Jacob Allen Morley Remains at Large as Tennessee Manhunt Enters Fifth Day and Reward Hits $17,500
The search for escaped Tennessee prisoner Jacob Allen Morley continued on Thursday evening, October 29, 2026, five days after the convicted murderer walked out of a state prison in the far northwestern corner of Tennessee.
Morley, 28, was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder when he escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex near Tiptonville, in Lake County, on Sunday, October 25. Prison staff discovered him missing at about 11:30 p.m. and launched an emergency count and search of the facility. Security footage later showed Morley leaving the prison in his state corrections uniform after breaching the perimeter fence.
Morley was convicted in the 2022 Carter County killing of Cody Birchfield, and was also convicted of evading arrest, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence and vandalism, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). He was arrested in North Carolina in early March 2022 in connection with Birchfield's death.
Less than two hours after the escape, Morley stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 pickup truck, marked with Lindamood Planting Company on its side and carrying Tennessee plate 138BBQV, from the 400 block of Keystone Drive in Lake County. Surveillance video released by the TBI showed him taking the truck at about 1 a.m. on October 26, and the Hornbeak Fire Department, about 15 miles from the prison, captured video of him driving past its building at about 1:18 a.m.
Just after 1 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, the TBI announced that the truck had been found abandoned in Marion, Illinois, about 120 miles north of the Tennessee prison. There was no sign of Morley.
The TBI joined the search on October 26 and added Morley to its Most Wanted list. The reward for information leading to his arrest has grown through the week: Governor Bill Lee increased the original $2,500 reward to $10,000 on October 28, the U.S. Marshals Service contributed an additional $5,000, and the TBI added $2,500 more on October 29, bringing the total to $17,500.
Authorities warn that Morley is considered dangerous and should not be approached. Anyone who sees him is asked to call 911 or the TBI immediately at 1-800-TBI-FIND, and residents are asked to check home security systems, doorbell cameras and trail cameras for sightings. Morley is described as nearly 6 feet tall and weighing about 240 pounds.
Morley is the second inmate in less than a week to escape from Tennessee Department of Correction custody.
Sources: The Tennessean, October 27-29, 2026; USA TODAY, October 26, 2026; Oxygen, October 27-28, 2026.