A convicted murderer is on the run after escaping from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Lake County, Tennessee, late Sunday night. Surveillance footage shows Jacob Morley breaching a perimeter fence in his prison uniform. Authorities say he then stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 around 1 a.m. Monday, bearing Tennessee plate 138BBQV and marked “Lindamood Planting Company” on the side. Morley is serving life with the possibility of parole for the 2022 first-degree murder of Cody Birchfield in Carter County.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has added Morley to the state’s Most Wanted List, and a reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to his arrest. What’s notable is the timing: Morley is the second inmate to escape Tennessee Department of Corrections custody in less than a week, a detail that has raised fresh questions about prison security in the state.
While the manhunt is centered in Tennessee, the stolen truck’s distinctive lettering makes it easy to identify, and many Suncoast residents have family and friends back in that region. Anyone with information on Morley’s whereabouts or the vehicle is asked to contact the TBI or local law enforcement. Authorities warn the public not to approach him. Do you have connections in that part of Tennessee? Share this with someone who might be watching the roads.
