Authorities in Tennessee are searching for a 28-year-old convicted murderer who escaped from a state prison late Sunday night by breaching a perimeter fence before stealing a truck and fleeing, officials said.
Jacob Morley, who is serving a life sentence, has been added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list. Authorities are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest.
According to the Tennessee Department of Correction, prison staff discovered Morley was missing from the Northwest Correctional Complex at around 11.30 pm on Sunday. Surveillance footage later showed that he had breached the facility’s perimeter fence and left wearing his prison uniform. Officials have not disclosed how he managed to get through the fence.
Morley stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee registration plates at around 1 am on October 26, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which cited video evidence. The truck belonged to Lindamood Planting Company and was carrying tools, its co-owner John Lindamood said.
The vehicle was not in service, and employees did not realise it was missing until midday Monday, Lindamood said. The truck was subsequently found abandoned early Tuesday in Marion, Illinois.
The Hornbeak Fire Department, located around 15 miles from the prison, captured footage of the stolen truck passing its building at approximately 1.18 am on Monday. Fire officials said the vehicle was being driven by Morley.
Morley is the second inmate to escape from the Tennessee Department of Correction’s custody within a week, according to reports.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment 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 reported missing in February 2022. Birchfield’s body was discovered in a box beneath Morley’s house weeks later, The Associated Press reported. Authorities said Morley led police on a chase in 2022 that ended in North Carolina after deputies arrived at his home.
The escape comes amid scrutiny of conditions at the Northwest Correctional Complex, which can accommodate up to 1,776 male inmates. In July, a grand jury returned indictments related to five inmate murders at the facility and other violent incidents, according to the AP.
Staffing shortages have also posed challenges. Prison officials told a Tennessee Senate subcommittee in September that the department had 470 vacancies across its workforce of around 6,000 employees.
The manhunt for Morley remains underway, with authorities urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact investigators.
