28-Year-Old Murders Convict Fled in Stolen F-350
Jacob Morley, serving life for the 2022 death of Cody Birchfield, breached a prison fence and took a work truck from a nearby residence.
By Abigail Brooks ·
Tennessee authorities launched a manhunt on Sunday night after a life-sentence inmate breached a prison fence and stole a white pickup truck. The escape occurred at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, marking a rapid escalation in the search for Jacob Allen Morley, 28.
Prison staff noticed Morley was missing during a routine check around 11:30 p.m. Sunday. They immediately conducted an emergency count and searched the facility. Security footage from the complex showed Morley cutting through a fence while still wearing standard prison clothing.
At approximately 1 a.m. Monday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation recorded Morley taking a vehicle on the 400 block of Keystone Drive. This location sits roughly two miles south of the prison. The stolen vehicle is a white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee license plate 138BBQV. The side of the truck displays the name Lindamood Planting Company, and officials noted an air compressor rests in the bed.
Morley was convicted in 2025 of first-degree murder for the killing of Cody Birchfield. Birchfield disappeared in early February 2022 after being last seen in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Investigators from the Carter County Sheriff's Office found signs of a violent crime inside the victim's home. Morley was arrested in March 2022 after a police chase that crossed into North Carolina. Birchfield's body was later found underneath Morley's home.
The conviction included additional charges for burglary, vandalism, tampering with evidence, and evading arrest. During the trial, Morley's former girlfriend, Landree Sheperd, testified that he admitted to the killing by saying, "he f, ing killed him." Morley is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighs 240 pounds, and has brown hair and green eyes.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation designated Morley as dangerous and added him to the state's most wanted list. Federal and state law enforcement agencies are currently assisting in the search. The department encourages anyone with information to call 844-832-3463.
Source: Fox News
