Murder Convict Jacob Morley Flees Tennessee Prison in Stolen Work Truck

Law enforcement agencies across Tennessee launched a search for a murder convict on Monday after he breached a prison fence and stole a heavy-duty truck. The Tennessee Department of Correction confirmed that Jacob Allen Morley, 28, escaped the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville on Sunday night. Morley is serving a life sentence for the 2025 conviction of killing Cody Birchfield.

Prison staff noticed Morley was missing during a routine headcount around 11:30 p.m. Sunday. An emergency search of the facility followed immediately. Security footage later showed Morley cutting through the perimeter fence while wearing his prison uniform. By 1:00 a.m. Monday, investigators had video evidence placing him on Keystone Drive, about two miles south of the prison.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the getaway vehicle as a white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee plate 138BBQV. The truck features the name Lindamood Planting Company on its side and carries an air compressor in the bed. Officials described Morley as 5 feet 11 inches tall and 240 pounds with brown hair and green eyes. They advised the public to consider him dangerous and added his name to the state’s most wanted list.

Morley’s criminal record extends beyond the first-degree murder charge. He was also convicted of burglary, vandalism, tampering with evidence, and evading arrest in connection with the 2022 death of Birchfield. Birchfield vanished in early February 2022 after being last seen in Elizabethton. 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 following a chase that crossed into North Carolina. His body was later discovered under Morley's house.

At the trial, Morley’s former girlfriend, Landree Sheperd, testified that Morley admitted to killing Birchfield. She stated he said, "he f, ing killed him." Federal and state law enforcement units are now coordinating the search for the fugitive. Residents with information about Morley's location can call 844-832-3463.