By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Tennessee inmate Jacob Allen Morley, who escaped from a prison in Tiptonville on Oct. 25, has been captured near Kansas City, Missouri, authorities announced Tuesday.
Escape and manhunt
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Morley, 28, was taken into custody more than a week after he breached a perimeter fence at the Northwest Correctional Complex and allegedly stole a white Ford F-350 truck. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Marion, Illinois, about 123 miles north of Hornbeak, Tennessee, where it was spotted on security footage.
Conviction and victim
Morley was convicted in 2025 of murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and aggravated burglary in the 2022 killing of his co-worker Cody Birchfield, 34. He was sentenced to life in prison. Court documents indicate Birchfield’s body was found in a metal box under Morley’s residence.
Birchfield’s sister, Carrie Norman, described Morley as “a very dangerous man” and thanked authorities after his capture. Morley had claimed self-defense at trial and reported a history of mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, with no prior felony offenses.
