The key facts
- Jacob Morley, 28, escaped on Sunday from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, climbing over the perimeter in prison clothing
- The car he stole was found in Illinois, about 120 miles from the prison, but the fugitive himself has not been found
- A reward of up to $2,500 has been offered for information on his whereabouts
Escape over the fence and the manhunt
The search continues in Tennessee for 28-year-old Jacob Allen Morley, who was sentenced to life in prison for murder. According to the state Department of Correction (TDOC), he escaped on Sunday from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, about 90 miles north of Memphis. Surveillance camera footage, the department said, confirmed that Morley climbed over the perimeter fence and left the grounds in prison clothing. Staff discovered his absence during the evening count, after which an emergency headcount and search were carried out inside the facility. This is reported by BBC News.
What is known about the fugitive and the search efforts
Morley was found guilty of the first-degree murder of his colleague Cody Birchfield in 2022 and was sentenced in June 2025. According to Carter County court records reviewed by the BBC, Birchfield's body was found in a metal box under Morley's house; according to the medical examiner's report, he died from a gunshot to the back of the head, and the shell casings matched the weapon found in the defendant's home. Morley was also convicted of property damage, tampering with evidence, aggravated burglary and evading arrest; in May he was denied a new trial. According to prison records, his custody level was listed as 'low', and his earliest parole date was only in December 2083. The fugitive has been added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's most wanted list, with a reward of up to $2,500 offered for information leading to his arrest. State aviation and highway patrol units have joined the search. On Tuesday, investigators said a car stolen from a neighbouring farm was found in Illinois, about 120 miles north of Tiptonville, but Morley himself was not there. This is not his first escape from justice: his 2022 arrest followed a chase that ended in North Carolina.
A series of incidents in the state's prison system
Morley's escape came against the backdrop of a string of problems in Tennessee's correctional facilities. As the BBC notes, earlier this month 69-year-old Gregory Redden, serving 15 years for aggravated robbery, escaped from custody but was quickly recaptured. And in September, an execution by lethal injection failed in the state: death row inmate Christa Pike survived and, according to her lawyers, remained conscious and able to speak. After that, TDOC Commissioner Frank Strada announced his resignation. The reports about Morley's escape do not state its cause and do not directly link it to these incidents, so any conclusions about a common systemic cause remain beyond the confirmed facts.
Image source, Tennessee Department of Correction Morley was convicted of first-degree murder over the killing of his colleague Cody Birchfield in 2022
