Tennessee Prisoner Steals Truck Three Days After Escape Without Police Notification

A convicted murderer has remained free for three days after escaping a Tennessee prison, an event that local leaders say was complicated by a delayed warning from prison officials. Jacob Allen Morley broke out of the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, on Sunday. Tiptonville Police Department Chief Joe England stated that his department did not learn of the potentially missing inmate until 4:40 a.m. on Monday, more than five hours after prison staff first noticed Morley was unaccounted for.

Prison staff discovered the gap in headcount at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. A review of surveillance video showed Morley crossing the facility's perimeter fence. Tennessee Highway Patrol dispatch audio indicated the last visual contact with Morley at the prison was around 4 p.m. on Sunday. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reported that surveillance cameras captured Morley taking a pickup truck from the 400 block of Keystone Drive, roughly two miles south of the prison, at approximately 1 a.m. on Monday.

The stolen vehicle was found abandoned in Marion, Illinois, early Tuesday morning, but Morley was not located at the scene. Chief England noted that the police department was not informed about the missing truck until 2:15 p.m. on Monday, with the vehicle officially declared missing at 2:30 p.m. The truck was stolen outside city limits. At 5:14 a.m. on Monday, officers at the prison confirmed the escape to the rest of the department. Prison officials formally notified Lake County Central Dispatch at 6:20 a.m., initiating a coordinated search.

The search effort involved the Tiptonville Police Department, the Tennessee Department of Correction, the Lake County Sheriff's Office, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the TBI, and various federal agencies. A TBI spokesperson confirmed the agency was notified of the escape on Monday morning but did not specify an exact time. The Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Tennessee Department of Correction did not respond to requests for comment regarding when they were first alerted.

Former federal prison Warden Cameron Lindsay called the five-hour delay in notifying local police "100% unacceptable." He argued that local law enforcement should have been contacted immediately once prison staff realized the inmate was missing. Retired FBI Special Agent Jonathan Gilliam stated the community should have received an emergency text alert sooner to check for missing family members, given the risk of violence or kidnapping.

Morley is serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of Cody Birchfield. Birchfield disappeared in early February 2022 after being last seen in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Investigators found signs of a violent crime in his home. Morley was arrested on March 2, 2022, following a police chase that extended to the North Carolina state line. Birchfield's body was later found underneath Morley's home. During the trial, Morley's former girlfriend, Landree Sheperd, testified that Morley admitted to killing Birchfield. He was also convicted of burglary, vandalism, tampering with evidence, and evading arrest.

The TBI raised the reward for Morley to $15,000 on Wednesday afternoon. The funds come from the governor's office, the U.S. Marshals, and the TBI. The agency listed Morley on the state's most wanted list and advised that he be considered dangerous. He is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 240 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes.

The escape occurred less than a month after the failed execution of Christa Pike. Pike survived the Sept. 30 execution attempt after receiving two doses of pentobarbital. Governor Bill Lee suspended the state's remaining scheduled executions for the year and ordered an independent review of the procedure. Former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith, who handled Pike's case, previously noted her lack of remorse during interrogation.

People with information on Morley's location are asked to call 844-832-3463.