Murderous inmate who escaped Tennessee jail is finally found 7 days later in Missouri - sporting the same beard and glasses he fled in

Published: 13:40 EDT, 3 November 2026 | Updated: 14:19 EDT, 3 November 2026 The murderous inmate who escaped from a jail in Tennessee has been found in Missouri after seven days on the run. Jacob Allen Morley, 28, was captured near Kansas City on Tuesday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said.Officials shared an image of him sporting the same red beard and black glasses that he fled in, surveillance footage showed. He also wore a camouflage sweatshirt as he held his handcuffed hands behind his back and put on a smug face. A massive manhunt was launched after prison officials discovered that Morley was missing from the Northwest Correctional Complex around 11.30pm on October 25. He was caught on video walking out around 6pm. Morley was sentenced to life behind bars for killing his coworker, Cody Birchfield, 34, in February 2022. Birchfield, who worked at Oliver Wood Working in Elizabethton, Tennessee, with Morley, was found buried underneath Morley's home in March of that year. The killer managed to breach a security fence at the prison in Tiptonville before disappearing into the surrounding area wearing his prison uniform. Jacob Allen Morley, 28, was captured near Kansas City on Tuesday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said The killer was caught on footage sneaking out of the jail around 6pm on October 25. It wasn't until around 11.30pm that officials noticed he was missingExactly how he managed to get through the prison's perimeter defenses remains unclear, with authorities yet to reveal details of the breach or explain how it went undetected.He was added to the TBI Most Wanted List and considered armed and dangerous. Investigators revealed on Monday that Morley stole a pickup truck shortly after he broke free. That same day, the hunt had expanded beyond the prison grounds, with police searching nearby buildings and structures for any sign of the missing inmate. Authorities then obtained surveillance footage that appeared to show Morley stealing a white 2008 Ford F-350 that bore the name Lindamood Planting Company on its side. The vehicle was later found in Marion, Illinois, which is about 500 miles by car from Tennessee. By the time he was captured on Tuesday, Morley traveled about 800 miles away from the jail.After victim Birchfield suddenly vanished in 2021, a missing-person investigation was launched before authorities found his body the following month. His remains were found buried underneath Morley's home and inside a medal box after he shot him in the back of the head, a court heard. Morley was sentenced to life behind bars for killing his coworker, Cody Birchfield (pictured), 34, in February 2022A motive for why he took Birchfield's life remains unclear, with Morley claiming he acted in self-defense during his trial. Morley was subsequently convicted of Birchfield's murder in February 2025 and sentenced to life imprisonment that June.He was also convicted of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest and vandalism. Details surrounding his capture remain unclear. The Daily Mail contacted the TBI for comment.