Tennessee murderer still at large; stolen truck found in Illinois
Jacob Allen Morley, 28, serving life for murder, escaped West Tennessee's Northwest Correctional Complex late Sunday. The truck he is accused of stealing was found abandoned Tuesday in Marion, Ill., but authorities said his whereabouts remain unknown. A reward of up to $2,500 is offered.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
Jacob Allen Morley, 28, was reported missing from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tenn., at 11:30 p.m. Sunday. "Further review of security cameras confirmed Morley breached the perimeter fence and exited the facility in his TDOC uniform," the Tennessee Department of Correction said.
Why it matters
A maximum-length sentence means little if a perimeter fence fails. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation added Morley to its most-wanted list and asked residents to check doorbell and trail cameras. Anyone who sees him should call 911 or 1-800-TBI-FIND; the reward is up to $2,500.
More context
By about 1 a.m. Monday, officials say, he stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 flatbed truck (Tennessee plate 138BBQV) in Tiptonville, a town of about 3,500 roughly 100 miles north of Memphis. Video later showed the truck in Hornbeak, about 15 miles away, NBC News reported. The truck had been taken from a farm about a 2-mile walk from the prison, AP reported.
The latest: A resident who had seen news of the escape reported the truck parked behind a business in Marion, Ill., on Tuesday morning, Marion police said. Police, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Williamson County Sheriff's Department searched the city but found "no evidence that Morley was still in the vicinity of the vehicle," police said. "We are working around the clock with our local, state, and federal partners to track down Morley as quickly as possible," the TBI said Tuesday, per WPSD-TV.
Who he is: Morley was convicted in February 2025 and sentenced to life for the 2022 shooting death of co-worker Cody Birchfield, 34, according to court documents cited by NBC News. He was also convicted of abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and aggravated burglary.
What's still unknown: How he got through the fence without being stopped, how long he was gone before the 11:30 p.m. count, and where he went after leaving the truck in Illinois. State officials have not said whether staffing played a role.
Sources across the spectrum This story cites right-leaning and left-leaning outlets. Every source is listed below.
5 listed sources
- NBC News, Oct. 26, 2026
- WBBJ-TV, Oct. 26, 2026
- Fox News, Oct. 26, 2026
- AP, Oct. 27, 2026
- WPSD Local 6, Oct. 27, 2026
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Sourcing: Tennessee Department of Correction statements, TBI and Marion (Ill.) Police statements as reported by AP, ABC News, WPSD-TV, NBC News and Fox News, Oct. 26-27. Updated Oct. 28: Morley had not been reported captured as of early Wednesday. Hero is a 2013 file photo of the prison, not from this week.
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