Troopers capture escaped Tennessee killer

Jacob Allen Morley was arrested in Liberty, Missouri, on Tuesday morning after escaping a Tennessee prison last week. The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed the capture at approximately 9:30 a.m. local time. Morley had been serving a life sentence for first-degree murder since 2025.

Morley broke out of the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, on October 25. Prison staff discovered him missing around 11:30 p.m. that night. Surveillance footage later showed him crossing the facility's perimeter fence. Tennessee Highway Patrol dispatch audio placed him at the prison around 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, before his escape.

Authorities reported that Morley stole a truck after his breakout. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shared information with the Missouri Information Analysis Center and Troop A Communications on Tuesday. They indicated Morley might be traveling westbound on Interstate 70 near Independence. Police located the vehicle using FLOCK cameras and deployed officers to the area.

Undercover officers traveling south on Missouri 291 in Liberty spotted the suspect vehicle. Morley attempted to veer off the road while being pursued but became stuck. The arrest was completed without further incident roughly two hours after officers first received leads on his possible location.

Several agencies assisted in the operation. These included the Kansas City Police Department, Independence Police Department, Career Criminal Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Marshals Service. Tennessee authorities later thanked the public and the Missouri Highway Patrol for their help in recapturing the fugitive.

Morley was originally arrested in 2022 for the murder of Cody Birchfield. Officers found Birchfield's body under Morley's home after an initial arrest near the North Carolina border. During his 2025 trial, his ex-girlfriend testified that "he f, ing killed him." Morley was also convicted of burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest, and vandalism.