Tennessee authorities search for convicted murderer after prison escape

Authorities are searching for a man serving a life sentence for murder who escaped through the perimeter fence of a Tennessee prison. Investigators have released video of a work truck being stolen nearby as they try to locate him.

Jacob Allen Morley, 28, was found missing from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday, the Tennessee Department of Correction said. A review of security footage confirmed that he crossed the fence and left wearing his prison uniform. Officials have not explained how he got through the fence.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation placed Morley on its most-wanted list and released video of the theft of a white Ford F-350 flatbed truck in Lake County, which includes Tiptonville. CBS News reported that the theft occurred at about 1 a.m. Tuesday; NBC News reported that authorities put it at about 1 a.m. Monday. The outlets did not resolve the discrepancy.

The truck is a 2008 model with Tennessee license plates and a Lindamood Planting Company logo on its door, according to CBS News. NBC News described footage showing a man wearing a beanie walk around the back of the truck to the driver’s door. The windshield wipers then move before the truck drives away.

Investigators have asked residents to examine security footage for signs of Morley or the truck. “Residents are urged to check home security systems, including doorbell cameras and trail cameras,” the bureau said. A reward of up to $2,500 is available for information leading to Morley’s arrest. NBC News reported that anyone who sees him has been asked to call 911 or 1-800-TBI-FIND immediately.

Law enforcement officers have searched buildings and other structures near the prison, CBS News reported. Tiptonville sits near the Mississippi River and the Missouri state line, roughly 90 to 100 miles north of Memphis. Morley is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 240 pounds and has brown hair and green eyes.

Morley is serving a life sentence for the 2022 killing of co-worker Cody Birchfield. Birchfield’s body was found in a box beneath Morley’s Carter County home after he had been missing for weeks. Citing court documents, NBC News reported that Morley shot the 34-year-old in the back of the head and was convicted in February 2025. NBC News also reported that Morley claimed self-defense and said he had mental health issues, including bipolar disorder.

Both outlets reported convictions for aggravated burglary and tampering with evidence. CBS News also listed vandalism and evading arrest among Morley’s convictions and reported that he led deputies on a chase into North Carolina in 2022. NBC News, citing court documents, listed a conviction for abuse of a corpse.

CBS News reported that a grand jury returned dozens of indictments in July over violence at the Northwest Correctional Complex, including five inmate murders and assaults on staff and inmates. It also reported that a 2023 audit found a 61% vacancy rate for correctional officers at the prison during that fiscal year.