Killer who escaped Tennessee prison captured after week-long manhunt

Three firearms that had previously been reported stolen were also recovered from the vehicle, the TBI said.Photos published by authorities showed Morley handcuffed and being led out of a field by officers.Following his escape, Morley had been added to the TBI's most wanted list, with the TDOC offering a reward of up to $2,500 (£1,900) for information leading to his arrest.

The reward was increased by $15,000 on Wednesday.The TBI's statement said members of the public had provided information during the investigation, but did not say if the reward had been paid.The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the manhunt had involved officers from the Kansas City Police Department, Independence Police Department, the FBI, US Marshals Service and Homeland Security Investigations.Morley was convicted of first-degree murder over the killing of his colleague….

He was sentenced in June 2025.

His request for a new trial was denied in May.Birchfield's body was found in a metal box under Morley's home, according to Carter County court records reviewed by the BBC.Birchfield died "as a result of a gunshot wound to the back of the head", a pathology report cited in court said.

Bullet casings matched a gun found in Morley's house.Birchfield's sister said in her victim impact statement to the court that the pair had developed a friendship while Birchfield was training Morley at the pallet manufacturing company where they were both employed.Besides murder, Morley was also convicted of vandalism, tampering with evidence, aggravated burglary, and evading arrest.This is not the first time Morley has led law enforcement officials on a manhunt.

His 2022 arrest came after a police chase that crossed state lines into North Carolina.The Northwest Correctional Complex is a men's prison with the capacity to hold up to 1,776 inmates, from low security to maximum, the BBC's partner CBS reported.CBS said the prison has seen numerous acts of violence in recent years, and in July a grand jury returned dozens of indictments over assaults on staff and the murders….

Jacob Allen Morley was serving a life sentence for murder before he escaped over a prison fence.