After 10-day manhunt, escaped inmate caught near Kansas City; his truck was stuck in mud
Capture near Kansas City
The Missouri State Highway Patrol received information Tuesday morning that Morley might be heading west on Interstate 70 in the Kansas City area. Automated license plate readers and undercover officers located his vehicle on a western Missouri state highway.
Ewing said Morley may have ties to the Kansas City area, but officials do not believe he stopped at any homes. Authorities captured him after a 10-day search.
Escape from Tennessee prison
Morley, 28, escaped the Northwest Correctional Complex on Oct. 25 while still wearing prison attire. He passed through a boundary fence at the facility in Tiptonville, in the far northwest corner of Tennessee.
After the escape, law enforcement agencies searched nearby buildings. Prison officials offered a reward of up to $17,500 for information leading to his capture.
Life sentence for killing
Morley was serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of his co-worker, Cody Birchfield. Authorities found Birchfield’s body hidden in a box beneath Morley’s residence. Both men lived in Carter County in eastern Tennessee.
Facility history of violence
The Northwest Correctional Complex has had numerous violent incidents involving prisoners and staff in recent years. In July, a grand jury issued dozens of indictments related to five inmate deaths and other violent offenses.
Key points
- Morley was captured Tuesday near Kansas City after a 10-day manhunt.
- He escaped the Northwest Correctional Complex on Oct. 25 through a boundary fence.
- Morley was serving a life sentence for killing his co-worker, Cody Birchfield.
- Officials offered a reward of up to $17,500 for information leading to his capture.