Tennessee fugitive Jacob Morley linked to Wisconsin bank robbery investigation
Authorities in Dane County are probing a Tuesday gunpoint robbery while the manhunt for the escaped life-sentence inmate continues across state lines.
By Ryan Davidson ·
Jacob Allen Morley remains at large after escaping from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tennessee on Monday. The search has expanded to Wisconsin, where investigators are examining a bank robbery that took place on Tuesday.
Dane County officials reported that a gunman entered the Bank of Deerfield shortly before closing. He demanded cash, restrained two employees, and exited with the money. No injuries were reported during the incident.
The suspect fled the scene in a Lincoln MKZ taken from the parking lot. Law enforcement later located the vehicle unoccupied nearby. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation stated it is aware of the Wisconsin event but has not yet confirmed a direct connection to Morley.
Morley was serving a life sentence for the 2022 murder of Cody Birchfield. He escaped by stealing a white 2008 Ford F-150 marked with Lindamood Planting Company. Police found the truck abandoned early Tuesday in Marion, Illinois, and said there is no evidence Morley is still in that area.
U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller, who covers the Western District of Tennessee, is coordinating the search. The reward for information leading to Morley's arrest stands at $15,000. Daniel Russell, a friend of the victim, described Morley as a monster who would repeat his actions.
Morley is listed on the Tennessee Most Wanted List and is considered dangerous. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation asks the public to call 1-800-TBI-FIND with any information. Witnesses are instructed not to approach the fugitive and to call 911 if they spot him.
