Prison staff confirmed Morley was “unaccounted for” on Sunday night and begun an emergency headcount and search within the prison, officials said on Monday.
The TDOC said security camera footage had confirmed Morley had breached the prison’s perimeter fence and escaped in his prison uniform.
“The Tennessee Highway Patrol has deployed aviation assets and state troopers to assist with the search,” it added.
Prison records show his supervision level was listed as “low” and he was not eligible for release until December 2083.
Morley was sentenced in June 2025 after being convicted of first-degree murder over the death of his colleague Cody Birchfield in 2022. Birchfield’s body was found in a metal box under Morley’s home, according to Carter County court records reviewed by the BBC.
Birchfield died “as a result of a gunshot wound to the back of the head”, a pathology report cited in court said. Bullet casings matched a gun found in Morley’s house.
The pair had developed a friendship while Birchfield was training Morley at the pallet manufacturing company they worked at, Birchfield’s sister said in her victim impact statement to the court.
Besides murder, Morley was also convicted of vandalism, tampering with evidence, aggravated burglary, and evading arrest. His request for a new trial was denied in May.
This is not the first time Morley has led law enforcement officials on a manhunt. His 2022 arrest came after a police chase that crossed state lines into North Carolina.
Earlier this month, another prisoner Gregory Redden, 69, who is serving a 15-year sentence for aggravated robbery, escaped from custody but was recaptured shortly after.
Convicted murder Christa Pike survived a botched lethal injection in the state in September, leading to the resignation of TDOC Commissioner Frank Strada.
