Jacob Morley, a 28-year-old convicted murderer, was apprehended near Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday after evading law enforcement for more than a week. Officials revealed that during his time on the run, Morley stole a truck, sought shelter in a shed, consumed beer, and prepared food before eventually being caught.
Morley had been serving a life sentence for murder at the Northwest Correctional Complex in northwestern Tennessee. He fled the facility on the night of October 25, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. Despite the length of his absence, authorities are still investigating how he managed to avoid detection for such an extended period.
Investigators believe Morley made his way to a farm near Marion, Illinois, which is approximately 127 miles from the prison. He reportedly spent time in a shed that is periodically used by hunters. Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich stated that evidence showed Morley drank beer and made garlic bread and other food items. He also left behind a handwritten note of apology after stealing a truck from the property.
Sheriff Diederich said there is no evidence that Morley received assistance from anyone during his escape. Security cameras captured him walking away from a different truck that he had abandoned near Marion. Diederich estimated that Morley walked about three miles to the farm, a difficult trek through fields and woods that likely helped him stay out of sight.
The exact reason for Morley's journey to Marion remains a mystery, according to Diederich. It is also unclear why he was driving near Kansas City, which is more than 350 miles away from the Illinois farm. After the initial escape, surveillance video showed Morley stealing a truck from a farm near the prison. He later abandoned this vehicle in Marion.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol was informed on Tuesday morning that Morley might be traveling west on Interstate 70 in the Kansas City area. Troopers used roadside cameras and a helicopter to track him, and his truck eventually got stuck in the mud. When authorities recovered the vehicle, they found two rifles and a shotgun inside. Morley was described as compliant during his arrest.
A deputy United States marshal interviewed Morley at the Lafayette County jail in Lexington, Missouri, on Tuesday. In a probable cause affidavit, Morley admitted to escaping the Tennessee prison, stealing the truck in Marion, and taking the three firearms. The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and no charges had been filed against him in Missouri courts at the time of reporting.
Before his capture, Morley was charged in federal court in Tennessee with one count of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He was also charged on Tuesday in federal court in Missouri with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr. of Tennessee indicated that he plans to file additional charges, though it is not yet clear when Morley will be returned to Tennessee.
Morley was originally convicted in 2022 for the killing of his co-worker, Cody Birchfield. Birchfield's body was found in a box under Morley's home after he had been missing for several weeks. At the time of his arrest, Morley led officers on a chase that ended in North Carolina. He was found guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism, and evading arrest.
Kim Wheeler Elder, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, confirmed in a text message that all available information regarding Morley's whereabouts while he was on the run has been released to the public.
