TIPTONVILLE, Tenn. — A convicted murderer remained at large Thursday after a Tennessee prison escape exposed a reported five-hour delay in alerting local police. Jacob Allen Morley, 28, escaped Sunday while serving a life sentence for killing his co-worker, Cody Birchfield, in 2022. Authorities have since found a stolen getaway truck in Illinois, and the reward for his arrest has reached $15,000.

Tennessee prison escape raises questions about notification

The Tennessee Department of Correction said staff confirmed Morley was missing from Northwest Correctional Complex around 11:30 p.m. Oct. 25. They immediately conducted an emergency count and searched the facility. A subsequent review of security footage showed him breaching the perimeter fence and leaving in his prison uniform.

Tiptonville Police Chief Joe England told Fox News his department first learned of a potentially missing inmate at 4:40 a.m. Monday. That places its first notification five hours and 10 minutes after the prison’s reported discovery. Fox said the correction department did not respond to its requests for comment.

The department’s initial statement describes an immediate search inside the prison but does not explain the notification timeline. Officials also have not publicly detailed how Morley breached the perimeter fence. The exact time he escaped remains undisclosed.

According to ABC News reporting published by ABC13, surveillance captured Morley taking a white 2008 Ford F-350 around 1 a.m. Monday. Authorities found the truck Tuesday in Marion, Illinois. TBI said his location remained unknown when it announced the recovery.

Victim’s sister learned of escape from a friend

For Birchfield’s family, the escape has disrupted the sense of security that followed Morley’s life sentence. His sister, Carrie Norman, told WCYB she learned the news from a friend Monday morning. She said the escape revived grief she thought her family had begun to process.

Norman said she worries about her family’s safety and has urged relatives to remain alert. She also said the district attorney’s office and TBI’s victim-witness coordinator had contacted her. As of Wednesday’s interview, she reported no threats or communication from Morley since his escape.

Norman remembered Birchfield as someone who consistently showed up for the people he loved. “All of his family and friends loved him,” she told the station. Her family’s concerns now extend to others who might encounter his killer.

Wisconsin robbery connection remains unconfirmed

Investigators are also evaluating leads involving an armed bank robbery in Deerfield, Wisconsin, according to WMC’s Thursday update. Authorities there said a gunman restrained two employees, took cash and fled in a stolen car Tuesday. The vehicle was later found unoccupied, and no injuries were reported.

TBI said it was aware of the robbery and was pursuing potential leads. It had not confirmed a connection to Morley. The investigation does not establish that he committed the robbery or reached Wisconsin.

Tennessee prison escape adds to scrutiny of state prisons

The escape comes during a period of upheaval for Tennessee’s correction department. Commissioner Frank Strada announced his resignation following the failed Sept. 30 execution of Christa Pike. As USA Herald previously reported, that episode prompted an independent review of the state’s execution procedures.

The Associated Press reported that prison officials disclosed 470 vacancies across a workforce of about 6,000 at a legislative hearing. District Attorney Danny H. Goodman Jr. described serious staffing shortages at Northwest Correctional Complex but said he had no proof they caused the escape. He also said investigators had found no evidence anyone helped Morley escape, while emphasizing that the investigation continued.

Reward reaches $15,000 as search continues

The combined reward includes $7,500 from the governor’s office, $2,500 from TBI and $5,000 from the U.S. Marshals Service. Morley is on Tennessee’s Most Wanted list. Officials describe him as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and approximately 240 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes.

The correction department has asked residents to check security, doorbell and trail cameras for possible sightings. Authorities consider Morley dangerous and say anyone who sees him should avoid approaching him and call 911. People with information about his whereabouts can contact TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND, or 1-800-824-3463.