Jacob Morley was arrested in northwest Missouri after authorities tracked a suspected stolen truck across the Kansas City area.
NORBORNE, MO — A Tennessee inmate serving a life sentence for murder was captured Tuesday in northwest Missouri, ending a multistate search that began after he escaped from a prison more than a week earlier, authorities said.
Jacob Allen Morley, 28, was taken into custody Nov. 3 in Carroll County near Norborne, about 50 miles east-northeast of Kansas City. Authorities said a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper arrested him without incident after the truck he was driving left the road and became stuck in mud. The Tennessee Department of Correction later said Morley had been apprehended and was back in its custody.
Morley escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, late Oct. 25. Prison officials confirmed at about 11:30 p.m. that he was missing, and a review of security video showed that he had breached the facility’s perimeter fence while wearing a Department of Correction uniform. Authorities launched an extensive search involving local, state and federal agencies and placed Morley on Tennessee’s Most Wanted list.
Investigators said Morley stole a truck from a farm near the prison after the escape. That vehicle was later found abandoned in Marion, Illinois, about 120 miles north of the prison. Authorities then focused part of the search on southern Illinois, where investigators believed Morley had spent several days before continuing west.
Early Tuesday, investigators received information indicating that Morley may have been staying near a hunting camp in the Marion area. A farm truck was reported stolen from the area, and investigators developed evidence that Morley had left southern Illinois. Authorities in Missouri were notified that he might be traveling west through the state.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said automated license plate readers helped locate the vehicle as it moved through the Kansas City region. Undercover officers also helped track the truck, and a Kansas City Police Department helicopter followed it from the air. Authorities said the vehicle eventually entered Carroll County, where Morley drove off the roadway and became stuck.
A trooper took Morley into custody at about 11:30 a.m. Authorities said two rifles and a shotgun were recovered from the vehicle. Investigators suspect the truck had been stolen in Illinois. Officials had not publicly established where Morley was trying to go, although investigators were examining whether he had connections in the Kansas City area.
Morley was serving a life sentence stemming from the 2022 killing of his co-worker, Cody Birchfield, in Carter County, Tennessee. Tennessee correction officials said Morley was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest and vandalism. His escape prompted authorities to offer a reward of up to $17,500 for information leading to his arrest.
The Tennessee Department of Correction thanked law enforcement agencies and members of the public who assisted during the search. Authorities said additional details about the escape, Morley’s movements and the investigation could be released as the case is reviewed. With Morley back in custody, the immediate public search has ended.
Author note: Last updated November 3, 2026.