Manhunt underway after convicted murderer escapes Tennessee prison

Authorities in Tennessee have launched a multi-agency manhunt after a 28-year-old convicted murderer escaped from a state prison. The Guardian and the New York Post both report that Jacob Morley escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex, located in Tiptonville in Lake County, Tennessee. According to local outlets cited by the Guardian, staff first noticed that Morley was missing at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday evening. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

The Guardian reported that after prison staff conducted an emergency headcount, surveillance video showed Morley breaching the perimeter fence. He escaped while wearing his Tennessee Department of Correction uniform. The New York Post reported that it was not immediately clear how he managed to break out of the facility. [1][3]

According to the New York Post, Morley is serving a life sentence for murdering a longtime friend in March 2022. The victim was found under Morley's home in Elizabethtown, local station WHJL reported via the Post. Morley was also convicted of abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, burglary, and evading arrest. [1][3]

The New York Post reported that Morley is described as five feet eleven inches tall and weighing 240 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. Law enforcement agencies are continuing a multi-agency search to locate him. [3]