BREAKING: Escaped Killer CAUGHT After Multi-State Manhunt

Convicted murderer Jacob Morley, the man. [music] who escaped a Tennessee prison. and has been on the run, has just been. caught. We're going to get into what we. know right now. Welcome to Sidebar, [music]. presented by Law & Crime. I'm Jesse. Weber. Okay, so we have breaking news. According to the Tennessee Bureau of. Investigation, they posted on X at 12:50. p.m. Eastern today, November 3rd, 2026, that was like 20 minutes ago, that Jacob.

Allen Morley is in custody. And they. announced this alongside a picture of. Morley in this sweatshirt, wearing a. hat, full beard, glasses. I mean, one of. the questions we had was, is he going to. change his appearance? Is he going to. look different? Now, Action News 5 is. reporting that he was picked up all the. way in Kansas City, Missouri. What's. that? Almost 460 miles away from. Tiptonville, Tennessee. That's where he. escaped from. This is a major, major. development because this was a huge. manhunt for the 28-year-old convicted.

murderer who escaped from the Tennessee. Northwest Correctional Complex on. Sunday, October 25th. Officials say he. breached the perimeter fence still. wearing his prison uniform, walked about. 2 miles through fields, and then stole a. white pickup truck from a nearby farm. That truck was found by the TBI, the. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. It. was this white 2008 Ford F-350. It had. Linda Mood Planning Company on the door, and it was found abandoned in Marion, Illinois. So, that's roughly 120 miles.

north of the Northwest Correctional. Complex, about 90 miles southeast of St. Louis, and also about 360 miles away. from Kansas City. Now, this is a guy. that was serving a life sentence for. murdering his co-worker, Cody. Birchfield, and burying his body under. Morley's own home. And it seems the last. we had heard from the TBI before this. major announcement was yesterday, November 2nd, saying that Morley's last. confirmed sighting was between 5:00 and.

7:00 a.m. on October 26th at a Pilot. Travel Center in Marion. And they urged. citizens to remain vigilant, check their. properties, so empty vacation homes, hunting properties, garages. They were. already encouraging people to check. their surveillance cameras, and also, by. the way, to stay away from him. Don't. approach him. Call 911. In fact, state. investigators, officials, they were. offering a combined reward of $15,000. for information leading to Morley's. arrest. And alongside the announcement.

today, the TBI said in a social media. post, "Thank you to the public for your. assistance, vigilance, and the tips. provided during this investigation. We. also thank all of our law enforcement. partners for their continued efforts to. safely bring this search to a successful. conclusion." Now, at the time of this. recording, as I said, it just broke like. 20 minutes ago. We haven't seen a press. conference yet. We're waiting for more. information, but I just kind of want to. get on the air immediately and talk. about this. So, with this breaking news, I want to bring in my buddy Chris. Stewart, host of On the Case, cuz he's.

been following this, too. Just immediate. reaction to this. Uh Chris, I got to. tell you, I I'm looking at a map right. now, okay? And I'm looking at where he. escaped from, Tennessee, and then this. idea of the car being found in Illinois, and then him being picked up in Kansas. City. This kind of like upside down U. travel, it's bizarre. What do you make of where. he was picked up and the fact that he. was found seemingly by the TBI? >> Yeah, and I mean, what a sigh of relief.

for for so many people, cuz you it was. like yesterday the TBI posted like they. have no updates. And it's been since. October 25th, I mean, that he's been on. the run, and you're like, "Wow, when are. you guys going to find somebody?". Because I know we'll get into it. Like, the murder he was convicted of All. murders are terrible, but it was a. chilling chilling case from back in. 2022. And you just have to wonder what. type of help, if any, that he had to be. able to get all the way to the Kansas. City area, which is seven seven and a. half hours away from Lake County, Tennessee, where he escaped. Um I also.

think when you look at the picture that. was just released by TBI, he is no. longer in the jail uniform that he was. in when he escaped. So, the question is, of course, where did he get those. clothes? Did anybody help him be able to. get, I mean, 7-plus hours away from. where he escaped back on the 25th? >> He wasn't that I mean, yes, it's 460 mi. away. Um, but considering, you know, when he escaped, we were all wondering, could he be even further? Could he still. in the country? Does become a question.

of resources. Look, one of the big. questions that I had and one of the big. concerns I had was, you know, was he in. someone's house? Did he take anyone. hostage? Was he, um, you know, going. after anybody for their money, their. car? Um, and I I'm curious, you know, how much that's explored. When you look. at him, you know, it's also interesting. that he looks the same in the sense, you. know, we were wondering, was he going to. shave? Was he going to dye his hair? He. looks relatively similar to. the last confirmed sighting of him. >> And, uh, just, you know, when you try to.

piece together in these man hunts, you. like, what law enforcement's doing. behind the scenes? Like, they put out an. old mug shot of him a couple of days ago. where he doesn't have the beard. And. that And maybe that was from 2022 when. he was arrested, and you had to wonder, like, were they preparing for the. possibility that this guy does not look. like the person who escaped? But, yeah, surprisingly, you look at this picture. and we'll learn more information about. exactly how this man hunt came to an. end. Like, he still looks, other than. the change of clothes, um, exactly the.

same. Um, but it does, you know, the. other thing too is like, yeah, I just. think of the resources to be able to get. And And you're talking over this period. of time, like, eating, like, food, you. know, it's not like you're going to use. a credit card, it's not like you're. going to go in to a gas station. Those. are all places where, I mean, not that. he would have a credit card cuz he was. serving serving time in prison, but just. even just basic survival things, how is. he able to get to where he is because he. also just still looks, like, wasn't a. case like he was hiding in the woods, it. seems. Um, just seems like he was out in the.

open and they took him into custody. >> I I not going to lie to you. I mean, he. doesn't he doesn't look like he's been. living in sewer drains. It doesn't look. like he's been living in the forest. It. looks he looks relatively clean with. clean clothes. And that, you know, that's an area of concern about how he. was able to whether he stole it, whether. he took it from someone, whether he had. resources. And in your experience, um. cuz we're doing this breaking news, we. just got this, how soon after uh a. capture like this, an arrest like this, do you think law enforcement is going to.

provide that information, provide those. details? >> Well, you wonder how much I mean, do you. think over the last couple of days as. they've been doing this, like how much. do they know at this point about the. investigation into this prison and how. someone's able to get out? Like we don't. know. They only said he like breached. the outside wall, but it's like how does. somebody get out of this prison which. it's not just it is maximum security and. there are some some inmates there like. Moralee who is serving a life sentence.

for first-degree murder, but it's also. you have like low-level people in there, too. Like if you have minimum and. maximum security. >> has a ton of problems, that place. >> That place has a ton of problems. Yeah. And there's been a ton of issues. Yeah. >> And the And the Department of Correction. Commissioner Frank Strada resigned. So, he announced his resignation today. >> had issues, too. And like I think of I. don't know if you remember the case of. Austin Drummond who was accused of a. quadruple quadruple murder. He spent. time in that prison. Um and he was. actually convicted of Believe it was. attempted murder in from inside of that.

prison. >> is a place that's been in the news. It's. one of the biggest um prisons in. Tennessee. But yeah, you just wonder at. this point, when does the investigation. begin into how does somebody who's. convicted of this type of crime be able. to get out and get as far away as he. did? >> Well, here's the challenge, right? Do. they Do they charge him now with. additional crimes related, let's say, at. the very minimum to escape of this. facility? We don't know what else he's. been doing on the outside. Again, whether or not he allegedly harmed. anyone else and whether or not he's.

subject to other crimes. But a guy who's. you know, life in prison, that's a. that's something they're going to have. to wrestle with. And also, how vocal is. he going to be about that, right? If. he's facing additional charges, you. wonder if he's going to lawyer up and. not speak with investigators, but if. he's not facing the threat of charges, I. mean, in a way, he almost becomes a. consultant for the facility. How exactly. did you do this? What are the breaches? What are the lapses? What are the. weaknesses? And you have to wonder, are. they sitting him in a room right now and. trying to get that information from him?

>> Yeah, and and another question I have. too is like you might remember like as. the search went on, they talked about a. bank robbery that happened in Dane. County, Wisconsin, which. we don't know if he's involved in that. It was possible that he was linked to it. and they weren't ruling him out. I don't. know when you look at like Kansas City, like did he get all the way up to like. where Madison, Wisconsin is and then, you know, work his way down. And it. maybe he did, I don't know. That. information like hasn't come out yet, but. I think they're going to have to first. just figure out exactly like how he got. to Kansas City. And we know that there's.

a lot of cameras, but you know, is he. going to he had to have had help. I just. feel like we've seen so many of these. cases. You remember those inmates who. escaped from the jail in New Orleans? It. was either like late last year or early. this year when that happened and how. many other people were arrested for. helping those inmates be able to escape. that jail. And people who one guy was. caught in Atlanta like months later. because. >> Yeah. they were hiding out with. individuals. It's just you wonder like. how you know, also just as I'm kind of. like we're. reacting to this like how planned was. this? Like on his end, you know, was it.

a sign of opportunity where he knew that. around 11:30 or whenever he left, you. know, that that was going to be a lapse. in the security at the prison. >> Well, I mean, he picked up that or. allegedly picked up that truck from a. farm. Like how did he know it would be. there or did it was it just luck? You. know, he's going through this open. field. There was a They didn't even. recognize that he was missing until the. morning after. So, there was several. hours he got a head start. It's. interesting when I look at the map, if. he goes from Tennessee, then Illinois, right where the truck is, then if he.

were to go to Wisconsin, he would have. to make his way back south either. through Illinois, through maybe Iowa, and then getting to to. which again, I I don't know what the. plan would be if he did that. Otherwise, it's Tennessee, Illinois, then south. um you know, southwest into Missouri. Where what where was there a plan? Where. was he going? And by the way, we haven't. heard, and correct me if I'm wrong, anyone else being picked up, right? Like. it just you see this photo of him, maybe. taken from a car, but you I don't I.

didn't hear anybody else being picked up. with him. >> No, and you didn't hear of anything like. a you know, if he was to switch. vehicles, like a carjacking or something. like that. There was just kind of that. that word that came out about the. um about that that bank robbery, which I. don't know if he was he was actually. involved in that. It's an interesting. part of the country, too, Jesse. When. you look at the map and you think about. that part of Tennessee, um and if you're. into geography, you'll love this. Like. you have like Arkansas, then you have. Missouri, then you could be in Kentucky. You know, it's it's kind of that area. where all these states come in. And like.

I've driven through that you know, it is. very rural. And you know, you drive. through it at night, there is not a lot. of lights. I mean, you'll go through. like St. Louis and um you know, work. your way into into Tennessee if you're. if you're going down towards Memphis, but um you just wonder, I mean, how does. that complicate things when it just. comes to the way that they're able to. monitor highways where you were talking. about so many different states that come. and kind of meet at that one area. You. know, did that factor into his ability. to just get such a head start? >> Yeah. >> Um and be able to outrun TBI and all the.

other agencies that were looking for. him. >> And we don't know the circumstances by. which he was apprehended, whether or not. it was a routine traffic stop, they take. a look at him and they realize, or. whether someone provided a tip or. information to law enforcement. I mean, at this point, at this recording, at. this time, law enforcement hasn't given. an indication about how they apprehended. him, or whether or not it was uh through. the assistance of somebody. But what's. interesting, um I mean, this guy's a. convicted killer. It's a it's a horrible. crime. But one of the things also we. should mention is that back in 2022, when they showed up to his home, he ran.

He led police on a chase that crossed. state lines, ended in North Carolina. >> I know. And that's like he's done this. before in like some ways. And like you. look back at the murder of Cody. Birchfield, who was his victim. This was. a 2022 murder, and Morley and Birchfield. were co-workers. And Birchfield went missing for for. several weeks. Nobody knew where he was. And then authorities end up finding his. body in a box beneath Morley's house. Um.

so you just think of someone who was. able to cover his tracks for that period. of time where authorities thought he was. missing, and then he leads them on, you. know, a chase, and they eventually track. him down in North Carolina. He was from. Carter's County, Tennessee, which is. kind of like where uh like Johnson City, Tennessee, like in the north in the top. right part of Tennessee. Um but then was. able to work his way into North. Carolina. So he's been a tough guy to. track down for a while. >> And but they found him. And that And. that's the big news. That's the best. news. They found him. Um and you also. have to be thinking about, you know,

Birchfield's family and friends who That. was a different level of anxiety and. stress thinking about this convicted. killer on the loose. Um but for. everybody, for the public safety, for. them, this is a really really positive. development, and I'm sure as this. progresses we'll get more information. about uh his escape and what he's been. up to. Um it's a fascinating story, but. there you go. Jacob Morley in custody. Uh Chris Stewart on the case. Thank you. so much, sir. Appreciate you taking the. time. >> Always good being with you. >> And that's all we have for you right now. here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so.

much for joining us. I'm Jesse Weber. Speak to you soon.