Prison Escape: Tennessee Murder Convict Tracked Down in Missouri Mud

Jacob Morley evaded capture for 10 days before his truck became stuck in mud near Kansas City, Missouri. Troopers tracked the 28 year old inmate using roadside cameras and a helicopter. He was found on Tuesday.

Morley escaped the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tennessee on Oct. 25. Surveillance video showed him slipping through a fence while wearing prison clothes. He then stole a truck from a farm near the prison. That vehicle was later abandoned in Marion, Illinois.

Investigators believe Morley walked about 3 miles from the abandoned truck to a farm near Marion. The farm is 127 miles from the prison. He spent time in a shed used by hunters. Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich said evidence showed Morley drank beer and prepared garlic bread. He left a handwritten note apologizing for stealing the second truck.

Security cameras captured Morley walking away from the first truck. They also captured him at locations along Route 13. Diederich said the fields and woods in the area made it difficult to spot him. Morley is suspected of stealing clothes and three firearms from the farm. Authorities recovered two rifles and a shotgun from the truck found in Missouri.

It is unclear why Morley traveled to Marion or why he was driving near Kansas City. The distance between the two locations is more than 350 miles. Diederich described the path to Marion as a mystery. He said there is no evidence Morley received help from others.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol learned Tuesday morning that Morley might be traveling west on Interstate 70. Authorities said he was compliant during the arrest. He was transported to the Lafayette County Jail in Lexington, Missouri. No charges have been filed in Missouri courts yet.

Morley faces new legal counts in both states. He was charged in federal court in Tennessee with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. On Tuesday, federal court in Missouri charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. A deputy U.S. marshal interviewed Morley at the jail. He admitted to escaping the Tennessee prison and stealing the truck and guns.

District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr. said he plans to file additional charges in Tennessee. It is unclear when Morley will return to Tennessee. Morley was convicted in 2022 for killing co worker Cody Birchfield. Birchfield’s body was found in a box under Morley’s home. Morley was also convicted of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism, and evading arrest.