A convicted murderer serving life for burying his friend beneath his house walked out of a Tennessee prison Sunday night — and the same system that can't keep killers caged has had no problem locking up January 6 defendants for years awaiting trial.
Jacob Morley, 28, breached the perimeter fence at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville and vanished in his state-issued prison uniform, according to surveillance footage reviewed after staff noticed him missing around 11:30 p.m. The Tennessee Department of Correction launched a multi-agency manhunt Monday, warning the public: "Do not attempt to apprehend this fugitive."
Morley was serving life for the 2022 murder of Cody Birchfield, 34, his longtime friend. Birchfield was reported missing in February of that year; his body was found buried under Morley's home about a month later, according to the New York Post. Morley's convictions also included aggravated burglary, evidence tampering, abuse of a corpse, evading arrest, and vandalism.
Neither outlet reported how a lifer managed to reach and breach a perimeter fence undetected. The Guardian noted only that surveillance footage showed Morley breaking through the fence; the Post said it was "not immediately clear" how he got out. TDOC offered no explanation — just the usual assurance that "public safety is our top priority."
Morley is described as 5-foot-11, 240 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair. TDOC urged anyone with information to call 911 or contact the agency at (844) 832-3463.
The escape follows a pattern. The Guardian recalled last year's breakout of 10 detainees from a New Orleans jail through a hole behind a toilet — all eventually recaptured, but only after they'd been loose on the public.
Meanwhile, the federal government has held January 6 defendants in pretrial detention — some in solitary confinement — for offenses that wouldn't warrant a weekend in lockup for anyone else. A system that lets a convicted murderer walk through a fence while it throws the book at political dissidents isn't broken. It's working exactly as designed.
The open question: how does a man serving life for murder just walk out of a state prison? TDOC hasn't answered that. Until they do, every explanation is an excuse.
