Convicted Murderer Escapes Tennessee Prison; Manhunt Underway

Authorities are searching for 28-year-old Jacob Allen Morley, who escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, late Sunday, October 25, 2026. Surveillance footage showed him breaching a perimeter fence in his prison uniform; authorities say he later stole a white Ford F-350 and was seen driving about 15 miles from the prison. Morley is serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of former coworker Cody Birchfield, whose body was found in a box beneath Morley’s home, and was also convicted of burglary and other offenses. Officials consider Morley dangerous and warn the public not to approach him. Anyone with information should call 911; a reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to his arrest.