Escaped Killer Caught in Missouri After Week-Long Manhunt

After a manhunt lasting more than a week and crossing three states, federal and state law enforcement captured Jacob Allen Morley, a convicted murderer who escaped from a Tennessee prison. The 28-year-old inmate was arrested in Missouri, where authorities found three stolen firearms in his vehicle.

Morley escaped on October 25 from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee. Security cameras recorded him at approximately 11:30 p.m. climbing over the facility's fence while wearing prison clothing. He then stole a vehicle from a nearby farm and disappeared.

The breakthrough in the investigation came after authorities received information that Morley was hiding at a property in Illinois. A truck was reported stolen from that location, and law enforcement began tracking its license plate using automated vehicle recognition systems. The tracking led investigators to Missouri, where local police were alerted.

On Tuesday at 11:34 a.m. local time, Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers located Morley in Carroll County and arrested him without resistance. Footage released by authorities shows the former inmate handcuffed and being led away by officers.

The manhunt involved local police, state authorities and federal agencies including the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service. Authorities initially offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to his capture, later increasing it by an additional $15,000. Police confirmed they received tips from citizens that assisted the investigation.

Wanted poster calling for public assistance in locating Morley

Morley was convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of his coworker, Cody Birchfield, in 2022. Birchfield's body was found inside a metal box hidden beneath Morley's home. According to court documents, he was shot in the back of the head, and bullet casings found at the scene matched a handgun recovered from the killer's residence.

The two men knew each other from their workplace, a wood panel manufacturing plant, where Birchfield had helped train Morley. In June, Morley was sentenced to life in prison, and his request for a new trial was denied in May.

In addition to the murder conviction, Morley was found guilty of aggravated burglary, vandalism, tampering with evidence and evading arrest. This was not the first time he forced law enforcement into a pursuit: his 2022 arrest came after a police chase that crossed from Tennessee into North Carolina.