Escaped killer hid in shed, stole truck, left apology note before capture

November 5, 2026 / 10:57 AM EST / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google The convicted killer who broke out of a Tennessee prison went on to steal a truck, seek cover in a shed, drink beer and write an apology note before he was eventually apprehended near Kansas City, Missouri, officials revealed Wednesday.Jacob Morley, 28, remained at large for more than a week before his capture, but authorities were still trying to figure out how he managed to evade law enforcement for as long as he did. Morley was serving a life sentence for murder at the Northwest Correctional Complex in northwestern Tennessee when he slipped through a fence on the property and fled on the night of Oct. 25, the Tennessee Department of Correction said. Morley was found after troopers used roadside cameras and a helicopter to track him down and his truck got stuck in the mud. Two rifles and a shotgun were recovered from the truck, authorities said.They believe Morley found his way to a farm near Marion, Illinois — about 127 miles away — in the days after his escape, spending some time in a shed that was used periodically by hunters.Investigators found evidence that he drank beer and prepared garlic bread and other food — and that he left behind an apologetic handwritten note after stealing a truck from the farm, according to Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich. Morley is also suspected of stealing clothes and the three firearms from the property.Diederich believes Morley walked about 3 miles to the farm after abandoning a different truck he had driven after his escape. Security cameras captured Morley walking away from the truck and at a couple of locations along Route 13, but the terrain — which includes fields and woods — would have made it tough for him to be spotted, Diederich said. This image from security video provided by John Lindamood shows escaped inmate Jacob Allen Morley, bottom right, stealing a white Ford F-350 from the Lindamood Planting Company early Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in Lake County, Tenn. John Lindamood via AP It's unclear why Morley traveled to Marion and why he was driving near Kansas City, more than 350 miles away. "How he ended up in Marion is kind of a mystery," Diederich said.Diederich said there's no evidence Morley had help from anyone.After Morley's prison escape, surveillance video showed him stealing a truck from a farm near the prison, which he abandoned in Marion.Kim Wheeler-Elder, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, wrote in a text message that all "available information" regarding Morley's whereabouts when he was on the run has been released. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says it was informed Tuesday morning that Morley was possibly traveling west on Interstate 70 in the Kansas City area. Authorities said he was compliant when he was arrested. Tennessee inmate Jacob Morley was recaptured in Kansas City more than a week after escaping prison. FBI Morley was transported to the Lafayette County jail in Lexington, Missouri, according to Justin Ewing, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. No charges have been filed against him in Missouri courts, according to online court records.Before Morley was apprehended, he was charged in federal court in Tennessee with one count of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, court documents show. Morley was also charged Tuesday in federal court in Missouri with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.A deputy U.S. marshal interviewed Morley at the Lafayette County jail on Tuesday and Morley admitted to escaping the Tennessee prison, stealing the truck in Marion as well as the two rifles and shotgun, according to a probable cause affidavit.District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr. in Tennessee said in a phone interview that he plans to file additional charges but it's unclear when Morley will be returned to Tennessee.Morley was convicted of killing co-worker Cody Birchfield in 2022. 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 officers on a chase that ended in North Carolina, authorities said. Morley was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism and evading arrest. In: Missouri Prison Kansas City Tennessee Escaped Prisoner Crime Escaped Tennessee inmate captured after nine days 00:31 Escaped Tennessee inmate captured after nine days (00:31)