After more than a week on the run, escaped murderer captured following Tennessee prison breakout

Morley back in custody

Investigators have provided little information about the escape or the multistate search. They said further details would be released when available.

Escape discovered overnight

Correctional officers found Morley missing at about 11:30 p.m. local time on Oct. 25, according to the department. Investigators later reviewed security footage and said it showed him leaving the complex in his prison uniform by slipping through a fence.

A truck was found later that day in Marion, Illinois, about 150 miles north of Tiptonville, the investigative bureau said. Morley's whereabouts were then unknown.

Rewards offered for information

Earlier in the week, the bureau had listed Morley among its most wanted. Several agencies, including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the governor's office and U.S. Marshals, offered combined rewards of up to $17,500 for information leading to his arrest.

Morley received a life sentence for murdering Cody Birchfield, a former coworker, in 2022. Authorities said Birchfield's body was found in a box beneath Morley's home in Carter County, Tennessee, after he had been missing for several weeks.

About the prison complex

Northwest Correctional Complex is a men's prison with capacity for 1,776 inmates, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. It accommodates people across security levels ranging from the lowest to maximum. The facility also houses minors convicted of crimes as adults, the department said.