A major manhunt is underway after a convicted murderer serving a life sentence escaped from a Tennessee prison. Residents have been warned not to approach the fugitive, who authorities consider dangerous.
Jacob Allen Morley, 28, broke through a perimeter security fence at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville late Sunday night and fled into the surrounding area. He was wearing prison-issued clothing at the time.
Morley was convicted in a case involving a victim whose body was found buried beneath his home in 2022. His escape has triggered an urgent search involving local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
The search intensified Monday evening after investigators said Morley stole a pickup truck shortly after escaping, raising concerns that he may have traveled well beyond the prison grounds.
Authorities have placed Morley on Tennessee’s Most Wanted list and are offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to his capture.
Prison officers discovered the breach at about 11.30pm Sunday, when they realized Morley was missing from the facility.
Staff immediately began an emergency headcount and searched the prison, but Morley had already escaped.
Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage to determine how the inmate got out.
Convicted murderer Jacob Morley, 28, escaped from a Tennessee prison Sunday night after breaching a perimeter fence while serving a life sentence
Surveillance images released by investigators show the fugitive wearing a blue top and gray pants as authorities work to trace his movements
A separate security camera image shows the escaped inmate wearing a gray hat and blue shirt after disappearing from the Northwest Correctional Complex
‘Further review of security cameras confirmed Morley breached the perimeter fence and exited the facility in his TDOC uniform,’ the Tennessee Department of Correction said.
Authorities have not explained precisely how Morley penetrated the prison’s perimeter defenses or why the breach was not detected sooner.
By Monday, the manhunt had expanded beyond the prison property, as officers searched nearby buildings and other structures for clues to Morley’s whereabouts.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol joined the operation, deploying state troopers and aircraft as investigators worked to reconstruct the fugitive’s movements.
Investigators received a possible break after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation obtained surveillance footage that appeared to show Morley stealing a truck at around 1am Monday.
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The vehicle was identified as a white 2008 Ford F-350 bearing the name Lindamood Planting Company on its side.
Police urged anyone who sees Morley or the truck to contact authorities immediately and not attempt to confront or detain him.
Morley was serving a life sentence for the first-degree murder of Cody Birchfield, an East Tennessee man who disappeared in February 2022.
An earlier booking photograph shows Morley smiling in an orange prison uniform before his escape prompted a statewide manhunt
Grainy nighttime surveillance footage shows a pickup truck in a farm parking lot just before Morley managed to steal the vehicle
A roadside security camera in Tiptonville sees Morley driving away at speed in the stolen truck shortly after escaping
Investigators say Morley stole this distinctive white Ford F-350 pickup truck, potentially allowing him to flee far beyond the prison
Morley was serving a life sentence for the murder of Cody Birchfield, whose remains were discovered buried beneath his home in March 2022
Tennessee authorities have issued a wanted poster for Morley, warning the public that he is dangerous and offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to his arrest
Birchfield’s disappearance triggered a missing-person investigation before authorities made a grisly discovery the following month.
His remains were found buried underneath Morley’s home in March 2022.
Morley was subsequently convicted of Birchfield’s murder in February 2025 and sentenced to life imprisonment that June.
Investigators are also asking residents near the prison to examine their home security footage for anything suspicious that might help reconstruct the fugitive’s movements.
‘Residents are urged to review doorbell cameras, surveillance systems, and trail cameras, and to check their property for anything unusual or out of place,’ the TBI said.
Investigators are also urging people not to put themselves in danger by confronting Morley.
‘Do not attempt to apprehend this fugitive,’ corrections officials warned.
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