Manhunt under way for Tennessee killer who escaped prison through a fence
Morley was given a life sentence for the 2022 killing of his co-worker Cody Birchfield.
A manhunt is underway in Tennessee after a convicted murderer serving a life sentence escaped from prison.
Jacob Allen Morley, 28, was found guilty of killing his co-worker in 2022 and was sentenced in 2025, according to prison records.
He escaped on Sunday from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, about 90 miles (145 km) north of Memphis, the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) said.
Investigators have released security camera footage that they say shows him taking a work vehicle from a nearby farm.
The TDOC said Morley had been placed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list, and a reward of up to $2,500 (£1,900) is being offered for information that leads to his arrest.
Morley was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2022 killing of his colleague Cody Birchfield.
Prison staff confirmed Morley was "unaccounted for" on Sunday night and launched an emergency headcount and search inside the prison, officials said on Monday.
The TDOC said surveillance footage confirmed Morley had broken through the prison’s perimeter fence and fled in his prison uniform.
"The Tennessee Highway Patrol has deployed aviation assets and state troopers to assist with the search," it added.
Prison records show his supervision level was listed as "low" and that he was not eligible for release until December 2083.
Morley was sentenced in June 2025 after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his colleague Cody Birchfield in 2022.
In addition to murder, Morley was also convicted of vandalism, tampering with evidence, aggravated burglary, and evading arrest.
This is not the first time Morley has prompted a manhunt by law enforcement. His arrest in 2022 followed a police chase that crossed state lines into North Carolina.
Earlier this month, another prisoner, Gregory Redden, 69, who is serving a 15-year sentence for aggravated robbery, escaped from custody but was recaptured shortly afterward.
Convicted murderer Christa Pike survived a botched lethal injection in the state in September, which led to the resignation of TDOC Commissioner Frank Strada.