Illinois remains the last confirmed location
The search for Morley, 28, has centered in part on tracing a stolen pickup truck found behind a shopping center in Marion, about 120 miles north of the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee. Marion police Lt. Justin Dwyer said surveillance video indicated the truck was apparently abandoned around 4:40 a.m. on October 26. Police recovered it around 10 a.m. the following day, without Morley.
On October 30, investigators requested dashcam recordings from drivers who were near the Pilot Travel Center on Vernell Road in Marion between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. on October 26. They are seeking evidence of where Morley went after reaching Illinois.
Morley remains on Tennessee's Most Wanted list and should be considered dangerous, authorities say. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation describes him as 5 feet 7 inches to 6 feet tall and 240 to 270 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. Anyone who sees him should stay away and call 911. Information about his whereabouts can be reported to the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
The reward rose to $15,000 on October 28, with $2,500 from the TBI, $5,000 from the U.S. Marshals Service and a $7,500 pledge from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. The total increased to $17,500 on October 29.
Escape and delays in notifying police
According to the Tennessee Department of Correction, staff discovered Morley missing at 11:30 p.m. on October 25 and launched an emergency count and prison search. A review of security video showed that he had crossed the perimeter fence in his prison uniform.
District Attorney Danny Goodman Jr. said Morley hid among pallets and a trash cart behind the main kitchen and cut through security fences to escape. Investigators have not established what cutting tool he used or how he obtained it.
At about 1 a.m. on October 26, cameras recorded Morley taking a white 2008 Ford F-350 from a lot roughly two miles from the prison. The pickup bore Lindamood Planting Company markings and Tennessee plate 138BBQV. Hornbeak Fire Department cameras recorded it at 1:18 a.m.; the department also reported a sighting in nearby Troy.
Goodman said prison staff contacted an internal TDOC investigator around 2 a.m., but the TBI, Tennessee Highway Patrol and district attorney's office were not notified until 5:30 a.m. Local law enforcement received notice at 6:15 a.m., after Morley had already reached Marion by 4:40 a.m.
Goodman said the roughly two-hour notification gap may have cost officers an opportunity to catch Morley before he left the county.
No confirmed link to Wisconsin bank robbery
Authorities said on October 29 that they were examining whether Morley was connected to an armed robbery two days earlier at the Bank of Deerfield in Dane County, Wisconsin. No link has been confirmed.
The Dane County Sheriff's Office said the robber restrained two bank employees, took an undisclosed sum and escaped in a stolen Lincoln MKZ. That vehicle was later recovered. The TBI said it was aware of the robbery and was working with other agencies on potential leads.
The sheriff's office previously told Newsweek: "We are pursuing all leads at this point. While we have not eliminated Morley as a suspect, he is not our primary focus." Newsweek had not been able to verify whether anyone had been arrested in the robbery.
Dane County investigators also sought recordings from roads around Deerfield as they continued investigating the robbery.
The murder conviction
Morley received a life sentence in June 2025 for killing his coworker Cody Birchfield, 34, in 2022. Birchfield's sister said in a victim impact statement that the men became friends while Birchfield trained Morley at the pallet manufacturing company where they worked.
Carter County court records cited by BBC News said Birchfield was killed by a gunshot to the back of his head. Investigators matched bullet casings to a firearm found at Morley's house, and Birchfield's body was discovered inside a metal box beneath the home.
Police arrested Morley in 2022 after a chase that extended into North Carolina. Prison records classified his supervision level as "low" and listed December 2083 as the earliest date he would be eligible for release.
Another escape and a leadership change
Morley's escape was the second from TDOC custody in October 2026. Earlier that month, Gregory Redden, 69, escaped while serving a 15-year sentence for aggravated robbery. He was recaptured shortly afterward.
The department also changed leadership during the manhunt. Commissioner Frank Strada resigned after the botched lethal injection of Christa Pike in September 2026. On October 30, Lee announced Christopher Hansen's appointment as interim commissioner.
