A Tennessee inmate serving a life sentence for murder has been captured in Missouri, seven days after escaping from the Northwest Correctional Complex. Jacob Allen Morley, 28, was apprehended near Kansas City on Tuesday, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Officials released an image showing Morley with the same red beard and black glasses he was wearing when he escaped. He was also seen in a camouflage sweatshirt, with his handcuffed hands behind his back and a smug expression.
Morley was discovered missing from the Tiptonville facility around 11:30 p.m. on October 25. Surveillance footage later revealed he had been seen walking out of the facility around 6 p.m. that evening.
He was serving a life sentence for the February 2022 murder of his coworker, Cody Birchfield, 34. Birchfield's remains were found buried under Morley's home in March 2022, months after he disappeared. Authorities stated that Morley shot Birchfield in the back of the head. The motive for the killing remains unclear, though Morley claimed self-defense during his trial.
Investigators confirmed on Monday that Morley stole a pickup truck shortly after his escape. The truck, a white 2008 Ford F-350 with "Lindamood Planting Company" written on its side, was later found in Marion, Illinois, approximately 500 miles from the prison. By the time of his capture, Morley had traveled about 800 miles from the jail.
Details regarding how Morley breached the prison's perimeter fence and evaded detection for several hours have not yet been released by authorities.