Jacob Allen Morley: Tennessee prison escape manhunt continues

Jacob Allen Morley, a convicted murderer who escaped from a Tennessee prison, remains the subject of a multi-state manhunt. Investigators are examining an armed bank robbery in Wisconsin but have not established any connection to him.

Illustrated composite of prison fencing and a Tennessee-Illinois map with the headline Tennessee Prison Escape: Multi-State Manhunt. — Images © Fish 4 News.

Morley, 28, was reported missing from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville late on Sunday, 25 October 2026. He was serving a life sentence following his conviction for the 2022 murder of Cody Birchfield.

What we know about Jacob Allen Morley’s escape

The Tennessee Department of Correction said officers discovered Morley was unaccounted for at approximately 11.30pm on 25 October. A review of security footage showed him breaching the prison’s perimeter fence and leaving in his prison uniform.

Investigators subsequently said surveillance footage showed Morley stealing a white 2008 Ford F-350 pickup from Lake County, Tennessee, at about 1am on Monday. On Tuesday, 27 October, the vehicle was found abandoned behind a business in Marion, Illinois. Local police said they had no evidence Morley was still in the area.

Morley is listed as wanted for escape by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). The authorities describe him as approximately 5ft 11in tall, weighing about 240lb (109kg), with brown hair and green eyes. The TBI says he should be considered dangerous.

Wisconsin bank robbery: possible link remains unconfirmed

Police in Wisconsin are separately investigating an armed robbery at the Bank of Deerfield on Tuesday, 27 October. According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, a man with a handgun entered as staff were closing, restrained two employees and took an undisclosed amount of money. He drove away in a stolen Lincoln MKZ, which was subsequently found abandoned. No injuries were reported.

The TBI has acknowledged the Wisconsin report and said investigators are pursuing potential leads. There has been no official confirmation that Morley was the bank robber or that the two cases are connected. Similarities in clothing or appearance shown in circulating images are not proof of identification.

Questions over when local police were alerted

A separate issue concerns the response to the prison escape. Tiptonville Police Chief Joe England told Fox News Digital that his department was first notified of a potentially missing prisoner at around 4.40am on Monday, more than five hours after prison staff had established Morley was unaccounted for. He said an escape was confirmed to his officers at 5.14am and formally reported to Lake County Central Dispatch at 6.20am.

Those reported notification times raise questions about the speed of communication, but they do not establish precisely when Morley crossed the fence or what steps prison staff and other agencies took before the local police were contacted. The prison department has not publicly provided a complete explanation of the interval.

What we do not know

Morley’s whereabouts or his movements after the abandoned truck was discovered in Illinois.
Whether the Wisconsin bank robbery has any connection with the Tennessee escape.
The full sequence of internal prison alerts and external notifications after his disappearance.

What authorities have said

The Tennessee Department of Correction says local, state and federal agencies are involved in the search. Its published appeal advertises a combined reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to Morley’s arrest, although the amount may change as the search develops.

People who believe they have seen Morley have been warned not to approach or try to detain him. In the United States, they should call 911 or contact the TBI on 1-800-TBI-FIND (1-800-824-3463).

This report reflects information available on Friday, 30 October 2026. The Wisconsin bank robbery remains a separate investigation unless authorities establish a connection.