Manhunt underway for escaped Alabama inmate and the corrections officer who removed him from jail

Vicky White, assistant director of corrections on the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Workplace, and inmate Casey White have been final seen about 9:30 a.m. Friday when she eliminated him from the jail, supposedly to take him to the county courthouse for a psychological analysis, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton stated. The officer and the inmate are usually not associated.

Vicky White instructed a guard she was going to drop off Casey White on the courthouse and search medical care as a result of she wasn’t feeling effectively.

No psychological analysis was scheduled for Friday and Casey White was by no means dropped off on the courthouse, Singleton stated. Vicky White did not make it to the situation the place she stated she was going to hunt medical consideration.

Her automobile, a 2013 Ford Taurus patrol automobile, was noticed in a shopping mall parking zone round 11 a.m. Friday by somebody who was on a lunch break, Singleton stated.

Authorities did not understand they have been lacking till a number of hours later.

Officers on the jail grew to become involved and tried to achieve her, however her cellphone saved going straight to voicemail. They then realized Casey White had not been returned to the jail.

Casey White is 6-foot-9 and thought of armed and harmful. Vicky White “was armed with a 9mm handgun, which suggests we’re assuming he’s armed,” Singleton added.

“Understanding the inmate, I believe she’s at risk regardless of the circumstances. He was in jail for capital homicide, and he had nothing to lose,” Singleton stated.

Corrections officer knew the protocol on prisoner transport
Casey White, 38, is a state prisoner serving 75 years for against the law spree he dedicated in Limestone County in 2015, Singleton stated. He was being held on the detention heart in Lauderdale County, within the state’s northwest nook, for hearings associated to a 2015 murder wherein he has been charged.

In 2020, Casey supposed to flee and take an individual hostage however his plan was found, the sheriff stated. A coverage was put in place mandating that two sworn deputies ought to be with him always, together with throughout transportation to courtroom, he stated.

Vicky White coordinates all transports from the detention heart to courtroom and due to this fact knew the protocol, the sheriff stated.

Authorities are actually taking a look at all prospects of what occurred, together with if the corrections officer helped Casey White escape.

Talking with CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Saturday morning, Singleton stated his workplace is approaching the case from three angles: Whether or not Vicky White was overpowered and kidnapped; whether or not she assisted inmate Casey White in escaping; and if she assisted him, whether or not she did so willingly or was coerced or threatened to take action.

“Whether or not she assisted him or not, we do not know, and we cannot handle that till we’ve got absolute proof that that is what occurred. We’re assuming at this level that she was taken in opposition to her will, except we will completely show in any other case,” Singleton stated Friday.

Authorities stated they’re nonetheless looking and investigating any interplay between the corrections officer and Casey White, in addition to any cellphone calls he had acquired.

Video safety footage from the world the place Vicky White’s automobile was discovered has not proven the 2 moving into one other automobile.

Vicky White ‘an exemplary worker’
Vicky White has been employed with the sheriff’s workplace for about twenty years and “does an incredible job,” Singleton stated Saturday.

“All of her co-workers, all the workers within the sheriff’s workplace, the judges, all have probably the most utmost respect for her,” Singleton stated. “She has an unblemished report. She’s an exemplary worker. So we’re very involved for her security.”

Casey White had been charged in slaying

Casey White confessed in 2020 to killing Connie Ridgeway in 2015, in keeping with Lauderdale County District Legal professional Chris Connolly. Nevertheless, White pleaded not responsible and was awaiting trial.

Ridgeway’s son, Austin Williams, instructed CNN her killing was “a complete shock” to the household.

For years, Williams and his brother labored to maintain Ridgeway’s reminiscence alive, providing a reward for any info resulting in the arrest of her killer.

“We have been just about her world. She was a very nice individual, type of buddies with everyone; by no means met a stranger type of individual,” Williams stated.

Williams says White’s trial had been rescheduled due to Covid-19 delays.

“I see a really troubled individual,” Williams stated. “You need somebody to have the ability to be rehabilitated, however at this level it is somebody who’s simply very, very troubled and simply must be put away from human society.”

Correction: An earlier model of this story misspelled the primary title of corrections officer Vicky White.

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