Tennessee Murder Convict Jacob Morley Captured Near Kansas City After 10-Day Escape
Morley, who evaded authorities by hiding in an Illinois farm shed, was found after his truck became stuck in mud during a Missouri pursuit.
By Robert Marshall ·
Jacob Morley, a 28-year-old Tennessee inmate serving a life sentence for murder, was arrested near Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday after evading capture for more than a week.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed that Morley was apprehended after troopers tracked his vehicle using roadside cameras and a helicopter. His truck became immobilized in mud, leading to his arrest. Officials recovered two rifles and a shotgun from the vehicle.
Morley escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in the far northwestern corner of Tennessee on October 25. Surveillance footage showed him slipping through a fence while wearing his prison clothes. He then stole a truck from a farm near the facility, which he later abandoned in Marion, Illinois.
Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich said investigators believe Morley walked approximately three miles from the abandoned truck to a farm near Marion. The distance is about 127 miles from the prison. At the farm, Morley spent time in a shed used by hunters. Evidence indicated he drank beer and prepared garlic bread. He left a handwritten note apologizing for stealing a second truck from the property, which he drove west toward Kansas City.
Diederich stated that security cameras captured Morley walking away from the first truck and at various points along Route 13. The terrain, consisting of fields and woods, made it difficult for authorities to spot him. It remains unclear why Morley traveled to Marion or continued driving more than 350 miles to the Kansas City area. Diederich noted that there is no evidence Morley received help from others during the escape.
A deputy U.S. marshal interviewed Morley at the Lafayette County Jail in Lexington, Missouri, on Tuesday. Morley admitted to escaping the Tennessee prison and stealing the truck and firearms in Marion. He is currently held at the Lafayette County Jail. No charges have yet been filed against him in Missouri courts, according to online records.
Morley was convicted in 2022 of first-degree murder for the killing of co-worker Cody Birchfield. Birchfield’s body was found in a box under Morley’s home. Before his escape, Morley was charged in federal court in Tennessee with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He was also charged Tuesday in federal court in Missouri with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Tennessee District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr. said he plans to file additional charges.
