Convicted Murderer Escapes Tennessee Prison; Manhunt Underway

Jacob Allen Morley, 28, escaped from Tennessee’s Northwest Correctional Complex late October 25, 2026, and remains at large. Authorities say he breached a perimeter fence and stole a white Ford F-350 from a nearby farm; the truck was later found abandoned in Marion, Illinois, about 120 miles away. Morley is serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of former coworker Cody Birchfield, whose body was found in a box beneath Morley’s home, and was also convicted of burglary and other offenses. Officials consider him dangerous and warn the public not to approach him. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering $5,000 in addition to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s $2,500 reward, bringing the total to $7,500; anyone with information is urged to contact law enforcement.