By Salma El-Sakka
Convicted murderer Jacob Morley, 28, remained at large on Tuesday after the truck he stole during his escape from a Tennessee prison was discovered abandoned in southern Illinois. Authorities said Morley vanished from the Northwest Correctional Complex near Tiptonville late Sunday and took a white Ford F-350 from a nearby farm early Monday.
Truck located 120 miles from prison
The vehicle was found parked neatly behind a shopping center in Marion, Illinois, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) north of the prison and roughly 90 miles southeast of St. Louis. Surveillance video showed the truck parked at 4 a.m. Tuesday; it was reported to police around 11 a.m. Marion Police Chief David Fitts said there have been no reports of other stolen vehicles or suspicious activity in the area.
Escape captured on surveillance video
Footage from the Lindamood Planting Company farm, about a two-mile walk from the prison, shows Morley opening the unlocked driver's side door and driving off at about 1 a.m. Monday. Firefighters in Hornbeak, 12 miles east of the farm, confirmed their cameras captured the truck passing their station about 15 minutes later. Authorities said Morley slipped through a fence in his prison clothes but have not disclosed whether they believe he had assistance.
Morley serving life for 2022 murder
Morley is serving a life sentence for killing his co-worker, Cody Birchfield, in 2022. Birchfield's body was found in a box under Morley's home in Carter County, eastern Tennessee, after he had been missing for weeks. Morley was also convicted of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism and evading arrest. He led officers on a chase that ended in North Carolina when deputies arrived at his home.
Victim's friends express horror at escape
A woman who grew up with Birchfield told NewsNation she was "absolutely horrified" and called Morley "extremely dangerous." Friend Daniel Russell said the escape revived the pain of the murder, describing Birchfield as someone who "would take his shirt off his back... and give it to you." Another friend, Diana Reid, said the family had felt a degree of justice with Morley incarcerated and now questioned where that justice stands.
Prison system under scrutiny
The escape adds to a series of problems in Tennessee prisons. Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada resigned last month after the failed execution of Christa Pike on September 30. A grand jury in July returned dozens of indictments for five inmate killings and other violent acts at Northwest Correctional Complex. Prison officials recently told a state Senate subcommittee they had 470 open positions among a 6,000-person workforce and warned that a 2022 law requiring inmates to serve more of their sentences could lead to overcrowding.
