Jacob Allen Morley, the convicted murderer who triggered a multi-state manhunt after escaping from a Tennessee prison, is back in custody. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) confirmed Tuesday that the 28-year-old was apprehended near Kansas City, Missouri, ending an intense search that lasted more than a week.
Morley, who was serving a life sentence, vanished from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville late on Oct. 25. Security footage revealed that the inmate had successfully breached a perimeter fence at the facility, prompting officials to label him as highly dangerous and add him to the state’s “Most Wanted” list.
The escape set off a sprawling investigation that crossed state lines. Authorities believe that shortly after fleeing the Tiptonville area—a small town roughly 100 miles north of Memphis—Morley allegedly stole a white Ford F-350 truck. The vehicle was captured on surveillance footage passing the Hornbeak Fire Department early the following day. That truck was later recovered abandoned behind a business in Marion, Illinois, located about 123 miles north of the theft site.
The capture brings a sense of relief to the family of Cody Birchfield, the 34-year-old co-worker Morley was convicted of killing in 2022. During his 2025 trial, court documents revealed the gruesome nature of the crime; Birchfield was found shot in the back of the head, with his body hidden inside a large metal box beneath Morley’s residence in northeast Tennessee. Morley, who claimed self-defense during the proceedings, was convicted of murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and aggravated burglary.
Throughout the manhunt, Birchfield’s family expressed profound fear regarding Morley’s potential for further violence. In an interview with NBC News during the search, the victim’s sister, Carrie Norman, described Morley as “a very dangerous man” and warned that he would not hesitate to harm others if he managed to acquire a weapon. Following the announcement of his arrest on Tuesday, Norman issued a brief statement thanking law enforcement and the public for their diligence in tracking down her brother’s killer.
Morley, who had no prior felony record before the 2022 murder, had previously claimed during trial that he suffered from multiple mental health challenges, including bipolar disorder. Following his conviction, he was sentenced to life behind bars.
Authorities have not yet released specific details regarding the circumstances of his arrest in Missouri or how he managed to evade capture while traveling hundreds of miles from the correctional facility. It is expected that extradition proceedings will begin shortly to return Morley to Tennessee, where he now faces additional legal consequences for his escape.
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