Jacob Morley, a 28‑year‑old inmate serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of co‑worker Cody Birchfield, escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tennessee late Sunday. Prison officials said Morley slipped through a fence in his prison clothes and fled the facility.
Truck theft and flight
Surveillance video released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows Morley opening the unlocked driver’s side door of a farm truck near Tiptonville and driving away at about 1 a.m. on Monday. The farm is roughly a two‑mile walk from the prison.
Firefighters in Hornbeak, about 12 miles east of the farm, reported that their cameras captured the truck passing the station roughly 15 minutes later.
Abandoned vehicle discovered in Illinois
Authorities in Marion, Illinois, located the stolen truck abandoned behind a shopping center at 4 a.m. on Tuesday. The vehicle was reported to police around 11 a.m., and surveillance footage confirmed its position.
Marion Police Chief David Fitts said the truck appeared to have been left neatly parked. “He has vanished,” Fitts said, noting no other stolen‑vehicle reports in the area.
Manhunt continues
Despite a reward of up to $2,500 offered by prison officials, Morley remains at large. Tennessee investigators have not disclosed whether anyone may have assisted his escape.
Morley is described as a white male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 240 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. He was convicted of first‑degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism and evading arrest.
Broader prison concerns
The escape adds to a series of recent problems at the Northwest Correctional Complex, including multiple inmate killings and violent incidents involving staff. In July, a grand jury returned dozens of indictments related to those events.
Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada recently announced his resignation following a botched execution of Christa Pike, which raised questions about the state’s death‑penalty procedures.
State officials also warned that a 2022 law requiring inmates to serve longer portions of their sentences is increasing prison populations and could lead to overcrowding, with 470 open jobs among the department’s 6,000‑person workforce.
Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.
