TIPTONVILLE, Tenn. — A massive manhunt is underway across Western Tennessee as authorities scramble to locate a convicted murderer who escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex late Sunday night.
Jacob Morley, 28, who was serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of a co-worker, remains at large as of Tuesday morning. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) officials confirmed that Morley managed to slip through a prison fence while dressed in his standard-issue prison uniform.
The escape sparked an immediate search of the area surrounding the facility, which is located in a rural, flat stretch of farmland near a bend in the Mississippi River, approximately 90 miles north of Memphis. Investigators believe Morley made his way across fields to a nearby farm, roughly two miles from the correctional complex.
Surveillance footage released by the TBI captures the chilling moment Morley reached the farm at approximately 1 a.m. Monday. The video shows the inmate approaching an unlocked truck and driving off into the darkness. Shortly after 1:15 a.m., cameras at a fire station in Hornbeak, located about 12 miles east of the farm, captured the stolen vehicle passing by, providing authorities with a critical lead on his direction of travel.
Morley was incarcerated for the gruesome murder of Cody Birchfield. The case made headlines in 2022 after Birchfield’s body was discovered hidden in a box beneath Morley’s home in Carter County. Following his conviction for first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, and other charges, Morley was sent to the state prison system. His criminal history includes a history of flight; when deputies first attempted to apprehend him at his home regarding the murder, he led officers on a high-speed chase that spanned state lines before ending in North Carolina.
Law enforcement officials have not yet disclosed how Morley managed to bypass prison security or if he received assistance from anyone inside or outside the facility. The escape marks another blow to the reputation of the Northwest Correctional Complex, which has been under intense scrutiny following a series of violent inmate-on-inmate attacks and employee misconduct. A grand jury recently returned dozens of indictments in July related to five separate inmate killings at the complex.
Morley is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing approximately 240 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes.
Authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant. The Department of Correction has offered a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading directly to his arrest. Residents in the region are advised not to approach the suspect if spotted, as he is considered dangerous, and are encouraged to contact local law enforcement or the TBI immediately.
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