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ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) — A Carter County man accused of a 2022 murder appeared in court for the second day of his trial on Wednesday. Jacob Morley faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Cody Birchfield.
Birchfield was reported missing from Elizabethton in Feb. 2022, according to the Carter County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). Birchfield’s family reportedly told investigators he was last seen with Morley on Feb. 21 of that year, and investigators said they found evidence that Birchfield had been with Morley after disappearing.
CCSO investigators previously said in a release that they observed indications inside Birchfield’s home that a “violent crime” had occurred. Search warrants were then obtained for Morley’s home and car, and on March 2, 2022, Morley allegedly initiated a pursuit with police during an attempted traffic stop.
The CCSO said deputies pursued Morley to the North Carolina state line, where they requested assistance from the Avery County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO). Deputies from the ACSO set up spike strips to stop Morley’s vehicle. Morley was stopped and taken into custody.
After the chase, deputies searched Morley’s home, where they found Birchfield’s body, according to the CCSO. His body was taken to the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine for autopsy.
Wednesday was the second day of Morley’s trial. The state presented its case by calling Morley’s former girlfriend, Landree Sheperd, as a witness. She testified about his state of mind 3 years ago, at one point claiming that he had said that “he f***ing killed him” and started driving erratically one day after talking to investigators at the CCSO.
The state then called Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Forensic Scientist Kim Lowe as an expert witness, who spent time going over photos from the scene and DNA evidence law enforcement found.
Morley pleaded guilty on Monday to burglary and theft charges related to the murder case but did not plead on the murder charge.
Judge Stacy Street presides over the trial, and Morley’s defense attorneys include Erin McCardle and Hannah Shupe. ADA Dennis Brooks and ADA Darcee Kubisiak are serving as state prosecutors.
As of Wednesday’s adjournment, the prosecution was still presenting its case.
