Escaped Tennessee inmate captured

Jacob Allen Morley, a convicted murderer who escaped from a Tennessee prison, was taken into custody on Tuesday, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Morley fled from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville on October 25, where he was reported missing around 11:30 p.m. Security footage showed he had breached a perimeter fence.

The stolen white Ford F-350 truck was last seen passing through Hornbeak, Tennessee, shortly after the theft early Monday. It was later found abandoned in Marion, Illinois, approximately 123 miles north of Hornbeak.

Morley was convicted in 2022 of murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and aggravated burglary in the killing of Cody Birchfield. Birchfield’s body was discovered in a large metal box under Morley’s residence in northeast Tennessee.

A motive for the killing was unclear, and Morley claimed self-defense during his trial. He reported having been hospitalized multiple times for mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, and had no prior felony offenses.

Morley was sentenced to life in prison following his conviction.