Investigators have not confirmed that escaped inmate Jacob Morley committed the armed robbery as a multistate search continues.
NASHVILLE, TN — Tennessee investigators are examining whether escaped inmate Jacob Allen Morley could be connected to an armed bank robbery in Wisconsin, adding a new lead to a multistate manhunt that began after he fled a state prison Sunday night.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it is aware of the Wisconsin robbery and is working with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to pursue potential leads. Authorities have not confirmed that Morley was involved in the robbery. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office also has not ruled him out as a possible suspect as its investigation continues.
The Wisconsin case began shortly before closing Tuesday at the Bank of Deerfield on Shaul Lane in Dane County. Sheriff’s deputies responded at about 5:10 p.m. after a man armed with a handgun entered the bank. Authorities said two employees were restrained and forced to surrender an undisclosed amount of cash. No injuries were reported.
The robber fled in a Lincoln MKZ stolen from the bank parking lot, according to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle was found abandoned a short time later on State Farm Road. Deputies used a police dog and drones to search the area but did not locate the suspect. The sheriff’s office has not publicly released surveillance footage of the robbery while the investigation remains active.
The possible Wisconsin connection emerged several days after Morley, 28, escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee. Prison staff determined at about 11:30 p.m. Oct. 25 that Morley was missing and began an emergency count and search, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. A review of surveillance footage showed him breaching the prison’s perimeter fence and leaving the facility in his correctional uniform. Officials have not publicly explained exactly how he got through the fence.
Authorities say Morley then stole a white 2008 Ford F-350 in Lake County early Monday. That truck later turned up abandoned behind a business in Marion, Illinois. Marion police said surveillance footage indicated the pickup may have been left there early Monday, giving Morley many hours to move elsewhere before the vehicle was reported to authorities Tuesday. Investigators reviewed additional video and searched neighborhoods, but they found no confirmed evidence that Morley remained in Marion.
The abandoned truck shifted the search beyond Tennessee and raised questions about where Morley traveled next. Illinois authorities offered assistance, while law enforcement agencies in surrounding states were notified to watch for him. The possible Wisconsin lead extends that search farther north, but investigators have cautioned that the bank robbery has not been definitively connected to Morley.
Morley was serving a life sentence after being convicted in Carter County of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, evading arrest and vandalism. His murder conviction stemmed from the 2022 killing of co-worker Cody Birchfield. Morley was added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list after the escape and is considered dangerous by authorities.
The reward for information leading to Morley’s arrest has grown to a combined $15,000. The U.S. Marshals Service announced a reward of up to $5,000, while additional reward money has been offered through Tennessee authorities and the governor’s office. The Marshals Service confirmed Wednesday that Morley remained at large and that federal authorities were assisting in the effort to capture him.
As of Oct. 29, authorities had announced no arrest and had not confirmed Morley’s location. The Wisconsin robbery remains one of several potential leads being examined as investigators work to reconstruct his movements after the Tennessee escape and the abandonment of the stolen pickup in Illinois.
Author note: Last updated October 29, 2026.