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The close friend of a Tennessee murder victim fears his convicted killer could strike again after escaping prison and triggering a multi-state manhunt.
Jacob Allen Morley escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, on Sunday, though officials have not said exactly when he got out. Prison staff discovered Morley was missing around 11:30 p.m., and a subsequent review of surveillance video showed him breaching the facility’s perimeter fence.
Around 1 a.m. Monday, surveillance video captured Morley stealing a pickup truck from the 400 block of Keystone Drive, roughly two miles south of the prison, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The white 2008 Ford F-350, bearing Tennessee license plate 138BBQV, has “Lindamood Planting Company” marked on its side.
TENNESSEE INMATE CONVICTED OF MURDER ESCAPES FROM PRISON, STEALS PICKUP TRUCK, MANHUNT UNDERWAY: OFFICIALS
Jacob Allen Morley, 28, was serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of Cody Birchfield when he escaped from a Tennessee prison Sunday, according to correction officials. (Tennessee Department of Correction)
Morley was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted in 2025 of murdering Cody Birchfield three years earlier.
Diana Reid, one of Birchfield’s close childhood friends, told Fox News Digital that she’s concerned Morley may hurt more people now that he’s on the run.
“He’s already been convicted of taking an innocent life. I believe he’s extremely dangerous and I’m genuinely concerned that someone else could end up hurt if he’s not caught soon,” Reid said. “I’m genuinely scared knowing that someone convicted of such a violent crime is out there, not knowing where he’s headed. What he’s capable of doing next is just frightening.”
Surveillance footage shows convicted murderer Jacob Allen Morley inside Northwest Correctional Complex before his escape Sunday. Authorities said Morley was captured on security video breaching a prison fence. (Tennessee Department of Correction)
“He’s got absolutely nothing to lose at this point and someone could become a victim just so he can continue his path to wherever he’s headed,” she said.
Reid said Birchfield was “such a kind soul” and “had the biggest heart.”
“He was more than just a murder victim, that he was someone who was deeply loved. He had a whole life ahead of him and he was completely robbed of that when he was murdered,” Reid said.
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As the manhunt for Morley expanded beyond Tennessee, the Missouri State Highway Patrol urged residents to remain alert and check their surveillance cameras for any sign of the escaped inmate.
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Morley is described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 240 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said he should be “considered dangerous,” adding Morley is now on the state’s most wanted list.
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Surveillance footage shows Jacob Allen Morley, 28, inside Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, before he escaped Sunday. Morley was serving a life sentence for murder, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. (Tennessee Department of Correction)
In addition to the first-degree murder conviction, he was also found guilty of burglary, vandalism, tampering with evidence and evading arrest.
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Federal and state law enforcement is assisting to help find Morley, according to officials.
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Birchfield disappeared in early February 2022 after he was last seen in Elizabethton, Tennessee. According to WJHL, investigators from the Carter County Sheriff’s Office saw indications that a “violent crime” had occurred inside his house.
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WATCH: Escaped Tennessee inmate seen on video stealing truck, officials say
On March 2, 2022, Morley was arrested after a police chase that went to the North Carolina state line. After the arrest, Birchfield’s body was found underneath Morley’s home.
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Morley’s former girlfriend, Landree Sheperd, testified at Morley’s trial and claimed that the defendant said at one point that “he f—ing killed him.”
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People with information about Morley’s whereabouts are encouraged to contact 844-832-3463.