Killer who escaped Tennessee prison captured after week-long manhunt

A convicted murderer who escaped from a Tennessee prison was apprehended in Missouri on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, following a nine-day, multi-state manhunt. Jacob Morley, 28, had broken out of the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, on October 25, by breaching a perimeter fence while in his prison uniform. He subsequently stole a vehicle from a nearby farm to aid his escape.

The extensive search for Morley involved law enforcement agencies across multiple states, including Illinois and Missouri. Authorities received a tip that led them to a hunting camp in Marion, Illinois, where Morley had reportedly hidden and stolen another truck containing three firearms. His movements were then tracked into Missouri using license plate reader technology and a police helicopter.

Morley's flight ended in Carroll County, Missouri, near Kansas City, when the stolen vehicle he was driving became stuck in mud after he attempted to drive off the roadway. State troopers took him into custody without incident. Morley was serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of his co-worker Cody Birchfield, in addition to convictions for aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest, and vandalism.