Authorities in Tennessee are searching for Jacob Allen Morley, an inmate who escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, late Sunday night and was captured on video stealing a pickup truck in Lake County early Monday morning.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued the update Monday evening, posting surveillance footage that it says shows Morley taking a white 2008 Ford F-350 truck at approximately 1 a.m. Monday in Lake County. In the video, the man identified by the TBI as Morley first tries the passenger-side door of the truck before successfully breaking into the driver's side. He remains seated inside for roughly a minute, then activates the windshield wipers and drives away, according to the footage released by the TBI.
The TBI is urging anyone who spots Morley or the vehicle not to approach him and to call 911 immediately. The agency has added Morley to its Most Wanted List and is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information that leads to his arrest.
Morley was convicted last year of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest and vandalism in connection with the killing of Cody Birchfield. Birchfield had been considered missing until authorities discovered him beneath Morley's house in 2022.
The Tennessee Department of Correction announced Morley's escape from the Northwest Correctional Complex late Sunday night. The facility is located in Tiptonville, in Lake County, the same county where the truck was reported stolen Monday morning.
Residents in Lake County and surrounding areas are advised to remain vigilant and to report any sightings of Morley or the white 2008 Ford F-350 to law enforcement. The TBI continues to investigate the escape and the vehicle theft.