Jacob Morley Recaptured in Missouri After Tennessee Prison Escape
The 28-year-old murder convict was stopped by state troopers near Kansas City after a week-long pursuit that crossed state lines.
By Luana Sato ·
Jacob Morley, a 28-year-old inmate convicted of first-degree murder, was apprehended by the Missouri state highway patrol on Tuesday morning outside Kansas City. His recapture ended a week-long manhunt that began after he fled a Tennessee prison on Oct. 25.
Officials said automated license plate readers tracked Morley’s vehicle as it moved through Missouri. State and county authorities did not release specific details about the final stop, but confirmed he was caught before midday. Morley had been serving a life sentence for the 2022 killing of his co-worker, Cody Birchfield.
The escape began at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, a facility located in the state’s far northwestern corner. Surveillance footage showed Morley slipping through a fence while wearing his prison clothes. He then stole a truck from a nearby farm to continue his flight. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Marion, Illinois, roughly 120 miles north of the prison.
Birchfield’s body was discovered in a box beneath Morley’s home in Carter County after he disappeared for several weeks. When deputies arrived at the residence during the initial investigation, Morley led them on a chase that extended into North Carolina before officers secured his arrest. A jury later found him guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism, and evading arrest.
The prison system in Tennessee has faced scrutiny following recent incidents at the Northwest Correctional Complex. A grand jury returned dozens of indictments in July for five inmate killings and other violent acts. Additionally, Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada resigned in September after the failed execution of Christa Pike, a decision that came less than three years into his tenure.
Prison officials had offered a reward of up to $17,500 for information leading to Morley’s recapture. The facility sits on flat farmland near a bend in the Mississippi River, about 90 miles north of Memphis. Law enforcement searched various structures in the area during the week following his escape.
