Illinois manhunt ends in Missouri

Jacob Morley, 28, was arrested near Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday after evading police for more than 10 days.

The Tennessee inmate, who is serving a life sentence for murder, had been missing since slipping through a fence at the Northwest Correctional Complex on Oct. 25. He was found by Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers who tracked him using roadside cameras and a helicopter. His truck became stuck in the mud, allowing officers to apprehend him. Two rifles and a shotgun were recovered from the vehicle.

Morley escaped in his prison clothes and stole a truck from a farm near the Tennessee facility. Surveillance video shows him driving that truck. He later abandoned it in Marion, Illinois, which is about 127 miles from the prison. Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich said Morley walked approximately 3 miles to a farm property near Marion. Security cameras captured him walking away from the abandoned truck and moving along Route 13. The terrain, which included fields and woods, made it difficult for him to be seen. Diederich noted there is no evidence Morley had help during his escape.

Investigators believe Morley spent time in a shed at the Marion farm that hunters use periodically. They found evidence that he drank beer and prepared garlic bread and other food. He also left a handwritten note apologizing for stealing a truck from the property. Sheriff Diederich said Morley is suspected of taking clothes and the three firearms from the farm. Authorities are still unsure why Morley traveled to Marion or why he was driving near Kansas City, which is more than 350 miles away. Diederich described the route to Marion as a mystery.

Morley was transported to the Lafayette County jail in Lexington, Missouri. Justin Ewing, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, confirmed the transfer. No charges had been filed against him in Missouri courts as of Tuesday, according to online records. A deputy U.S. marshal interviewed Morley at the jail on Tuesday. In a probable cause affidavit, Morley admitted to escaping the Tennessee prison, stealing the truck in Marion, and taking the two rifles and shotgun.

Before his capture, Morley was charged in federal court in Tennessee with one count of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. On Tuesday, he was also charged in federal court in Missouri with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Danny Goodman Jr., the District Attorney General in Tennessee, said in a phone interview that he plans to file additional charges. It is unclear when Morley will be returned to Tennessee. Kim Wheeler-Elder, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, stated in a text message that all available information regarding Morley's whereabouts has been released.

Morley was convicted in 2022 of killing his co-worker, Cody Birchfield. Birchfield's body was found in a box under Morley's home after he had been missing for a few weeks. When Morley saw deputies at his home, he led them on a chase that ended in North Carolina. He was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism, and evading arrest. He was serving a life sentence for the crime when he escaped in October.