A convicted murderer has escaped from a Tennessee prison, prompting an urgent law enforcement search.
Jacob Allen Morley, 28, is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder. He escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville on Oct. 25, the Tennessee Department of Correction said.
Staff realized Morley was missing at approximately 11:30 p.m. An emergency count and facility-wide search followed, but officials could not locate him. Security video later showed him climbing through a perimeter fence while wearing his prison uniform before running from the property.
Within two hours, authorities say Morley stole a pickup truck on Keystone Drive in Lake County, roughly two miles from the prison. Surveillance footage released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows him walking around a gravel lot filled with farm equipment before entering a white Ford F-350 and driving away.
Morley has been added to Tennessee’s Most Wanted list. Authorities are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information that results in his arrest. He is described as approximately 6 feet tall and weighing 240 pounds.
“Residents in the area are asked to check home security and doorbell cameras, trail and hunting cameras, and other surveillance systems for possible sightings or activity,” TDOC said in a press release. “Anyone who sees Morley or has information about his whereabouts should not approach him.”
Anyone who spots Morley should call 911 or contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
A Tennessee Department of Correction spokesperson directed Oxygen to the Bureau of Investigation for additional information.
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Morley’s attorneys and representatives of the Tennessee District Attorney General’s Office did not immediately reply to Oxygen’s requests for comment.
What Crimes Did Jacob Allen Morley Commit?
Morley was convicted in the killing of his friend and coworker, Cody Birchfield.
Birchfield was reported missing in Elizabethton on Feb. 23, 2022, two days after he was last seen with Morley. Investigators searching Birchfield’s home found signs of a violent crime and secured warrants for searches of Morley’s property.
When deputies attempted to pull Morley over, he sped away, leading to a high-speed chase that crossed state lines. The pursuit ended after he crashed and fled into a wooded area, where officers arrested him.
According to NBC News, Birchfield’s remains were eventually discovered inside a box buried beneath Morley’s home. He had been shot in the back of the head.
During the trial, Morley’s lawyers said he had mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, the outlet reported.
Morley was found guilty of first-degree murder in February 2025. He also received additional sentences for abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.