Missouri state troopers have recaptured Jacob Allen Morley, a convicted murderer who escaped from a Tennessee prison last week, a highway patrol spokesperson told News Media on Tuesday.
Morley fled the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, on Oct. 25, according to officials.
Authorities had not immediately released details about the circumstances of his arrest. The Missouri Highway Patrol spokesperson said additional information would be provided.
A split image showing Jacob Morley before his Tennessee prison escape and after his recapture in Missouri (Tennessee DOC, Missouri Highway Patrol)
“This just happened, so we’re still getting all the details,” the spokesperson said.
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Prison employees realized Morley was missing at approximately 11:30 p.m. A subsequent review of surveillance footage showed him passing through the facility’s perimeter fence. Tennessee Highway Patrol dispatch audio indicated that he had last been seen at the prison around 4 p.m. Sunday.
Authorities also alleged that Morley later stole a truck.
Morley was arrested in 2022 in the killing of Cody Birchfield. Officers initially took him into custody near the North Carolina border, and Birchfield’s body was later discovered beneath Morley’s home. Morley was convicted in 2025 after a trial that included testimony from his former girlfriend, who said, “he f—ing killed him.”
Tennessee authorities later thanked the public and the Missouri Highway Patrol for assisting in the recapture of Morley. His convictions include first-degree murder, burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest and vandalism.
Jacob Allen Morley, 28, who was serving a life sentence for murder, escaped from Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, prompting a manhunt involving state and federal authorities. (Tennessee Department of Correction)
This is a breaking news story.