Tennessee fugitive caught after week

Seven days. That was the duration of the manhunt for Jacob Morley, the 28-year-old murder convict captured by authorities on Tuesday. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed his arrest, ending a week of evasive maneuvers that led from a prison fence in Tennessee to a stolen truck in Illinois.

Morley was serving a life sentence at the Northwest Correctional Complex. The facility is located in Tiptonville, a town roughly 90 miles from Memphis. He was originally convicted in 2022 for killing his coworker, Cody Birchfield. Birchfield’s body was found in a box under Morley’s home in Carter County after several weeks of him being missing.

Correctional officers discovered Morley was missing at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 25. Security footage reviewed by investigators showed him slipping through a fence on the property while wearing his prison uniform. The Tennessee Department of Correction stated that he had breached the perimeter at that specific location.

Two days after his escape, authorities released video showing Morley stealing a white 2008 Ford F-350. The truck bore Tennessee plates and a logo for Lindamood Planting Company on the side door. It was taken from Lake County in the early hours of Oct. 27. Investigators located the vehicle later that same day in Marion, Illinois, about 150 miles north of Tiptonville.

The search expanded rapidly after the truck was found. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation placed Morley on its most wanted list. The governor’s office and U.S. Marshals joined the effort, offering a combined reward of up to $17,500 for information leading to his arrest. Despite the bounty, Morley’s exact whereabouts remained unknown until his capture.

Morley was sentenced for first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism, and evading arrest. During the initial 2022 manhunt, he fled when deputies arrived at his home. That pursuit ended in North Carolina. This new escape occurred at a prison designed to hold 1,776 men under varying security levels. It also houses minors convicted as adults.

The Northwest Correctional Complex has faced scrutiny in recent years due to violent incidents. In July, a grand jury returned dozens of indictments for the murders of five inmates and assaults against staff. The Tennessee Inmate Disciplinary Oversight Board recently discussed leadership issues at the facility. Morley’s capture returns him to custody following the week-long search.