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Tennessee Manhunt Launched After Life‑Sentenced Murderer Escapes from Northwest Correctional Complex

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

A manhunt has begun in Tennessee after Jacob Allen Morley, a 28‑year‑old convicted murderer serving a life sentence, escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville. Morley was found guilty of the 2022 killing of his co‑worker, Cody Birchfield, and was sentenced in June 2025. According to the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC), security camera footage confirmed that Morley breached the prison’s perimeter fence while wearing his prison uniform. Investigators released video that shows him stealing a nearby farm’s work car. Morley has been added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list, and a reward of up to $2,500 is offered for information leading to his arrest. Prison staff reported that he was “unaccounted for” on Sunday night and began an emergency headcount and search. The TDOC said the Tennessee Highway Patrol deployed aviation assets and state troopers to assist the search. Morley’s supervision level was listed as “low” and he was not eligible for release until December 2083. On Tuesday afternoon, investigators said the stolen vehicle had been found in Illinois, about 120 miles north of Tiptonville, but Morley was not there. Morley was convicted of first‑degree murder over Birchfield’s death, which occurred in 2022. Birchfield’s body was found in a metal box under Morley’s home, and a pathology report said he died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Bullet casings matched a gun found in Morley’s house. The pair had developed a friendship while Birchfield was training Morley at the pallet manufacturing company they worked at, according to Birchfield’s sister in a victim impact statement. In addition to murder, Morley was convicted of vandalism, tampering with evidence, aggravated burglary, and evading arrest. His request for a new trial was denied in May. This is not the first time Morley has led law enforcement officials on a manhunt; his 2022 arrest followed a police chase that crossed state lines into North Carolina. Earlier this month, another prisoner, Gregory Redden, 69, who is serving a 15‑year sentence for aggravated robbery, escaped from custody but was recaptured shortly after. The TDOC also noted that convicted murder Christa Pike survived a botched lethal injection in the state in September, leading to the resignation of TDOC Commissioner Frank Strada.