Convicted murderer Jacob Morley escapes Tennessee prison, triggering manhunt
Jacob Morley, 28, serving a life sentence for a 2022 murder, breached the perimeter fence at Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville on Sunday evening.
What happened
Jacob Morley, 28, escaped from Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee on Sunday evening. Prison staff discovered him missing during a headcount at approximately 11:30 p.m., and surveillance footage showed Morley breaching the perimeter fence while wearing his TDOC uniform. Morley is described as 5'11", 240 lbs, with green eyes and brown hair. He was serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of Cody Birchfield, whose body was discovered buried beneath Morley's home about a month after Birchfield was initially reported missing in February 2022. Morley had also been convicted of aggravated burglary, evidence tampering, evading arrest, and vandalism.
Context
The escape has prompted state authorities to issue a public manhunt and warn against apprehension attempts, directing citizens to report any sightings to TDOC. The escape occurs more than a year after 10 detainees escaped from a New Orleans jail through a hole behind a toilet—all of whom have since been recaptured—suggesting ongoing vulnerability in correctional facility security.