grand jury returned dozens of indictments over the murders of five inmates, assaults against staff and other acts of violence. At a recent meeting of the Tennessee Inmate Disciplinary Oversight Board, members discussed ongoing problems in the prison and suggested issues with leadership played a role.