Escaped Tennessee killer recaptured in Missouri after week on run

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 16:23 · Archive

Jacob Morley, 28, serving a life sentence for murder, was recaptured on Tuesday in Missouri after escaping a Tennessee prison on 25 October.

Jacob Morley, 28, was recaptured on Tuesday near Norborne, Missouri, ending a multistate manhunt that lasted more than a week. He had escaped from Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, on 25 October by slipping through a fence in his prison clothes. Surveillance video showed him stealing a truck from a farm about 2 miles away from the prison.

Morley was serving a life sentence for the first-degree murder of co-worker Cody Birchfield in 2022. Birchfield's body was found in a box under Morley's home after he had been missing for several weeks. When law enforcement arrived at Morley's home, he led officers on a chase that ended in North Carolina before he was eventually captured.

After his escape, the truck he initially stole was found abandoned in Marion, Illinois, about 120 miles north of the prison. Investigators received a tip that Morley was hiding in a shed at a hunting camp near Marion. An automatic license plate reader database showed that another stolen truck had travelled between St. Louis and Kansas City in Missouri, allowing authorities to track his recent movements and locate him in a less populated area.

Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich revealed that Morley spent time in the shed on a farm property, where he drank beer and prepared food including garlic bread. He left behind a handwritten apology note after stealing a truck from the property. He is also suspected of stealing clothes and three firearms from the farm.

Authorities believe Morley walked about 3 miles to reach the farm after abandoning the first truck he had driven following his escape. A search of the truck found in Missouri uncovered three stolen firearms: two rifles and a shotgun. Roadside cameras and a helicopter were used to track him down, with his truck becoming stuck in the mud before his capture.

Numerous local, state and federal law enforcement agencies worked the case. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said that information-sharing between agencies, including the Tennessee Fusion Center, the Missouri Information Analysis Center and the Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center, played a crucial role in tracking Morley's movements. Prison officials had offered a reward of up to $17,500 for information leading to his arrest.

How it is being reported

• Escaped killer hid in shed, stole truck, left apology note before captureAuthorities are still trying to piece together how a convicted murderer in Tennessee evaded capture for more than a week.CBS News · 5 Nov, 15:57
• Escaped killer left behind the most bizarre apology note while on the runAuthorities are still trying to piece together how a convicted murderer in Tennessee evaded capture for more than a weekIndependent World · 5 Nov, 09:06
• Escaped Tennessee inmate arrested in Missouri, ending nine-day manhuntA multistate manhunt for a Tennessee inmate serving a life sentence for murder who escaped prison nine days ago ended Tuesday.UPI · 4 Nov, 03:21
• Escaped Tennessee inmate convicted of co-worker’s murder is recaptured after more than a week on the run, officials sayA man convicted of murder who escaped from a Tennessee prison was recaptured on Tuesday after more than a week on the run, authorities said.New York Post · 3 Nov, 18:43

In this story: Jacob Morley · Cody Birchfield · Northwest Correctional Complex · Tennessee · Missouri · Marion, Illinois · Kansas City · Williamson County Sheriff

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log