Tennessee Inmate: Morley Recaptured in Missouri After Multi-State Manhunt
The convicted murderer was caught Tuesday after deputies in Illinois identified a stolen farm truck he used to flee south.
By Lucas Collins ·
Jacob Allen Morley was taken into custody Tuesday near Kansas City, Missouri, ending a manhunt that began on Oct. 25. The 28-year-old escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Lake County, Tennessee, and traveled through Illinois before being stopped by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He was arrested without incident as he drove through the Kansas City area.
The capture followed a specific lead from rural Williamson County, Illinois. At approximately 7:34 a.m. on Tuesday, local deputies responded to a report of a stolen white 2005 Ford pickup truck. The vehicle, described as a farm truck, was confirmed to be in Morley’s possession. Investigators determined he had used the truck to leave southern Illinois and head west. Authorities from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation coordinated to track his route.
Morley had been on the run for nine days. He escaped the Tennessee facility on Oct. 25 after an inmate covered for him during a 9:30 p.m. headcount. An officer noticed he was missing at 10:00 p.m. Investigators found that Morley had cut through perimeter fences after hiding near the prison’s main kitchen. Around 1:00 a.m. on Oct. 26, he stole a 2008 Ford F-350 utility truck. Surveillance footage showed he abandoned that vehicle in Marion, Illinois, around 4:40 a.m. He evaded searches in the area for over a week before stealing the second truck.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation placed Morley on its Most Wanted list and offered a reward of up to $17,500 for his arrest. He is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for the 2022 murder of coworker Cody Birchfield in Carter County, Tennessee. Friends and family of the victim issued public warnings after the escape, describing Morley as a dangerous killer. Authorities also investigated a potential link between Morley and an armed bank robbery in Dane County, Wisconsin.
No formal charges regarding the escape or the vehicle thefts have been announced. Extradition details remain pending. The investigation continues to review evidence from the time Morley was at large in southern Illinois.
