Tennessee escaped inmate Jacob Morley captured after week on the run - Newsweek

Jacob Morley has been captured in Missouri after more than a week when he escaped the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, officials announced on Tuesday.

Morley was captured in Carroll County, Missouri, on Tuesday after investigators used FLOCK cameras to track a vehicle he was believed to be traveling in, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

"Escaped inmate Jacob Allen Morley has been apprehended in Missouri by law enforcement," the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) said in a post on Facebook. "Thank you to our law enforcement partners and the public for their assistance in his capture."

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said in a Facebook post that Morley was currently in custody near Kansas City, Missouri.

Police used a helicopter to follow the vehicle until it turned onto County Road 515 and became stuck after attempting to drive off the roadway. A state trooper then confronted Morley and took him into custody “without incident.”

Authorities said officers never engaged Morley in an active pursuit, despite believing he could be armed with multiple weapons, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

When asked for more information on the details of the capture, a TBI spokesperson told Newsweek in an emailed statement earlier on Tuesday: "We hope to answer those questions later this afternoon when we have more details. It’s still very early and there are a lot of agencies involved to gather information from. All updates will be posted to our social media channels."

Newsweek reached out to the TDOC by email Tuesday for more information.

Morley, originally from Elizabethton, Tennessee, was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder at the time of his escape.

His victim and co-worker, Cody Wayne Birchfield, was reported missing by a family member on February 23, 2022, who said Birchfield had last been seen with Morley two days before, according to the Carter County Sheriff’s Office statement at the time.

Along with first-degree murder, Morley was also convicted of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism and evading arrest. When Morley saw deputies at his home in 2022, he led police on a chase that ended in North Carolina, authorities said.

Morley's escape from the Northwest Correctional Complex triggered an extensive manhunt that eventually stretched beyond Tennessee.

The TBI posted photos of him walking out of a door in inmate’s clothing following his escape last week. Surveillance footage also showed Morley stealing a white 2008 Ford F-350 from a lot near Tiptonville, roughly two miles from the prison.

The truck was subsequently captured on surveillance footage by the Hornbeak Fire Department in western Tennessee. It was also reported in nearby Troy as authorities attempted to determine Morley's movements.

The search then moved farther north. The stolen truck was recovered behind a shopping center in Marion, Illinois, about 120 miles north of the prison, but Morley was not with the vehicle.

Authorities continued searching across state lines, while the combined reward for information leading to his capture eventually reached $17,500.

Carrie Norman, Birchfield's sister, told NBC News after his escape that Morley is "a very dangerous man."

"If he gets ahold of any kind of weapon, he will kill somebody," she said. "This is so horrible to have to relive it all over again, knowing he’s free."

In a post on social media, Norman said she was notified by a friend of the escape, not by the sheriff.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Anthony Murray and Hollie Silverman.