New details about the Oct. 25 escape of convicted murderer Jacob Allen Morley from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Lake County show hours passed before outside law enforcement was told, according to 29th Judicial District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr., as reported by WBBJ-TV.
The delay
"He was already in Marion, Illinois, before they ever called anyone outside of TDOC," Goodman said. According to the district attorney, an internal investigator was alerted in the early morning, but the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol and DA's office were not notified until about 5:30 a.m., and the Lake County Sheriff's Department not until 6:15 a.m.
Timeline from sources
Sources involved in the investigation gave this timeline:
- Sunday, Oct. 25, 9:30 p.m.: During a routine count, the cell door window was covered. An officer knocked and asked how many inmates were inside, and an inmate falsely said two. Morley was gone.
- 10 p.m.: A second officer verifying the count found Morley missing.
- 11:47 p.m.: An emergency count confirmed he was absent. Investigators believe he had already left the grounds.
- Monday, Oct. 26, around 1 a.m.: Morley reportedly stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 utility truck and headed toward Illinois.
- 3:30 to 4 a.m.: Staff found breached perimeter fences. Morley had cut out after hiding among pallets and a trash cart behind the main kitchen.
- 5:30 to 6:15 a.m.: Outside agencies were formally notified.
The search
The truck was found abandoned in Marion, Illinois, with no sign Morley stayed in the area. Morley, 28, was serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for the 2022 murder of Cody Birchfield in Carter County. Authorities are probing a possible link to an armed bank robbery in Dane County, Wisconsin, but the TBI says no connection is established. Morley is on the TBI Most Wanted list and considered dangerous, with a reward of up to $17,500 from the U.S. Marshals Service and state authorities. Anyone with information is asked to contact the TBI or call 911.
Sources: WBBJ-TV, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation