Escaped Killer Jacob Morley Still At Large, Bank Robbery Link Investigated

Escaped killer Jacob Morley is still at large after he broke out of the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee last Sunday night. There have been some developments in the case ahead of the weekend.

The Murder

Morley was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 for the murder of a colleague named Cody Birchfield, whose remains were recovered from beneath Morley’s residence.

New developments reported by NewsNation include the fact that the getaway car was found. Additionally, law enforcement is investigating a possible connection to a bank robbery in Deerfield, Wisconsin.

There Is A Reward Offered

The community where he committed the murder is understandably concerned about what he might do while he’s on the run and law enforcement reminded the public that Jacob Morley is considered dangerous.

There’s a reward out for him, and according to Fox News, the reward now sits at $15,000 – $7,500 of which is financed by the governor’s office, with another $5,000 from “the U.S. Marshals and $2,500 from the TBI.”

There was already some concern about how long it took for officials to discover that Morley had escaped. Then, his stolen getaway truck wasn’t found in Illinois until nearly 30 hours after it was apparently abandoned.

The Bank Robbery

On Thursday night, Fox News correspondent Laura Ingle spoke with NewsNation on YouTube and discussed how it’s suspected that Jacob Morley could be tied to a bank robbery in Wisconsin.

Laura said that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is actively looking into potential connections to Morley. However, they haven’t yet confirmed any link. Laura said:

I also want to let you know, I just got off the phone with the U.S. Marshals in the state of Tennessee. They tell me that they’re continuing to track down leads, and they’re actually fanning out. They’re working with marshals all across the country, helping conduct additional interviews and following up on every single tip that they can get at this point.

As for the robbery itself, Dane County deputies report that a man armed with a handgun walked into a bank in Deerfield, Wisconsin, right as employees were closing up on Tuesday evening. Two staff members were restrained and forced to hand over cash.

After getting the money, the suspect stole a Lincoln from the bank’s parking lot, which was discovered abandoned on a nearby state farm road shortly after.

Police searched the area with dogs and drones, but they didn’t find the suspect. Nobody has confirmed that the bank robber was Jacob Morley, but for now, investigators haven’t ruled him out.

True Crime Followers React

In the comments section on YouTube, many people felt that the handling of the escaped killer could have been dealt with better.

One person wrote, “Where’s the Flock cams? They spy on us, but they can’t find this guy or missing children.”

Others felt the reward for information was too low. A commenter wrote, “Didn’t they start with a $1,500 reward? It is now $15,000. The low amount of the reward just tells people how important they think it is for this guy to be found.”

The suspicion that Morley had crossed state lines also got some reaction, and someone said, “How he got out of prison, how he got to another state and how he got his hands on a firearm 🤷‍♂️?”

Your thoughts? Join the discussion and then come back for more true crime news and updates.