The Escape from Northwest Correctional Complex
Law enforcement agencies across multiple states are searching for 28-year-old Jacob Allen Morley, a convicted murderer who escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee. According to the Tennessee Department of Correction, Morley broke out of the facility on Sunday, October 25, at approximately 11:30 p.m. Surveillance footage captured him breaching a prison perimeter fence while still wearing his TDOC uniform.
Following the breach, Morley stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 pickup truck in Lake County, Tennessee. Security cameras recorded the vehicle driving past the Hornbeak Fire Department at roughly 1 a.m. on Monday, October 26. The multi-state manhunt intensified when the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced that the stolen vehicle was discovered abandoned on Tuesday morning, October 27, behind a business in Marion, Illinois.
According to Heartland News, a local citizen spotted the truck behind the Rural King shopping center after seeing news reports about the escape. Marion Police Chief David Fitts stated that Morley likely abandoned the vehicle around 4 a.m. on Monday, though it went unnoticed until Tuesday at 10 a.m. Responding officers from Marion police and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office recovered the vehicle, but found no evidence that Morley was still lingering in the immediate area.
TBI agents continue to assist in the search for #TNMostWanted fugitive Jacob Morley.Any updates we are able to provide regarding the search will be shared on our social media platforms as available.Have info? Call 1-800-TBI-FIND. pic.twitter.com/MFmGhEpuFl
Department of Correction Ignores Questions on Escape
WSMV reported that WSMV4 contacted Dorinda Carter, director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Correction, placing two phone calls and leaving two messages to ask how Morley managed to escape. Carter did not respond.
Diana Reid, a longtime friend of Cody Birchfield—the man Morley was convicted of murdering in 2022—told WSMV that the victim’s family never received an automated VINE alert regarding the escape. Instead, they learned of the manhunt through social media.
“It’s very disturbing. It’s very upsetting. I just feel like there should have been things set in place for someone as dangerous as him. There is no reason he should have had the opportunity to be able to get away,” Reid told WSMV.
Reid questioned why Morley had been housed in a minimum-security setting given his conviction. Morley is serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of Birchfield, alongside convictions for aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest, and vandalism.
Authorities Offer Reward for Morley's Arrest
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has added Morley to its Most Wanted list, offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest. The U.S. Marshals for the Western District of Tennessee contributed an additional $5,000, bringing the total reward pool to $7,500, as reported by Heartland News.
Authorities describe Morley as standing between 5 feet 7 inches and 6 feet tall, weighing between 240 and 270 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair.
The TBI is urging residents in Tennessee, Illinois, and surrounding areas to review home security footage, doorbell cameras, and trail or hunting systems for any sign of Morley. Anyone who spots the fugitive is instructed not to approach him and to call 911 immediately. Tips can also be submitted directly to the Tennessee Department of Correction at 1-844-832-3463.
