Manhunt underway for convicted killer who escaped through Tennessee prison fence and fled in stolen truck, officials say
This booking photo released by the Tennessee Department of Correction on July 24
By Julianna Bragg and Vivian Phillips, CNN
(CNN) — Tennessee authorities are searching for a 28-year-old convicted murderer who escaped through a state prison’s fence late Sunday night before stealing a truck and driving off.
Jacob Morley, who is serving a life sentence, is now on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s “Most Wanted” list, with a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest.
Morley stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee plates around 1 a.m. on October 26, the agency said, citing video it obtained.
The Hornbeak Fire Department, about 15 miles from the Northwest Correctional Complex, captured video of Morley passing in front of the fire department building in the stolen truck around 1:18 a.m., its officials said.
Around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, staff at the Northwest Correctional Complex learned Morley was missing, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. Security camera footage later revealed Morley “breached the perimeter fence” and left the facility wearing his prison uniform, the department said. It remains unclear how he escaped through the fence.
Morley is the second inmate to escape from the Tennessee Department of Correction’s custody in the past week.
He had been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest and vandalism.
Morley was convicted in the killing of Cody Birchfield, who was initially reported missing in February 2022, according to the Carter County Sheriff’s Office.
Birchfield’s body was found in a box under Morley’s house weeks after he went missing, the Associated Press reported. Morley in 2022 led police on a chase that ended in North Carolina after he found deputies at his home, according to authorities.
The Northwest Correctional Complex in Tennessee can house up to 1,776 male inmates, according to the state Department of Correction.
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CNN’s Amanda Jackson contributed to this report.
