Murderer caught in Missouri after 10-day escape from Tennessee prison

Jacob Morley was captured in Missouri on Tuesday after spending ten days on the run from a Tennessee prison where he served a life sentence for murder. The 28-year-old inmate was found near Kansas City, more than 350 miles from his point of escape, when his vehicle became immobilized in mud.

Morley fled the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tennessee on October 25. Surveillance footage showed him slipping through a fence in his prison clothes. He stole a truck from a nearby farm and drove west. The vehicle was later abandoned in Marion, Illinois, roughly 127 miles from the prison.

Investigators believe Morley walked three miles from the abandoned vehicle to a farm in Marion. He hid in a hunting shed for several days. Sheriff Jeff Diederich of Williamson County said officers found evidence of beer consumption and prepared food, including garlic bread. Morley left a handwritten note apologizing after stealing a second truck and three firearms from the property.

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers used roadside cameras and a helicopter to track Morley. His truck got stuck in mud, leading to his arrest. Two rifles and a shotgun were recovered from the vehicle. Morley was compliant during the arrest and was transported to the Lafayette County Jail in Lexington.

The reasons for Morley's specific route remain unclear to investigators. Diederich described Morley's arrival in Marion as a mystery. There is no evidence that Morley received assistance during his flight. He was charged in federal court in Tennessee with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. A separate federal charge in Missouri alleges he is a felon in possession of a firearm.

Morley was convicted in 2022 of killing co-worker Cody Birchfield. Birchfield's body was discovered in a box under Morley's home after a weeks-long disappearance. Morley also faced charges for aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism, and evading arrest. District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr. of Tennessee plans to file additional charges. It is not yet known when Morley will be returned to Tennessee.

A deputy U.S. marshal interviewed Morley at the jail on Tuesday. Morley admitted to escaping, stealing the truck, and taking the three guns, according to a probable cause affidavit. Kim Wheeler-Elder, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, stated that all available information regarding Morley's whereabouts has been released.