Carter County murder trial continues today

A Carter County man accused of a 2022 murder appeared in court for the second day of his trial on Wednesday. Jacob Morley faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Cody Birchfield. Birchfield was reported missing from Elizabethton in February 2022. Birchfield’s family told investigators he was last seen with Morley on February 21 of that year, and investigators said they found evidence that Birchfield had been with Morley after disappearing. Search warrants were then obtained for Morley’s home and car, and on March 2, 2022, Morley allegedly initiated a pursuit with police during an attempted traffic stop. Morley was stopped near the North Carolina state line and taken into custody. A search of Morley’s home led to investigators finding Birchfield’s body. Wednesday was the second day of Morley’s trial. Morley pleaded guilty on Monday to burglary and theft charges related to the murder case but did not plead on the murder charge. The court proceedings resume today.