A manhunt is underway as local, state and federal authorities search for an Alabama inmate charged with capital murder who escaped from custody with a female corrections officer over the weekend.
Authorities are looking for Casey White, 38, and a Lauderdale County Jail corrections officer, Vicky White, (no relation), 56, who is also missing.
Lauderdale County is about two hours outside of Birmingham in northwestern Alabama.
Vicky White and Casey White disappeared after the corrections officer escorted the inmate from the Lauderdale County Jail around 9:41 a.m. on Friday, according to the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities discovered the disappearance by mid-afternoon.
They were headed to a local courthouse for a mental health evaluation that was not scheduled, according to County Sheriff Rick Singleton. The vehicle the two left in was later found parked at a nearby shopping center.
Singleton said at a news conference on Friday that Vicky White, who was otherwise an “exemplary employee,” violated policy when she escorted Casey White out by herself, according to WAFF in Huntsville.
Two guards must escort an inmate away from a detention facility, Singleton explained, but White was assistant director of corrections and her authority was likely not questioned at the time.
“She coordinates all the transports from the detention center to the courts and so forth, so I’m sure her subordinates didn’t question her,” Singleton said. “I can tell you every employee of this office is shocked.”
Singleton also that it was possible Vicky White was coerced by Casey White, according to the TV station.
“We assume at this point she was taken against her will unless we can absolutely prove otherwise,” the sheriff added.
The FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency are searching for Casey White, who was charged with two counts of capital murder in September 2020 for allegedly stabbing 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway, who was found dead inside her home in 2015.
Police said Casey White confessed to the murder and was awaiting trial. He was already serving time for a series of crimes in 2015 that included home invasions and carjackings.
The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $10,000 reward for anyone with information about Casey White or Vicky White, but cautioned citizens not to approach the suspect.
“Casey White is believed to be a serious threat to the corrections officer and the public,” said U.S. Marshal Marty Keely in a statement on Twitter. “Do not attempt to apprehend this suspect.”
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency issued a blue alert for the missing persons, which was still active as of Sunday.
Casey White is 6 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 252 pounds and has gray hair and hazel eyes. Vicky White is 5 feet 5 inches and 160 pounds with brown eyes and blonde hair.
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