Convicted Murderer Escapes Tennessee Prison, Stolen Vehicle Involved
Escape Details
Jacob Morley, a 28-year-old inmate serving a life sentence for multiple crimes including first-degree murder, escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tennessee on the evening of October 25. The Tennessee Department of Correction reported the incident occurred around 11:30 p.m.
Staff members noticed Morley’s absence shortly after the escape, which was confirmed by security camera footage showing him breaching the prison’s perimeter fence while in his prison uniform. However, the circumstances surrounding how he managed to escape have not yet been disclosed.
Stolen Vehicle Incident
Following his escape, Morley allegedly stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 pick-up truck. Surveillance footage captured him committing the theft shortly after midnight on October 26. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shared video evidence of Morley driving away in the stolen vehicle.
The Hornbeak Fire Department, located approximately 15 miles away from the correctional complex, reported seeing Morley pass their facility in the truck around 1:18 a.m. on the same morning.
Criminal Background
Morley is no stranger to crime; he was convicted of the murder of Cody Birchfield, whose body was discovered in a box under Morley’s house weeks after he had been reported missing in February 2022. In addition to first-degree murder, Morley was charged with aggravated burglary, evidence tampering, evading arrest, and vandalism.
His criminal activities included leading police on a chase that extended into North Carolina following the discovery of Birchfield’s body, as reported by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigation and Search Efforts
In response to Morley’s escape, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has placed him on their “Most Wanted” list. They are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information that leads to his capture. Authorities are conducting extensive searches to locate him and have confirmed that he is the second inmate to escape from Tennessee Department of Correction custody within a week’s time.
The Northwest Correctional Complex has a capacity of 1,776 male inmates, making it one of the significant facilities in the state’s corrections system.
