Tennessee fugitive Jacob Allen Morley abandoned work truck in Illinois

Jacob Allen Morley, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence, is at large after escaping a Tennessee prison this weekend. The escape has triggered a multi-state manhunt involving federal and state law enforcement agencies.

Morley was serving time for the 2022 murder of Cody Birchfield. He was also convicted of burglary, vandalism, tampering with evidence, and evading arrest. Authorities placed him on the state's most wanted list and advised the public to consider him dangerous.

Staff at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, noticed Morley was missing around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. Surveillance footage later showed him crossing the prison's perimeter fence. The precise time of his escape has not been disclosed.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said surveillance footage captured Morley taking a pickup truck from the 400 block of Keystone Drive at approximately 1 a.m. on Monday. This location is roughly two miles south of the prison. Law enforcement officials found the vehicle abandoned early Tuesday morning in Marion, Illinois, about two and a half hours north of the starting point. Morley was not found with the truck.

An Illinois State Police spokeswoman stated that the agency has offered its assistance to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The TBI also confirmed that the U.S. Marshals Service is assisting in the search.

Retired FBI Special Agent Jonathan Gilliam told Fox News Digital that the abandoned truck provides clues about Morley's likely next move. Gilliam noted that the specific vehicle taken was a work truck that would have been easy to identify. He suggested Morley is probably laying low or trying to get another vehicle.

Gilliam explained that if Morley stole a nondescript vehicle that nobody reported missing, it could dramatically expand the search area. He stated that in such a vehicle, Morley could travel a long distance without being caught. Gilliam added that Morley's lack of money could limit his travel unless he commits another crime to obtain resources.

Gilliam observed that Morley's decision to head north reduces his access to familiar resources, as family connections are located to the east. Gilliam believes the totality of the evidence suggests Morley is primarily trying to put distance between himself and the prison. He added that unless outside help is involved, which authorities have not indicated, this distance-creating strategy is the most likely explanation for his movements.

Morley is described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and 240 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes. Birchfield disappeared in early February 2022 after being last seen in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Investigators found indications of a violent crime inside his house. Morley was arrested on March 2, 2022, after a police chase that reached the North Carolina state line. Birchfield's body was found underneath Morley's home following the arrest.

Morley's former girlfriend, Landree Sheperd, testified at trial that Morley stated he killed Birchfield. People with information about Morley's whereabouts are encouraged to contact 844-832-3463.