10
Loading video...
By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Authorities have located the truck stolen by convicted murderer Jacob Morley, 120 miles north of the jail he escaped from on Sunday.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI) announced on Tuesday that they had located the stolen Ford F-350 that was seen at several locations after being taken from Lake County, Tennessee in the early hours of October 26.
Where is Jacob Morley?
It was announced that Morley, 28, had escaped from Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee on October 26.
Read More on News
"At approximately 11:30 p.m. on October 25, 2026, staff at NWCX confirmed Morley was unaccounted for and immediately conducted an emergency count and search of the facility," Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) said.
Security cameras "confirmed Morley breached the perimeter fence and exited the facility," officials added.
...
Carrie Norman, the sister of the man Morley murdered, told NBC News that he is "a very dangerous man," adding that "If he gets ahold of any kind of weapon, he will kill."
On Monday, authorities released a photo of a truck sought in connection with Morley’s escape, sharing images of the white 2008 Ford F-350 that was taken from a lot near Tiptonville, roughly two miles through fields from the prison.
That evening, Hornbeak Fire Department in West Tennessee said the escapee was seen passing the fire department at 1:18 a.m. Monday morning in the truck. They added that the same truck was later spotted in the nearby city of Troy.
"As of this post the escapee is still on the loose. Use extra precaution until apprehended," the Fire Department said.
In the latest update from the TBI, the Ford F-350 had been located in Marion, Illinois at about 4 a.m. on October 27. Surveillance video showed it being neatly parked behind a shopping center at around that time. It was reported to police at about 11 a.m.
Morley has been added to Tennessee’s Most Wanted list, and authorities say he should be considered dangerous. Prison officials have offered a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to Morley’s arrest.
"Morley’s location remains unknown. If you have any info, call 1-800-TBI-FIND," the TBI said in a statement on Tuesday. "If you see him, call 911 immediately—do not approach."
Why Was Jacob Morley in Prison?
Morley was convicted in February 2025 of the murder of his co-worker Cody Wayne Birchfield and was sentenced to life in prison.
Birchfield was reported missing by a family member in February 2022. When investigators searched Birchfield’s home, they found "indications that a violent crime had occurred." After getting a search warrant, they found Birchfield’s body in a box underneath Morley's home.
Morley was convicted of first-degree murder as well as aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism and evading arrest.
Officers attempted to arrest Morley during a traffic stop on March 2, 2022 but he fled toward North Carolina. Officers stopped his car using spike strips causing his vehicle to crash when he fled into nearby woods, where a police dog eventually caught him.
Morley’s recent escape is the latest in a string of issues for Tennessee prisons.
Several violent attacks have been reported in recent years at Northwest Correctional Complex, prompting a grand jury in July to return dozens of indictments for five inmate murders, assaults against staff and inmates and other violence.
Northwest Correctional Complex can house 1,776 male inmates, according to the Department of Correction. A 2023 audit of Tennessee prisons found that the department was struggling to fill open positions at the prison in Lake County and had a 61 percent vacancy rate for correctional officers in that fiscal year.
More recently, Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada resigned after less than three years in the job following the failed execution of Christa Pike on September 30.
Pike remained alive after two doses of lethal injection drug pentobarbital. Following what has been called a "remarkable" physical recovery, the state is conducting an independent investigation into its death penalty system.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Tony Phillips.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines