Tennessee Department of Correction officials are urging residents across Tennessee and neighboring states to inspect their properties and report any suspicious activity as the multi-state search continues for escaped convicted murderer Jacob Morley.
The 28-year-old inmate, who is serving a life sentence for the 2022 killing of Cody Birchfield, escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Lake County, Tennessee. After breaching the facility, Morley stole a white Lindamood Planting Company flatbed truck, which was later found abandoned in Marion, Illinois.
Officials are specifically asking travelers and truck drivers who were near the Pilot Travel Center in Marion between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. that morning to review dash camera footage for any sightings or unusual activity.
As the manhunt expands, authorities in Tennessee and Wisconsin are also investigating a potential link between Morley and an armed bank robbery at the Bank of Deerfield in Dane County, Wisconsin. In that incident, a gunman restrained two employees, fled with cash, and stole a vehicle that was later found abandoned.
While the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has not officially confirmed a connection, law enforcement continues to track all leads. Morley is described as being between 5-feet-7-inches and 6-feet tall, weighing 240 to 270 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair, and the public is advised to report any information to authorities immediately.
The reward for information leading to Morley arrest or capture is more than $17,000 as of this writing.
