Tennessee inmate Jacob Morley, 28, was taken into custody Tuesday near Kansas City, Missouri, ending a 10-day manhunt that began when he slipped through a fence at the Northwest Correctional Complex on Oct. 25. Morley was serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of his co-worker, Cody Birchfield, whose body was found hidden under Morley's home in Carter County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol located Morley traveling west on Interstate 70 using automated license plate readers and undercover officers. A Kansas City police helicopter assisted in tracking the stolen metal flatbed work truck he was driving into Carroll County, where Morley drove off the road and became stuck in mud.
A highway patrol trooper arrested Morley without incident around noon. Sgt. Justin Ewing, a patrol spokesperson, said Morley was "compliant" during the arrest. It remains unclear how Morley obtained the truck or if he had a specific destination, though authorities noted he may have had connections in the Kansas City area.
Surveillance video previously showed Morley stealing a truck from a farm near the Tiptonville prison shortly after his escape; that vehicle was found abandoned days later in Marion, Illinois. The escape marked another setback for the Northwest Correctional Complex, which has faced scrutiny over violent incidents and staff indictments in recent years.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
English (US)·