Escaped Tennessee Killer Jacob Morley Captured in Missouri
WHO:
CNN - Marion attorney Bridget Lawler said residents were locking their car doors and checking their doors amid the manhunt.
CNN - A cousin of Cody Birchfield, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons, said Morley’s life sentence had given the family “a small sense of closure and the reassurance that justice had been served.”
CNN - Jacob Morley, 28, was serving a life sentence for the murder of his co-worker Cody Birchfield.
CNN - Morley was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest and vandalism.
CNN - The Missouri State Highway Patrol captured Morley; the Williamson County, Illinois, sheriff’s office announced the capture.
CNN - Tennessee District Attorney Danny Goodman Jr., Marion Police Lt. Justin Dwyer, Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich, and Birchfield’s sister Carrie Norman were among those quoted.
TMZ - The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced that Jacob Allen Morley was back in custody.
Fox News - Missouri state troopers recaptured the convicted murderer who escaped from Tennessee prison.
WHAT:
CNN - An inmate falsely told an officer that two inmates were in Morley’s cell when the officer conducted a count and asked how many were inside.
CNN - The Tennessee Department of Correction and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation urged residents to check properties, including vacation homes and outbuildings, for anything unusual and to check on vulnerable individuals.
CNN - Marion police said they searched neighborhoods, knocked on doors and followed tips during the manhunt; surveillance footage showed Morley heading toward a highway after leaving the truck.
CNN - Morley was apprehended after escaping custody and driving away in a stolen truck; officials said he was returned to custody.
CNN - The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation offered a $17,500 reward for information leading to Morley’s arrest and placed him on its “Most Wanted” list.
CNN - Birchfield was reported missing before his body was found in a box under Morley’s house.
CNN - Gregory Redden, 63, also escaped Tennessee Department of Correction custody from Nashville General Hospital while serving a 15-year sentence for aggravated robbery; he was later apprehended.
TMZ - Photos accompanying its report showed Morley.
WHERE:
CNN - Marion, Illinois, has about 17,600 residents.
CNN - Morley was captured in Carroll County, Missouri, near Norborne and about 50 miles east-northeast of Kansas City.
CNN - He escaped from Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, and the stolen truck was found in Marion, Illinois, about 130 miles north of the prison.
TMZ - The TBI said Morley was taken into custody near Kansas City, Missouri.
Fox News - The escape occurred at Northwest Correctional Complex in Tennessee.
WHEN:
CNN - The highway patrol apprehended Morley at about 11:30 a.m.; officials said the search ended after nine days.
CNN - Staff noticed Morley missing around 11:30 p.m.; the first routine cell count had been conducted at 9:30 p.m.
CNN - Authorities said the truck was stolen around 1 a.m. and passed the Hornbeak Fire Department at about 1:18 a.m.
CNN - Morley was in Marion by 4:40 a.m.; police found the truck around 10 a.m. the following day.
WHY:
CNN - Officials warned Morley was “considered dangerous and could be anywhere” and described the search as a public-safety concern.
CNN - Goodman said the delay in notifying local law enforcement reduced the opportunity to catch Morley before he left the county.
HOW:
CNN - Security footage showed Morley breaching the prison perimeter fence and escaping in his prison uniform.
CNN - Goodman said Morley cut through security fences and hid behind the main kitchen among pallets and a trash cart; officials did not know what tool he used or how he obtained it.
CNN - Investigators said Morley stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee plates.
CNN - Authorities alerted the Missouri Information Analysis Center that Morley might be in the state, based on information obtained through FLOCK technology.
CNN - Goodman said prison staff alerted an internal investigator before state agencies, the district attorney’s office and local law enforcement were notified.
(UPDATED November 3, 2026 21:02 UTC)
Escaped inmate Jacob Morley was recaptured in Missouri after a nine-day manhunt, authorities said. He escaped a Tennessee prison, stole a truck, and was considered dangerous. Morley was serving life for murdering coworker Cody Birchfield, whose family welcomed justice.
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(UPDATED November 3, 2026 20:01 UTC)
Missouri state troopers recaptured escaped Tennessee inmate Jacob Morley near Kansas City. Morley, serving life for murder, escaped prison and fled in a stolen truck. After a nine-day search, officials returned him to custody, ending a public-safety threat.