Escaped Tennessee inmate leaves stolen truck in Illinois

Jacob Morley, a Tennessee inmate serving a life sentence for murder, disappeared after stealing a truck and driving it 120 miles into Illinois. The 28-year-old was found missing from the Northwest Correctional Complex late Sunday. He is currently at large after being spotted on camera driving away from a farm near Tiptonville at approximately 1 a.m. Monday.

Surveillance video released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows Morley unlocking the driver's side door of the farm truck. He started the engine and drove off through the fields. Firefighters in Hornbeak, located 12 miles east of the farm, confirmed that their cameras captured the truck passing their station 15 minutes later. The vehicle was eventually located in Marion, Illinois, about 90 miles southeast of St. Louis.

Marion Police Chief David Fitts said the truck was found neatly parked behind a shopping center at 4 a.m. Tuesday. A resident reported the abandoned vehicle to police around 11 a.m. Fitts stated that investigators have not found any other stolen vehicles or suspicious activity in the area. He noted that Morley has effectively vanished from the region where the truck was dropped off.

Prison officials stated that Morley slipped through a fence while wearing his prison clothes. They have not released details on whether he received outside help in the escape. Morley is white, stands 5 feet 11 inches tall, and weighs 240 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes. Authorities are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest.

Morley is serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of co-worker Cody Birchfield in Carter County. Birchfield’s body was discovered in a box under Morley’s home after weeks of being missing. Morley was also convicted of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism, and evading arrest. During the initial investigation, he led deputies on a chase that ended in North Carolina.

This escape adds to a series of issues facing the Tennessee prison system. Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada resigned in early October following the failed execution of Christa Pike on Sept. 30. Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital because intravenous lines in her arms failed to deliver the drug properly. The state is conducting an independent investigation into the incident.

Northwest Correctional Complex has also faced scrutiny for violent incidents. A grand jury returned dozens of indictments in July for five inmate killings and other violent acts. Prison officials testified before a Senate subcommittee last month that the department has 470 open positions among its 6,000-person workforce. They warned that a 2022 law requiring longer sentences is increasing prison populations and may lead to overcrowding.