Tennessee fugitive Jacob Morley caught after nine-day manhunt in Missouri

Jacob Morley, a 28-year-old convicted murderer from Tennessee, is back in custody after a nine-day manhunt across state lines. Missouri State Highway Patrol officers apprehended him on Tuesday around 11:30 a.m. in Carroll County, near Norborne. The location is roughly 50 miles east-northeast of Kansas City.

Morley escaped the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, late on October 25. Staff discovered he was missing during a routine check around 11:30 p.m. Security footage showed the inmate cutting through the perimeter fence while wearing his prison uniform. He stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee plates around 1 a.m. the next day. Investigators found the abandoned truck in Marion, Illinois, on October 27.

The capture relied on technology and coordination between agencies. The highway patrol’s Missouri Information Analysis Center received a tip that Morley might be in the state. FLOCK cameras later identified his vehicle traveling south on Missouri Route 291. Police from Kansas City followed him by helicopter. Officers took him into custody without incident after his car became stuck off the road.

Morley was serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of his co-worker, Cody Birchfield. He was also convicted of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest, and vandalism. Birchfield was found in a box under Morley’s house weeks after being reported missing. The Tennessee Department of Correction warned the public that Morley was considered dangerous and could be anywhere during the search.

Local officials in Illinois criticized the delay in notification. District Attorney Danny Goodman Jr. noted that prison staff did not alert external law enforcement until after Morley had already crossed state lines. Marion police found the stolen truck about 130 miles north of the prison, but the fugitive had already moved on. Officials urged residents to check properties and look for anything unusual during the multi-day search.

The incident shook the small community of Marion, which has a population of about 17,600. Local attorney Bridget Lawler said residents were hypervigilant during the manhunt. Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich stated that the county was not willing to take chances with citizen safety. Morley is the second inmate to escape Tennessee custody in October, following Gregory Redden, who was captured after escaping from a hospital in Nashville on October 21.

The Tennessee Department of Correction expressed gratitude to law enforcement partners and the public for their assistance. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation had placed Morley on its Most Wanted list and offered a $17,500 reward for information leading to his arrest. Family members of the victim said the escape reopened old wounds, but his recapture brings the case to a close for now.