Tennessee fugitive steals white Ford F-350 after breaching prison fence

Jacob Allen Morley, 28, escaped from a Tennessee prison on Sunday and stole a white heavy-duty pickup truck during his flight, triggering a statewide manhunt.

The Tennessee Department of Correction confirmed that Morley was unaccounted for around 11:30 p.m. Sunday at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville. Staff conducted an emergency count and searched the facility immediately after discovering his absence.

Security footage from the prison showed Morley breaching a fence while still wearing his prison uniform. Roughly two miles south of the facility, video captured him stealing a vehicle on the 400 block of Keystone Drive at approximately 1 a.m. Monday.

The stolen vehicle is a 2008 white Ford F-350 with Tennessee license plate 138BBQV. The truck bears the name Lindamood Planting Company on its side and contains an air compressor in the bed, according to officials.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation placed Morley on the state’s most wanted list and advised that he be considered dangerous. He is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall and 240 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. Federal and state law enforcement agencies are assisting in the search.

Morley is serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of Cody Birchfield. He was convicted in 2025 of first-degree murder, along with burglary, vandalism, tampering with evidence, and evading arrest. Birchfield was last seen in Elizabethton in early February 2022, and his body was found under Morley’s home after the fugitive’s arrest in March of that year.

The public can report information about Morley’s whereabouts by calling 844-832-3463.